- Email: [email protected]
Albania: Family planning available
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which doctors find themselves at present, the Chamber’s stance could create a dangerous precedent, because other organisations enjoying the right of self-governance could "create their own law". The obvious solution to the problem would be a new law on abortion, which would take the Chamber’s stance into account. Parliament has, in fact, been debating such a bill, or rather a series of draft bills, for more than two years (see Lancet 1992; 339: 295), but progress has been continually blocked by, on the one hand, hard-line Catholics who will countenance nothing less than a total ban on abortion, and liberals and left-wingers who wish to keep the more permissive legislation of the Communist regime. The latest draft, which permits abortions only when the mother’s life is threatened, has just been reviewed by a special commission of the Sejm, which decided that such abortions should be performed under hospital conditions.
information and education campaign so that couples will make enlightened choices based on their religion, culture and needs. I am going to teach both the natural and artificial methods of family planning. I will make sure that field workers will teach the same at the community level." He has secured funding for a national workshop among "the natural methods groups" to discuss and come up with a stand on family planning. He also says that he has raised money to invite Billings to visit the country in November, thus affirming his support for the natural methods groups. Flavier is trying to reorganise the Department of Health-to create a "structure that would integrate programmes of the department of health and the nongovernment organisations’ initiatives". He recognises the flexibility of NGOs and their ability to move quickly. "I will help NGOs secure funds and help provide supplies and services to make it easier for them to do the work. All these efforts should be in the context of total women’s health, keeping in mind the importance of safe motherhood." He emphasised that his population policy is not the result of pressure by international agencies. "That is the reason why I have not accepted any money yet." He wants the work to be "programme-driven, not donor-driven". When a programme has been packaged, then "we will invite donors for a pledging session and negotiations". So far, the response has generally been one of cautious support since the programmes have yet to be implemented. A coalition of women’s groups promoting women’s health and reproductive rights is actively endorsing Flavier’s confirmation by congress. This coalition is represented in a task force on women’s health that Flavier has created.
Vera Rich
Daisy Camiwet
denying women a right they now enjoy under the law. Once the new code came into operation, the ombudsman announced that, in accordance with his official duties, he would defend the rights of any doctor who lost his licence for carrying out what is, after all, a legal abortion. For this stance he has come under heavy attack from some traditionalist Catholic members of the Sejm, who recently filed a draft bill calling for his dismissal over this and the related issue of religious education in state schools. The Chamber of Physicians had challenged the Tribunals authority to rule on the issue of the ethical code since the code was simply the internal disciplinary code of a self-governing professional body. Zielinski’s lawyers, however, disagreed. Apart from the impossible position in
London
Philippines: Controversy over family planning defused? The brewing controversy about family planning between the Government and the Roman Catholic church may, after all, not end in open conflict. If further confrontation is averted, credit should go to the newly appointed Secretary of Health, Dr Juan Flavier, who has made much effort to hold dialogues with groups representing different views on
family planning. During the
late
sixties, when family planning being pioneered here, Flavier was involved with non-government organisations (NGOs) promoting family planning. "In broad terms, the Philippine family planning programme took off in the early seventies but after that it was somehow forgotten", he said. He attributed this change to two reasons. "The former president (Aquino) is a staunch Catholic and the signals from government were not too positive about family planning, but there were also interdepartmental problems which negated the advances for family planning". Flavier’s appointment in July under the new Ramos administration is still awaiting congressional approval. During the first three months in office he was alarmed by what he learnt-for example, that only 2% of the department’s field personnel were trained family-planning workers. He then started to refurbish the training programme. "I have two positions as regards family planning", he said. "Firstly, I believe in the spiritual value of life and for this I am against abortion. Secondly, I believe in the freedom of choice. I will leave the choice and decision to the couple. I will launch a strong programmes
were
Albania: Family planning available Childbirth mortality rates-of both mother and child-in socialist Albania are the highest in Europe, according to Fjodor Kallajxhi, director of Albania’s new family-planning programme. Like Ceaucescu in Romania, Albania’s communist leader, Enver Hoxha, pursued a determinedly pro-natal policy, which survived his death in 1984. Hoxha’s target was 1 million more Albanians by the year 2000approximately a 50% increase in the population. Family planning, therefore, did not enter into Albanian health policy. The Catholic church, which whilst forbidding artificial means of contraception provides counselling on fertility cycles, was outlawed in Albania in 1967. Abstinence or illegal abortion were the only available methods of limiting family size. Interviewed a few weeks ago by a reporter from the Albanian Press Agency, ATA, Kallajxhi said that mortality figures-treated as a state secret under the old regime-ran at about 57 deaths per thousand for the mothers and 40-50 per thousand for the babies. Another major cause of deaths was illegal abortions. Inevitably, any figure for deaths due to illegal abortions is tentative, but, according to Kallajxhi, it may have been as high as 50% of all deaths of women of child-bearing age. Last year, the Government legalised abortion, as an emergency and pragmatic measure. In May, the Government decided to launch a family-planning service, offering all methods of contraception. Kallajxhi’s interview was the signal that this service is now in operation. London
Vera Rich
which doctors find themselves at present, the Chamber’s stance could create a dangerous precedent, because other organisations enjoying the right of self-governance could "create their own law". The obvious solution to the problem would be a new law on abortion, which would take the Chamber’s stance into account. Parliament has, in fact, been debating such a bill, or rather a series of draft bills, for more than two years (see Lancet 1992; 339: 295), but progress has been continually blocked by, on the one hand, hard-line Catholics who will countenance nothing less than a total ban on abortion, and liberals and left-wingers who wish to keep the more permissive legislation of the Communist regime. The latest draft, which permits abortions only when the mother’s life is threatened, has just been reviewed by a special commission of the Sejm, which decided that such abortions should be performed under hospital conditions.
