Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2009. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Associated Press - September 4, 2009
The Berlin meeting, which brought together representatives from some 300 non-governmental organizations around the world, came 15 years after the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, where a similar group set goals to improve the sexual health and rights for women, particularly in the developing world.
"Funding for the delivery of the programs that came out of (the Cairo conference) has not kept pace with the promises, but nevertheless there have been some dramatic changes and improvements and advances," Dr. Gill Greer, a conference organizer and director general of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, said in an interview.
During the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, 179 attending nations adopted a plan -- backed by the Clinton administration -- to promote every woman's right to education, health care, and choices about childbearing. But the Bush administration later accused the plan of promoting abortion and blocked $34 million (euro24 million) of annual assistance to the U.N. Population Fund -- the main agency implementing the Cairo agenda.
In Berlin, Greer said investments in HIV prevention and family planning services for women can have a much broader impact in lifting poor families and communities out of poverty.
"If we invest in women, they will drive development," Greer said.
Scott Radloff of the U.S. Agency for International Development told The Associated Press that the United States plans to increase its support for programs driven by that philosophy.
"We're likely to be witnessing about a 50 percent increase in funding for both family planning, reproductive health and for maternal/child health over a two-year period," Radloff said, without specifying exactly how much money would be allocated.
He said the funds would be distributed through NGOs and foreign governments, particularly in Africa and South Asia, where he and others at the conference see the greatest opportunity to spur development by improving women's health and rights.
"We put the money where the need is greatest," Radloff said.
The three-day Berlin conference ended Friday.
090904
AP090904
Copyright © 2009 - Associated Press. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the AP Permissions Desk.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2009. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2009. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .