National Workshop on Population Information and Networking

A workshop on Population Information and Networking was held from 2 to 4 April at Mumbai, India, under the topic "Development of Database". Organized by the ESCAP Population and Rural and Urban Development Division, together with the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), it was attended by 18 population information experts from various regions of India, all part of the South Asian Population Information Network (South Asian POPIN). The experts had come from various population research centers, family planning and social science organizations

The three-day seminar, funded by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), was aimed at developing databases using software products such as Windows ISIS and IIPS-DIRC, as well as POPLINE data conversion utility program.These software packages are appropriate for the preparation of bibliographic databases and directory databases in developing countries. IIPS-DIRC was presented in November 1997 during the regional training workshop at IIPS organized by IIPS and ESCAP for South Asian POPIN members.

In addition, the workshop was aimed at helping participants familiarize with the largest bibliographic database in the field of population, called POPLINE. Produced by Johns Hopkins University Population Information Programme, POPLINE contains over 287,000 citations.

UNFPA and the Development Gateway launch an Internet portal for population and reproductive health

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Development Gateway Foundation recently launched the POP/RH Portal, an Internet initiative focusing on population and reproductive health. The Portal will provide a community-built database of shared population information, including data, research, projects, ideas and dialogue. It will also seek to promote innovative knowledge-sharing arrangements among expert organizations in the field.

The POP/RH Portal (http://www.developmentgateway.org/pop ) is being built in collaboration with 12 partner institutions from the population community, linking to resources on their websites and to those of other population and development organizations. It covers the key topics and actions identified in both the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) convened in Cairo in 1994 and the 1999 United Nations General Assembly special session which reviewed implementation of the ICPD (ICPD+5).

With the launch of the POP/RH Portal, the UNFPA becomes the first United Nations agency to establish a topical website within the Development Gateway system. UNFPA will manage and "guide" the Portal with technical support from the Development Gateway team.

Notable features include a news service; a bulletin board; an events calendar; several search features; population/reproductive health project information from a shared database that includes activities by donor agencies such as the United States Agency for International Development, the World Bank and the UNFPA; and a discussion forum on reproductive health and population topics. Visitors to the website are able to sign up for free membership, which entitles them to receive regular updates on new resources that are added.

"UNFPA is very pleased to be working in partnership with the Development Gateway on this important knowledge-sharing initiative" said Thoraya Obaid, Executive Director, UNFPA ."We see the POP/RH Portal as a great way to connect people with the knowledge they need."

"Improved  knowledge sharing and networking in the population and reproductive health fields can make  a critical contribution to  human development and poverty reduction in the developing world" said Carlos Braga, Senior Manager of the Informatics Program at the World Bank, and head of the Bank’s Development Gateway Portal team.

Organizations cooperating in the POP/RH Portal  include the Averting Maternal Death and Disability (AMDD) Program, Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University; Family Health International; the International Planned Parenthood Federation; Ipas; the Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs; PATH; Reproductive Health Outlook; and the Population Reference Bureau.

Others are the Population Activities Unit, UN Economic Commission for Europe; the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean/CELADE; the Population Information and Communication Unit, Population and Rural and Urban Development Division, UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP); and the Population Education Clearinghouse, UNESCO Bangkok.

For more information please contact:

UNFPA:     Susan Pasquariella, tel. 212-297-4968; 
               email:pasquariella@unfpa.org

               David Rose, tel. 212-297-5068; 
               email: rosed@unfpa.org  

The Development Gateway: Connie Eysenck, tel. 202-473-1884; email. Ceysenck@worldbank.org   or Sid Kane, tel. 202-473-4185; email: skane@worldbank.org

Assembly committee focuses on 'digital divide'

The challenges of bridging the digital divide between the developing and industrialized countries and the search for the most effective ways to communicate the United Nations story to global audiences were among the issues topping the agenda of the UN General Assembly's Committee on Information that opened recently in New York.

Speaking at the outset of the general debate on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, the representative of Venezuela, Domingo Blanco, said that the "dizzying speed" of changes in the field of technology had left some countries out, thereby broadening the digital gap between the rich and poor. One major challenge, he stressed, was to reduce differences and reverse the trends that threatened to further broaden that divide. As for the work of the UN Department of Public Information (DPI), he noted that it was crucial that the UN made use of traditional means of communications and welcomed efforts made to improve the radio and television components of the Department.

