PRESS RELEAS
EEAC- GERMAN FOUNDATION FOR WORLD POPULATION SIGN MoU
EAC Headquarters,
Arusha,Tanzania,
Monday 18 August 2008:
The East African Community (EAC) and the German Foundation for World Population (DSW) have today (18 August 2008) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at providing technical and human resource support to implement health and other population related programmes in the EAC Partner States, through the EAC Health Sector Unit in Arusha, Tanzania. The Deputy Secretary General (Finance and Administration) of the East African Community,Dr. Julius Tangus Rotichsigned on behalf of the EAC, while the Executive Director of the German Foundation for World Population, Ms. Renate Bahrsigned on behalf of her organization. Other officials presentwere:
the EAC PrincipalLegal Officer, Mr. Stephen K. Agaba,
DSWDirector for Development Programmes based in Nairobi, Ms Ulrike Neubert
and the DSWCountry Director, Mr. Peter K.Munene.
Dr. Julius Tangus Rotich said the EAC-DSW MoU comes at a time when the expanded Community needs a robust health and other population related programmes to spur both social and economic development in the region. He said EAC health issues are crosscutting and central to development in East Africa and that the region is characterized by demographic features that are compounded by worsening reproductive health problems and HIV/AIDS pandemic, and increasing youth population, gender inequality and women’s lack of empowerment.
Ms. Renate Bahr said DSW’s main goal is to help people free themselves from poverty.In that context, DSW supports family planning and sexual and reproductive health projects in Africa and Asia. She said DSW’s premise is simple; “only if people are able to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies and HIV/AIDS do they have the chance to lead a healthier and better life”. “In thatrespect reaching young people is key and young people are the parents of tomorrow and crucial to the development of their country. Investing in their health means investing in a better future”, Ms. Renate Bahr observed.
According to the MoU,
EAC is to undertake several commitments, among them, to mainstream population, reproductive health, gender and youth dimensions into its policies, programmes and strategies in line with the Dakar/Ngor Declaration, the ICPD/PoA, the MDGs and the Maputo Plan of Action;
to integrate population, health, gender and youth issues into regional development debates within East Africa by incorporating them in the EAC’s agenda for regional, national, sub-national meetings, conferences, seminars, workshops and other fora;
to provide leadership in population and development advocacy, including the harmonization of population and social development policies as well as sensitizing parliamentarians and diplomatic representatives of the EAC Partner States on the current reproductive health situation in East Africa;
to incorporate critical health issues into the agenda of the EAC Secretariat, and its Organs/Institutions;
and to strengthen collaboration with national health and population institutions within the EAC Partner States.
In the MoU, the DSW is to provide technical and human resource support to the EAC to, among others document and disseminate progress towards the MDGs, ICPD/PoA, Maputo Plan of Action and other consensus reached at national, regional, continental and international levels, with emphasis on maternal and child mortality reduction, increased access to quality reproductive health products and services, gender equality and women’s empowerment, girls education, and youth development through information, education and skills development; at the level of EAC Partner States and at the level of the EAC’s regional entities.
DSW will also strengthen policy advocacy and monitoring progress vis-à-vis the above and enhance the technical capacity of the EAC Secretariat; as well as facilitate regional advocacy for a. It will also develop and maintain a database of strategic partners in the region, and facilitate communication and information sharing with them.
The EAC and DSW are expected to jointly develop a detailed work plan and budget for implementation and resource mobilization purposes. The German Foundation for World Population (DSW) is an international development organization founded in 1991 as a private non-profit foundation in Hannover, Germany. Besides the Head Office in Hannover, DSW also has Country Offices in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, as well as an EU Liaison Office in Brussels.
DSW is politically and religiously independent and relies on private donations and financial support from other organizations, foundations and agencies to carry out its activities. Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department, EAC Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania.
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Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2008 06:51:38 -0700 (PDT)
From: Leo Odera Omolo
Subject: Fw: PRESS RELEASE EAC DSW GERMAN FOUNDATION SIGN MoU AUGUST 2008