Under the theme “Investing in Women is a Smart Choice” Yemen observes WPD 2009.

Hajja, July.11

On July 11th, World Population Day (WPD), Yemen, like other countries in the world, marked the day by organizing several awareness activities on population issues. These included Mobile Cinema shows, media activities, and a ceremony which took place this year in Hajah governorate.

Dr Abdulkareem Rase’e, Minister of Public Health and Population and vice-president of the National Population Council, spoke at this celebration and emphasized the importance of enhancing and improving population work, providing reproductive health services and family planning, and coordination among all related bodies working on these issues in order to achieve the goals of Population Policy. He also emphasized the important role of Local Authorities on this issue in integrating a population component and population activities within plans and local programmes of each governorate in coordination with the National Population Council, the Ministry of Public Health and Population, Civil Society Organizations, and other related bodies for comprehensive and sustainable development in Yemen. Rase’e announced that the next period will witness significant improvements in the field of enhancing population work and providing reproductive health services and family planning.

“Eighty percent of health facilities now provide reproductive health and family planning within a plan which targets providing these services in all health facilities”, he said.

 Rase’e praised all partners in population work including donors and other organizations and in particular UNFPA.

 UNFPA Deputy Representative, Mrs. Zeljka Mudrovcic, gave a statement on the occasion of World Population Day, in which she explained that the global financial and economic crisis threatens to reverse hard-won gains in education and health in all developing countries including Yemen. She pointed out that among those who bear the brunt of the economic crisis impact are women and girls, and this is why the theme of this year’s WPD is ‘Investing in Women is a Smart Choice.’ 

 “Before the crisis, women and girls represented the majority of the poor population in Yemen”, Mudrovcic said. “During the crisis they will suffer disproportionately, falling deeper into poverty, and consequently facing increased health risks, as well as decreased access to education and employment”, she added.

According to the World Bank, the most likely impacts of the economic crisis are that more women and children will die, more girls will drop out of schools, and more women and girls will be targets of violence.

 Mudrovcic pointed out that complications of pregnancy and childbirth are one of the leading killers of women in Yemen. The maternal mortality ratio is high at 365 maternal deaths per 100.000 live-births and she added that “maternal mortality represents the largest health inequity in Yemen and the achievement of MDG 5 by 2015 is therefore questionable.”

 According to Mudrovcic, if the country spends less on reproductive health information and services, especially in places where maternal death rates are already high, more families will slide into extreme poverty, and death and illness related to pregnancy and child birth will increase.

 “Progress in women’s empowerment, improved maternal health, reduction in maternal death and in meeting the MDG 5, will be reversed if Yemen does not turn this crisis into opportunity” Mudrovcic warned.

 “The health gap will further deepen unless Yemen increases social investments in integrating family planning into pre- and post-natal care and HIV prevention, in establishing stronger programmes and policies and laws for reproductive health and rights, as well as measures to provide quality services to the very poor” Mudrovcic said. “By increasing investments in health, Yemen will maintain health gains and be awarded for expanding the efforts to save more women’s lives” she added.

 Mudrovcic called on all leaders in Yemen to make a smart choice, to invest in women and to make the health and rights of women a political and development priority. Investing in women and girls will set the stage in Yemen not only for economic recovery, but also for long-term economic growth that reduces inequity and poverty.

 The ceremony was attended by the governor of Hajah and head of the Population Coordination Committee in the governorate, Mr. Farid Ahmed Mujawar, Dr. Ahmed Burji, Secretary General of the National Population Council, in addition to many other high ranking officials from Hajah. A drama sketch related to this year’s WPD theme was performed as well.

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