Addressing the 98-member panel on behalf of the European Union, the representative of Spain, Augustin Galán, emphasized the need for a communications culture to permeate all levels and all departments of the UN Secretariat and the Organization as a whole. The Millennium Declaration should guide the Department in orienting its work towards major issues, he said. In addition, the DPI should work primarily through intermediaries, move towards a new "evaluation culture" of increased performance management, and rely, to a greater degree, on existing external media to reach the public.

For his part, Committee Chairman Milos Alcalay of Venezuela said that the current session was of fundamental importance. Indeed, the Committee must play a vital role in the twenty-first century since the efficiency of a public organization depended upon an effective communications policy, he stressed. In particular, the Organization must have an information policy capable of disseminating the shared values of peace and democracy with all peoples of the world.

Echoing these thoughts, the Interim Head of DPI, Shashi Tharoor, underscored that the Committee was meeting at an unusually interesting time in the history of the Secretariat as the UN repositioned itself for even greater relevance as the indispensable global institution of the twenty-first century, and the Department had a key role to play in that effort.

Mr. Tharoor explained that in an attempt to more effectively allocate resources and achieve greater effectiveness in programme delivery, some hard decisions and choices had to be made. Some activities might need to be discontinued, drastically reduced or transferred elsewhere within the UN Secretariat, he noted.

Repositioning DPI would not come without some "transitional pain", and a certain amount of "re-learning", he added, but that was the best way to ensure that the United Nations has the most effective communications mechanisms in place, and to ensure that DPI became a leading voice in communicating the work of the UN to the world's public.

(Source: UN News, 22 April)

New training on Information Technology receives overwhelming response

Targeted at the senior and mid-level delegates from Permanent Missions to the United Nations in New York, the series consists of a set of four progressive modules and one seminar presented as a cycle, which is repeated four times a year. 

The first four modules, already in progress and geared toward all diplomats, focus on computers and software, e-mail and web surfing, web-page design and maintenance. 

The fifth module -- an interactive high-level seminar -- will cover "Policy Awareness and Security Issues on Information Technology" and will be essentially aimed at ambassadors and senior diplomats. The official launching ceremony is scheduled to coincide with the first of the four high-level seminars.  At the ceremony, successful candidates of the first cycle will be awarded certificates.

The response to this initiative has been overwhelming, with registrations for training all the way to November and an extensive waiting list.  The sponsors are encouraged that 85 per cent of registrations are from developing countries, which perceive a high value attached to this training.  It also indicates a high level of commitment by all nations to harnessing this technology.

The objective of the series is to equip decision-makers with basic technical skills to facilitate their work.  The partners, by demonstrating the simplicity in acquiring such skills with hands-on training, also aim to expose decision-makers to different possibilities for implementing policies related to new communication technologies.

A unique feature of this programme is the active and hands-on participation of Intel Corporation.  Unlike the usual sponsorship relationship, Intel is in the forefront of designing and delivering the training programme with the United Nations, and has ensured the quality of training by providing the latest computers for the training process.

Reproductive health: A whole library a mouse click away

The World Health Organization (WHO), the Cochrane Collaboration, together with various institutions and scientists in developing countries, have recently released the WHO Reproductive Health Library (RHL) No.5. Sporting a new look, the 2002 version of the RHL is more user-friendly and supersedes the previous issues.

It includes Cochrane Reviews on topics considered to be of high priority for reproductive health care in developing countries, such as anti-retrovirals for reducing mother-to-child transmission of HIV; population based interventions to reduce STIs, including HIV; anti-hypertensive drug therapy for mild to moderate hypertension during pregnancy; optimal duration of breastfeeding; prostaglandins for preventing postpartum haemorrhage and many more.

Also included in the RHL are expert commentaries on the reviews as well as practical recommendations on the management of specific reproductive health problems.

Apart from numerous reviews updated since 2001, the fifth version of the RHL also presents 12 new Cochrane Reviews with accompanying commentaries and practical aspects documents, together with a new section titled "RHL Implementation Aids". This section introduces documents that will facilitate the implementation of effective, beneficial practices. Two videos are also available from the issue, which describe the application of external cephalic version (for breech presentation at term) and discuss the benefits of companionship during labour.

