Mothers Night Event in European Parliament (EP) Informs about Underlying Causes of Maternal Mortality
The European Parliament Working Group on Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDS and Development (EPWG), in cooperation with DSW and Amnesty International’s EU Office, hosted a Mother's Night lunch debate in the EP entitled “Maternal Mortality: The Dark Side of Mothers Day”. The event was chaired by MEP Sophie In’t Veld, President of the EPWG, and speakers included Nicolas Berger, Director of Amnesty’s EU Office and Mme Traore of Family Care International Burkina Faso. Both speakers gave detailed presentations on the underlying causes of maternal mortality in developing countries which generated a lively discussion amongst the 50 participants. The event was linked to similar Mother's Night activities in several European countries (Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Malta, and the Netherlands) that all aim to increase public awareness and influence public opinion on maternal health and its relation to poverty eradication, as well as on maternal mortality and safe motherhood in developing countries with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa.
DSW Undertakes Fact-finding Mission on Health Aid Effectiveness to Uganda
In the framework of the Action for Global Health (AFGH) Programme, DSW decided to undertake the first of six combined advocacy and fact-finding missions on health aid effectiveness in developing countries, in Uganda between February 15th to 19th. In order to assess the impact of aid structures and aid effectiveness principles on health spending in the country, DSW met with representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance, the Parliament, bilateral and multilateral donors and civil society organisations. Results and conclusions of the mission are collected in a fact sheet which will be widely disseminated to decision-makers and civil society organisations to support European advocacy for Global Health.
DSW Launches Healthy Action Project on Advocacy Capacity Building for Health NGOs
DSW invited its East African partners 4H Tanzania, the Institute for Education in Democracy (IED) Kenya, and Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU) to Kampala for the launch of the European Commission funded project Healthy Action. During the three-day meeting, DSW and its partners discussed the project goals and established strategies and activities for the next three years. Healthy Action aims to build the capacity of East African NGOs to advocate on health issues by increasing their capacity to formulate policy priorities, monitor their implementation, and hold decision makers to account. Through this approach, the project contributes to more effective and inclusive health policies, programs and budgets, and ultimately to the achievement of the health related MDGs.
DSW launches new “Euroleverage” project to mobilize EU funding for reproductive health
DSW invited partner organizations from across the globe to Kampala, Uganda for the “Euroleverage” kick-off meeting. The 25 participants from South Asia, West and East Africa and Europe came together to launch the new project and discuss project activities and milestones until 2012. Through “Euroleverage”, DSW aims to leverage US$ 85 million for reproductive health and family planning by applying a two-pronged approach, targeting both the supply side and the demand side of EU funds.
DSW Launches Activities in the Framework of Action for Global Health
Within the framework of its multi-annual programme ‘Promoting European Support for Global Health’, the Action for Global Health European NGO Network (AFGH) recently commissioned DSW to organize a Donor’s Roundtable on Aid Quality, and to collect evidence and experiences from the South to support European Advocacy for Global Health. This second activity involves six combined fact-finding and advocacy missions to developing countries, with the aim of gathering information about how the current aid architecture is affecting health spending in those countries. The first mission will be carried out in February in Uganda, by meeting with representatives from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Health, the Ugandan Parliament and civil society in order to discuss the issue of health aid effectiveness in Uganda.
8 Million Euro Increase for Health in EU Development Cooperation
During its last plenary session, the European Parliament (EP) adopted the European Union's budget for 2010, under which 2,5 billion Euro are allocated to development cooperation. After DSW’s successful advocacy efforts with key Parliamentarians in the EP's Committees on Development Cooperation and on the Budget, health spending under the EU’s Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) has increased by 8 million Euro in comparison to what was originally foreseen for 2010, adding up to a total of 45,9 million Euro. DSW is recognized as one of the lead experts on the EU budget among Brussels NGOs working on SRHR and will continue its advocacy work in the year to come.
DSW Conducts Workshop on Advocacy for NGOs in South East Asia
From December 1st - 3rd DSW in partnership with the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD)conducted its third regional workshop of the AHEAD project in Bangkok, Thailand. The workshop assisted organisations from Thailand, The Philippines and Indonesia to advocate for greater national support to reproductive health in the new aid architecture. DSW trained 23 participants to affect the policy and budgeting processes of their national governments, and encouraged the development of country-based advocacy action plans that participants will implement from 2010 onwards.
Learn more about AHEAD.
Euromapping 2009 launched in four countries across the European Union
Throughout October, DSW and its partners EPF, AIDOS, BOCS, WPF and Papardes Zieds have brought Euromapping findings on donor funding for population assistance to decision makers in Italy, Hungary, the Netherlands and Latvia. Monitoring the level and composition of ODA for population assistance helps verify whether governments are living up to their political and policy commitments. DSW and project partners have presented this timely study directly to journalists, development NGOs, national and European parliamentarians across the EU to advance peer pressure for improved global sexual and reproductive health.
DSW helps facilitate WHO-UNFPA Regional Workshop in West Africa
Between October 27-29, DSW presented and facilitated a module on ‘CSOs roles for advocacy in the New Aid Environment’ to 25 UNFPA and WHO country directors and officials of Mali, Chad, Mauritania, Cameroon, Togo and Congo. The West Africa regional workshop, a parallel initiative of the AHEAD for RH project that DSW is currently implementing, seeks to build the capacity of UN staff to advocate for RH in the New Aid Environment and emphasizes their work with CSOs as a niche.
DSW builds East African CSO capacity to advance RH Funding in new aid environment.
From 14 to 16 October, DSW conducted its first regional workshop of the AHEAD project in Tanzania to increase the capacity of Civil Society Organizations from Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda to advocate effectively for greater national support to RH in the New Aid Architecture. DSW trained 20 participants on how to affect the policy and budgeting processes of their national governments to increase national funding for reproductive health. Speakers included the RH department of the Ministry of Health in Tanzania, the WHO, and other successful CSOs in the field such as Oxfam –Zambia, Hennet- Kenya and the International Budget Partnership Kenyan affiliate (Uhuru).
DSW participates in the 2009 EuroNGOs Conference and AGM
On September 7th and 8th, 2009, DSW joined fellow EuroNGOs member and partner organisations from the EU, the USA, Australia and New Zealand, as well as representatives from the Global South, private foundations, UNFPA, and the WHO at this year's Annual General Meeting in Riga, Latvia. Taking place immediately after the "Global Partners in Action: NGO Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Development", 2-4 September in Berlin, Germany, this year's EuroNGOs conference was perfectly placed to take up the outcomes of the Berlin conference. The EuroNGOS AGM involved lively discussions and workshops aimed at enhancing understanding of the current and possible future impact of the global economic crisis on SRHR and SRHR funding streams among organisations in attendance.
Euromapping 2009: EU surpasses US as top donor in population assistance
On September 1st, DSW and the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (EPF) released the 2009 edition of their Euromapping report, an annual publication that provides comparative information about European ODA, official commitments to Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and funding flows for population assistance.
The collective efforts of the European Union (EU) have made it the single greatest donor of population assistance worldwide. According to the Euromapping 2009 report, in 2006 the EU spent nearly US$ 3 billion on population programmes and activities, increasing its aid by US$ 600 million. The US decreased its aid by nearly the same amount.
At the Euromapping Press Conference, DSW Vice-Executive Director Karen Hoehn, welcomed this increasing trend in EU spending, but called on European governments to live up to their commitments to family planning and reproductive health made at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD): "The financial crisis will impact developing countries most severely; sustaining European support for ODA and population assistance is therefore imperative". To meet international commitments to provide universal access to reproductive health by 2015, donors must triple their financial support for population activities over the next four years.
More information, graphic material and the Euromapping study report in English, French and German are available online at:
http://www.euroresources.org/euromapping
DSW calls for a greater investment in women and girls
On the occasion of World Population Day 2009, the DSW drew attention to the linkages between population growth and poverty and to the key role of women and girls in this issue. In DSW’s press release, Karen Hoehn, DSW’s Director of International Affairs underlined that “(i)f we want to reduce poverty and hunger, family planning, education and health care for women require more political and financial support”. The whole press release can be retrieved here.