information and education campaign so that couples will make enlightened choices based on their religion, culture and needs. I am going to teach both the natural and artificial methods of family planning. I will make sure that field workers will teach the same at the community level." He has secured funding for a national workshop among "the natural methods groups" to discuss and come up with a stand on family planning. He also says that he has raised money to invite Billings to visit the country in November, thus affirming his support for the natural methods groups. Flavier is trying to reorganise the Department of Health-to create a "structure that would integrate programmes of the department of health and the nongovernment organisations’ initiatives". He recognises the flexibility of NGOs and their ability to move quickly. "I will help NGOs secure funds and help provide supplies and services to make it easier for them to do the work. All these efforts should be in the context of total women’s health, keeping in mind the importance of safe motherhood." He emphasised that his population policy is not the result of pressure by international agencies. "That is the reason why I have not accepted any money yet." He wants the work to be "programme-driven, not donor-driven". When a programme has been packaged, then "we will invite donors for a pledging session and negotiations". So far, the response has generally been one of cautious support since the programmes have yet to be implemented. A coalition of women’s groups promoting women’s health and reproductive rights is actively endorsing Flavier’s confirmation by congress. This coalition is represented in a task force on women’s health that Flavier has created.
Vera Rich
Daisy Camiwet
denying women a right they now enjoy under the law. Once the new code came into operation, the ombudsman announced that, in accordance with his official duties, he would defend the rights of any doctor who lost his licence for carrying out what is, after all, a legal abortion. For this stance he has come under heavy attack from some traditionalist Catholic members of the Sejm, who recently filed a draft bill calling for his dismissal over this and the related issue of religious education in state schools. The Chamber of Physicians had challenged the Tribunals authority to rule on the issue of the ethical code since the code was simply the internal disciplinary code of a self-governing professional body. Zielinski’s lawyers, however, disagreed. Apart from the impossible position in
London
Philippines: Controversy over family planning defused? The brewing controversy about family planning between the Government and the Roman Catholic church may, after all, not end in open conflict. If further confrontation is averted, credit should go to the newly appointed Secretary of Health, Dr Juan Flavier, who has made much effort to hold dialogues with groups representing different views on
family planning. During the
late
sixties, when family planning being pioneered here, Flavier was involved with non-government organisations (NGOs) promoting family planning. "In broad terms, the Philippine family planning programme took off in the early seventies but after that it was somehow forgotten", he said. He attributed this change to two reasons. "The former president (Aquino) is a staunch Catholic and the signals from government were not too positive about family planning, but there were also interdepartmental problems which negated the advances for family planning". Flavier’s appointment in July under the new Ramos administration is still awaiting congressional approval. During the first three months in office he was alarmed by what he learnt-for example, that only 2% of the department’s field personnel were trained family-planning workers. He then started to refurbish the training programme. "I have two positions as regards family planning", he said. "Firstly, I believe in the spiritual value of life and for this I am against abortion. Secondly, I believe in the freedom of choice. I will leave the choice and decision to the couple. I will launch a strong programmes
were
Albania: Family planning available Childbirth mortality rates-of both mother and child-in socialist Albania are the highest in Europe, according to Fjodor Kallajxhi, director of Albania’s new family-planning programme. Like Ceaucescu in Romania, Albania’s communist leader, Enver Hoxha, pursued a determinedly pro-natal policy, which survived his death in 1984. Hoxha’s target was 1 million more Albanians by the year 2000approximately a 50% increase in the population. Family planning, therefore, did not enter into Albanian health policy. The Catholic church, which whilst forbidding artificial means of contraception provides counselling on fertility cycles, was outlawed in Albania in 1967. Abstinence or illegal abortion were the only available methods of limiting family size. Interviewed a few weeks ago by a reporter from the Albanian Press Agency, ATA, Kallajxhi said that mortality figures-treated as a state secret under the old regime-ran at about 57 deaths per thousand for the mothers and 40-50 per thousand for the babies. Another major cause of deaths was illegal abortions. Inevitably, any figure for deaths due to illegal abortions is tentative, but, according to Kallajxhi, it may have been as high as 50% of all deaths of women of child-bearing age. Last year, the Government legalised abortion, as an emergency and pragmatic measure. In May, the Government decided to launch a family-planning service, offering all methods of contraception. Kallajxhi’s interview was the signal that this service is now in operation. London
Vera Rich