Subscription to RHL is free to individuals in developing countries. Readers may subscribe to RHL electronically by sending their name, title and organization to RHL@who.ch. To subscribe to RHL in industrialised countries, send an e-mail (info@update.co.uk) or fax (+44 1865 516 918) to Update Software, Oxford, United Kingdom or via the web site at http://www.update-software.com

China facing HIV/AIDS disaster of 'unimaginable proportion,' UN warns

Ten million people in China could contract the AIDS virus by the end of the decade, pushing the country towards a potential disaster of "unimaginable proportion," according to a new United Nations report released recently.

''China is on the verge of a catastrophe that could result in unimaginable human suffering, economic loss and social devastation," the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) says in the study, entitled HIV/AIDS: China's Titanic Peril. "Indeed, we are now witnessing the unfolding of an HIV/AIDS epidemic of proportions beyond belief, an epidemic that calls for an urgent and proper - but currently unanswered - quintessential response."

According to the report, millions of Chinese people have never heard the word "AIDS," while many still think that HIV can be contracted from mosquito bites or shaking hands. Treatment is also lacking. "Most of those infected with HIV do not have access to even the most basic services for care, support and understanding," the study says.

At the same time, discrimination persists. "In some areas," the report notes, "people known to be living with HIV/AIDS are prevented from attending school, getting married, or visiting public swimming pools."

Although the epidemic calls for urgent actions, many factors have hindered an effective response, the report notes, including insufficient political commitment and leadership at many levels of government. Other obstacles include insufficient openness when dealing with the epidemic and a lack of both human and financial resources. "Some concerned people who dare to speak out about the pending disaster are ignored or challenged, and sometimes even opposed by local authorities," the report states.

"It can be feared that in the near future, China might count more HIV infections than any other country in the world," the report warns.

(Source: UN News Centre, 27 June)

ESCAP Population and Development Programme available on CD-ROM

The entire Web site of the Regional Population Programme of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has recently been compiled into a CD-ROM, available from the Population and Rural and Urban Development Division of ESCAP (PRUDD). 

The CD contains a copy of the Internet Web site of the Regional Population Programme of ESCAP, including a description of the programme, papers presented at the regional "ICPD+5" meeting, full-text articles of the Asia-Pacific Population Journal, and profiles of national and regional members of the Asia-Pacific Population Information Network (POPIN). 

Also included in the CD are training modules which were developed and used at the four recent workshops held in China: Training Workshop on Information Technology for Population Information Professionals, Beijing, 2 - 6 November 1998; Training Workshop on Information Technology for Population Information Professionals:  Databases on the Web, 11 - 15 October 1999; Training Workshop on Information Professionals: Creating Databases with CDS-ISIS, Nanjing, China, 18 - 22 September 2000; and Training Workshop on Population Information Repackaging and Desktop Publishing, Beijing, 29 October - 7 November 2001.

For further programme information or in order to receive a copy of the CD-ROM, please contact:

Mr. Cengiz Ertuna
Chief, Population and Rural and Urban Development Division (PRUDD)
ESCAP, United Nations Building
Rajdamnern Avenue
Bangkok 10200, Thailand

Tel: (66-2) 288-1536, Fax: (66-2) 288-1009, e-mail: escap_prudd@un.org

Population and health information of Cambodia available on CD-ROM

A CD-ROM has recently been released by the National Institute of Statistics, Ministry of Planning, Cambodia and the Directorate General of Health, Ministry of Health, Cambodia, presenting the findings of the Demographic and Health Survey 2000 (CDHS 2000) -- the first nationally representative survey ever conducted in the country on population and health issues. 

The primary objective of the survey is to provide the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Planning and other relevant institutions and users in Cambodia, with updated and reliable data on infant and child mortality, fertility preferences, family planning behaviour, maternal mortality, utilization of maternal and child health services, health expenditures, women’s status, domestic violence, and knowledge and  behaviour regarding AIDS and other STIs.  

On the other hand, the long-term objectives of the survey are to technically strengthen the capacity, both of the Ministry of Health and the National Institute of Statistics (NIS) for  planning, conducting and analyzing the results of further surveys. 

The CDHS 2000  was conducted by the NIS of the Ministry of Planning and the Ministry of Health.

During the course of the survey, 15,351 women between the ages of 15 and 49 years of age were interviewed, comprising the largest demographic and health survey in Cambodia to date, and providing population and health data for analysis at the national and regional levels. 