Euroleverage Workshop in Rwanda - "Towards a better understanding of European Funding Instruments"
In cooperation with the Rwanda Women's Network (RWN), DSW convened another of its widely-regarded workshops on EU funding mechanisms in June. 20 NGO representatives reviewed the reproductive health situation in Rwanda in view of identifying gaps and challenges in policy and resources. Participants took the opportunity to get acquainted with the European Community's external aid structure and created 4 consortia proposals aimed towards raising resources to face the challenges.
EAAM marks the end of a successful 3 years
As a member of the European Alliance against Malaria (EAAM), DSW co-organized the Alliance's final ‘Counting Malaria Out’ Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. The conference evaluated the progress of EU member states and the EC in the fight against malaria, and identified what still must be done to meet the Global Malaria Action Plan objectives. The conference was attended by advocates against the disease from around the world, as well as relevant policy makers at the EU level with whom EAAM has been working with over the past 3 years. As this conference marked the end of EAAM’s work, the ultimate aim was to encourage the continuation of the Alliance's advocacy objectives in Europe.
DSW presentation on budget support and reproductive health
DSW made a presentation to Countdown 2015 Europe Coalition members at a recent capacity building session entitled 'Responding to Health Systems Strengthening for SRHR and RHS'. The presentation provides the latest consolidated information about how EU General Budget Support, Sectoral Budget Support and MDG contracting are affecting policies and funding for RH. The entire presentation is publically accessible here.
DSW and European foundations discuss how to strengthen health systems in poor countries
DSW helped organize and lead a lively discussion among European foundations and NGOs about the prospects for European philanthropic investment in micro-finance initiatives to strengthen health systems and combat HIV/AIDS. Just prior to the European Foundation Centre Annual General Assembly in Rome, the European HIV/AIDS Funders Group panel session on May 13 examined innovative approaches by the International Finance Corporation, GFATM, Fondation Merieux and community groups implementing private sector initiatives, microcredit programmes, voucher systems, and community-based health insurance. Karen Hoehn, Co-Chair of the European HIV/AIDS Funders Group facilitated the discussion, along with EFG Co-chair Kate Harrison, HIV Coordinator at Comic Relief.
DSW participates at Civil Society Forum of the Mid-Term Review of the Global Fund in Caceres, Spain.
Between 28-31 March, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) held its Mid-term Review of the 2nd Replenishment conference, part of a mechanism to maintain the predictability of donor contributions towards the organisation. At the Civil Society Forum of the MTR of the Global Fund, which preceded the 2nd Replenishment Conference, DSW co-organized a Café Networking session aimed at reinforcing the knowledge and collaborative bridge between advocates of the three diseases towards improved cooperation and joint advocacy within respective contexts and countries. Around 30 advocates from the North and the South brainstormed on the challenges and opportunities facing the diseases and the GFATM around the globe.
On behalf of EuroNGOs, DSW joined 14 other civil society leaders invited to provide official recommendations to the G8 at their 2nd 2009 Health Experts Meeting in Venice, Italy on 27 March. Karen Hoehn, DSW’s Vice Executive Director, urged the G8 to specify concrete actions and a timeline to implement its commitments in support of the health MDGs, especially MDG5. Ms. Hoehn emphasized the need for G8 and partner country governments to have a fully funded budget line for provision of SRH information, services and supplies in developing countries; for health system strengthening initiatives to build efficient and sustainable supply chains for procurement and distribution of RH supplies and to assure that the GFATM produces accountable results for integration of reproductive health with HIV/AIDS and malaria programming.
On the 19th of February DSW, as member of the European Alliance against Malaria, organized an interactive session on the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM), hosted by the Spanish Permanent Representation to the EU.
The Global Fund briefed about 30 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and other stakeholders working in the field of health, on the results and the impact of its work as well as its need for sustainable funding.
Furthermore, the potential involvement of Brussels-based CSOs in the mobilization of additional resources from the EU was also examined alongside an update on central policies of the Global Fund such as the Gender Equity Strategy and the Instrument of Community Systems Strengthening. The participants were actively involved in the Q&A, which lead to a very stimulating open discussion among all the participants of the event.
Additionally to the Global Fund interactive session, there was a presentation on the ‘Fair Share Initiative’ by GlobalSIDA, member of the developed country NGO delegation of the Global Fund.