The CDHS executive committee and technical committee were established to oversee all technical aspects of implementation. They consisted of representatives from the two Ministries involved, NIS, UNFPA, UNICEF, and USAID. ORC Macro provided technical assistance through the MEASURE DHS+ project. Funding for the survey came from UNFPA, UNICEF and USAID. 

Additional information about the Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey or a copy of the CD may be obtained from the National Institute of Statistics, 386 Monivong Blvd., Phnom Penh, Cambodia or by sending an e-mail to: sansythan@forum.org.kh

Application of Information Technology in Population Censuses and Surveys: A new awareness/training CD-ROM

A CD has been compiled by the United Nations Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (SIAP) on the project entitled "Application of New Technology in Population Data Collection, Processing, Dissemination and Presentation". The project is funded by UNFPA (RAS/96/P12) and executed by the Statistics Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). 

The CD contains most of the technical documentation generated during the project, including materials compiled by the ESCAP Working Party on Application of New Technology to Population Data, and papers and presentations of two training workshops organized in Bangkok, namely, Application of new information technology to population data (October 1999) and Population data analysis, storage and dissemination technologies (March 2001). 

The CD also contains related documentation from other sources, links to selected statistical web sites and selected statistical software packages. 

For further information or to receive a copy of the CD, please e-mail to: staff@unsiap.or.jp or stat.unescap@un.org

The Population Reference Bureau launches an E-Library

The E-Library functions as follows:

To order a publication by e-mail, copy and paste the document code into the body of an e-mail to documents@prbdocs.org. You will then receive an e-mail with the electronic file of your requested document as an attachment. You may order more than one document by listing the different document codes in the body of the e-mail, separated by a return. Each document will be sent to you in a separate e-mail.

For example, you are interested in receiving the latest study by the Population Division of the United Nation’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs (http://www.un.org/esa/population/unpop.htm) entitled HIV/AIDS: Awareness and Behaviour, that is listed on the Web site as:

"HIV/AIDS: Awareness and Behaviour
Defeating the AIDS epidemic will require dramatic changes in sexual and reproductive behavior. This is the overarching conclusion of HIV/AIDS: Awareness and Behaviour, a new study by the Population Division of the United Nation's Department of Economic and Social Affairs (www.un.org/esa/population/unpop.htm), on the occasion of the first anniversary of the special session of the United Nations General Assembly on HIV/AIDS. The study examines HIV/AIDS-related awareness and behavior in 39 developing countries, 24 from Africa, seven from Asia, and eight from Latin America and the Caribbean. PDF: 572KB. (June 2002)
Document code: UNPOPAIDS"

To obtain this document, put the document code (UNPOPAIDS) in the body of an e-mail and address it to: documents@prbdocs.org

To obtain the full list of documents available through E-Library, put the document code LIST in the body of an e-mail to: documents@prbdocs.org.
Document code: LIST

If you have any questions or problems using the service, contact popref@prb.org. But please note that some e-mail systems have size limitations for file attachments, and some of the files are large. If you do not receive the files you request, you may need to check your e-mail system or download the files directly from the website instead.

The Population Reference Bureau is presented as the leader in providing timely and objective information on the United States of America and international population trends and their implications. PRB informs policymakers, educators, the media, and concerned citizens working in the public interest around the world through a broad range of activities, including publications, information services, seminars and workshops, and technical support. It is governed by a Board of Trustees representing diverse community and professional interests. Its activities are funded by government contracts, foundation grants, individual and corporate contributions, and the sale of our publications.

To subscribe to E-Library, you need to:

1. Create a new e-mail message and address it to: listserv@listserv.prb.org

2. Leave the Subject line blank

3. In the body of the message type SUBSCRIBE ELIBRARY

4. Omit any signature text from the message

5. Send the message, and you will receive confirmation of your request to subscribe

The Population Reference Bureau also has a subscription form online at www.prb.org/email.

International Conference on Information Technology, Communications and Development

Development organizations, NGOs, media houses, government agencies, schools and million of individuals make use of ICT in one way or another. Yet, many questions are to be asked, which an international conference on Information Technology, Communications and Development to be held in Kathmandu from 1 to 3 December 2002 is intending to answer.

What is the relation between ICT and development? Is the web as powerful in development as many people think it is? Are the priorities of major development organizations right when it comes to using ICT or would money better be spent on other projects? Can ICT really make a difference in the poorest parts of the world? What are the prerequisites to apply ICT in remote areas of Nepal for example? What impact has ICT on the society? Which are the lessons to be learnt and experiences to be shared?

The conference is also concerned about the widening gap between the "haves" and the "have-nots". The main objectives of the conference, Dr. Alfred Diebold, Chairperson ITCD explained, is "to learn from one another and draw up recommendations for better policies and better projects that benefit people, particularly in developing countries. The conference aims at creating a network of like-minded people working in the field of ITC, could meet at least once a year to share ideas and experiences."

More details about the conference may be viewed at: http://www.itcd.net This is the second conference of this kind. Last year, the conference gathered around 130 participants from some 15 countries (see http://www.itcd.net/itcd2001 for reference about the 2001 conference).

Discussion on the Digital Divide

DIGITALDIVIDE is a moderated online discussion in which citizens can discuss the wide range of issues related to bridging the digital divide. The listserv, which currently includes over 800 members from around the world, cuts across disciplinary boundaries: community activists, educators, researchers, representatives of commercial and nonprofit enterprises, volunteers, students and concerned citizens are all encouraged to take part in the discussion.

The listserv tackles the digital divide from a variety of angles, which include (but are not limited to) the following topics:

- Technology access issues;

- Content creation for under-served populations and communities;

- Combating illiteracy in its many forms;

- Online diversity;

- Economic development and workforce issues;

- Community building:

- The Internet and cultural diversity;

- Digital divide news and events;

- Education and training;

- Best practices from local, national and international Digital Divide efforts;

- New tools for measuring the Divide;

- Public/private and commercial/nonprofit partnerships; and

- Public policy issues.

DIGITALDIVIDE is moderated by veteran listserv facilitator Andy Carvin, Senior Associate at the Benton Foundation. In order to subscribe to DIGITALDIVIDE, send an e-mail to digitaldivide-request@list.benton.org with the line "subscribe digitaldivide yourname" in the first line of the message body.

You may also subscribe to the list in digest format. In order to do this, send an email to digitaldivide-request@list.benton.org and submit the following command in the first line of the message body: "subscribe digitaldivide digest".

Once the list server receives your request, it will send you a confirmation notice. Please reconfirm this message by replying to it, including the contents of the original message. You’ll then be confirmed as a member of the list.

For more information, contact Andy Carvin at andy@benton.org

Meeting on the role of ICT for Population and Development and Poverty Reduction

The two-day meeting, organized by the Population and Rural and Urban Development Division of ESCAP, will be attended by experts on the application of ICT in population and development, as well as representatives from the United Nations and other organizations involved in the field of population and ICT policy development and applications.

The objective of the meeting is to review the status of ICT applications to population and poverty reduction programmes in the Asian and Pacific region and to make recommendations for policy options and strategies to narrow the digital divide among countries in adopting new technologies to population, poverty and development.

In the field of population, ICT can indeed be utilized to disseminate population-related data and information to improve the efficiency of reproductive health/family planning programmes and research. It can also help manage logistics through the development of improved management information systems and monitor/evaluate the achievements of the global and regional goals established for population and development through the setting up of appropriate databases.

"ICT for population and development and poverty reduction" has been selected as one of the discussion topics to be tackled during the forthcoming Fifth Asian and Pacific Population Conference. The expert group meeting will provide background information on the topic for the Fifth APPC and form a basis for further discussion.

Besides, with the on-going reform of ESCAP’s programme and secretariat structure, ICT is gaining more prominence. ESCAP will establish the Information, Communication and Space Technology Division (ICSTD) to strengthen promotion of capacity building and technical cooperation in ICT. The recommendations of the Meeting will also provide a framework for the future work programme of this new Division.

The topics to be addressed during the upcoming meeting are the following:

Overview of development of ICT in Asia and the Pacific and technology options for development;

Use of ICT for implementation, monitoring and evaluation of health services including reproductive health services;

Space application for population and development and poverty reduction programmes;

Use of ICT for IEC (Information, Education and Communication), BCC (Behavioural Change Communication) and advocacy for population, reproductive health and poverty reduction programmes; and

ICT for knowledge-base creation and knowledge diffusion for population and poverty reduction programmes.

For further information on the Meeting, please contact: Population Information and Communication Unit, Population and Rural and Urban Development Division, UN ESCAP, Rajdamnern Ave, Bangkok, Thailand (Tel: (66 2) 288 1332; fax: (66 2) 288 1009; e-mail: escap_prudd@un.org)

Using Distance Learning to improve reproductive health provider performance

Entitled Making It Happen, the guide presents a clear, step-by-step path from conceptualization through evaluation, with detailed examples from programme experiences in developing countries. While emphasis is placed on distance learning to improve performance of reproductive health providers, the principles apply to many situations.

The material is condensed and presented visually, making the process easy to follow. As Rick Sullivan, director of learning and performance support at JHPIEGO Corporation, commented: "With the increasing use of distance learning, this thorough and much-needed guide will be a valuable resource for those designing programmes to meet the needs of health care providers."

Making It Happen is available for immediate download in PDF format, and review copies may be ordered via e-mail at intrah@intrah.org or by writing directly to Intrah.

New interactive, multimedia CD now available on contraceptive method

The CD contains technical and programmatic information gathered from a variety of projects and organizations around the world. The information is in formats that can be used to educate oneself, advocate with others and integrate LAM into one's reproductive health and maternal and child health programmes.

Typically used, LAM is said to be more than 98 per cent effective. It is presented as the most effective short term modern method of contraception available to women right after delivery, contributing to the first six months of the birth spacing interval. Women who space their pregnancies less than six months have 2.5 times the risk of dying from their next pregnancy.

The LAM CD for programme planners can be viewed or downloaded from the LINKAGES website or ordered at no cost from linkages@aed.org (limited number of copies).

Two new reports from the Statistical Centre of Iran

The first report entitled "Status of the Aged Nationwide" looks into the status of the aged population in the context of the rapid decline of fertility and longer life expectancy in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Although the report underscores that the phenomenon is still in an infancy stage, it urges the government welfare programmes to take into consideration the status of the elderly, especially women whose life expectancy is higher than men and who may face economic problems if they are deprived of welfare and other public and private services.

The report provides information on the elderly population of Iran for the years 1956 to 1996, by age and sex, literacy status and education, economic activity status, marital status, housing and related facilities, social support and keeping of the elderly population with a projection of their future conditions in Iran.

The second report focuses on women as heads of household in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The document presents the various statistics available about the socio-economic characteristics of female heads of household in comparison to those of men. The report makes use of statistics rendered by the Statistical Centre of Iran, those of the Imam Khomeini’s Relief Committee, the State Welfare Organization, the Martyr’s Foundation of the Islamic Revolution and the Mostazafan and Janbazan Foundation.

According to the 1996 census data, 8.4 per cent (that is one out of every 12 households) of the Iranian households are run by women. "This ratio has increased between the last two population censuses while in the light of the country’s cultural and social conditions, the real figure regarding the women heads of household is higher than the given statistics," indicates the report.

New releases on the issue of Population

In line with its responsibility for providing the international community with up-to-date and scientifically objective information on population and development, the Population Division of the United Nations’ Department of Economic and Social Affairs has recently released two publications. They are the wall chart on "World Contraceptive Use 2001" and the report entitled "HIV/AIDS and Fertility in sub-Saharan Africa: A Review of the Research Literature".

The wall chart provides the most recent data available on the current contraceptive practices for 153 countries and areas of the world. Included in the chart’s tables are data on the number of women who are married or in a consensual union, the percentage using contraception, and the types of method used. Averages for the regional and global levels are also presented. A new feature in the chart is the percentage of women whose need for family planning is unmet.

The other recently released publication, "HIV/AIDS and Fertility in sub-Saharan Africa: A Review of the Research Literature", focuses on the effect of HIV/AIDS on fertility. It summarizes the existing research literature for developing countries, with passing reference to research in developed countries. The reviewed studies were conducted in sub-Saharan Africa, primarily in Eastern and Southern Africa; an entirely appropriate geographical location as underlines the report, "because the rates of infection in those regions are so much higher than in any other regions of the world".

The report reviews the theoretical frameworks for the analysis of the impact of the AIDS epidemic on reproductive behaviour and fertility trends. It also provides a wide array of empirical data and suggests further researches in this domain.

The wall chart on World Contraceptive Use 2001 is available on the Division’s web site at: www.unpopulation.org, while both publications are available from the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations, New York, NY 10017, United States of America.