By Wezi Tjaronda WINDHOEK Today is World Population Day, when countries focus on their commitment and actions to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect. In a statement yesterday, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said despite efforts put in place to improve maternal health and advance gender equality, women continue to die or suffer disability in childbirth because among others, women’s health has not been a high priority because of deep-rooted gender inequalities. This year, the focus falls on men as partners in maternal health because men have decision-making power, partnering benefits men, they can help ensure that women have access to contraception to avoid unwanted pregnancies and plan their families and also because men can help ensure that all pregnant women have access to skilled care at times of birth and quality emergency obstetric care. The Millennium Development Goals call for a 75 percent reduction in maternal mortality by 2015 as well as achieving universal access to reproduction health, which is a target under MDG 5. A news release from the Nangof Trust said although inputs such as trained health personnel or the use of contraceptives show progress, the maternal morality rate suggests that the inputs are not translating into reduced maternal rate. The figures rose from 225 per 100 000 live births in 1992 to 271 per 100 000 live births in 2000. “With birth rates declining as a result of the impact of HIV/AIDS and increased use of family planning, the country should be able to see a downturn in maternal mortality arising from improved maternal health,” said the statement. The UN agency uses a three-pronged strategy for the reduction of maternal death by ensuring that women have access to contraception to not only avoid unwanted pregnancies but also to plan their families; they have access to skilled care at the time of birth and those with complications have timely access to quality emergency obstetric care. In Namibia, UNFPA is implementing programmes in three areas, namely population and development, and gender and sexual and reproduction health both at regional and national levels. UNFPA’s Planning and Monitoring Officer Dugald Hammerslacht told New Era yesterday that the UN body was implementing a livelihood programme in Caprivi, an emergency obstetric care project in Oshikoto, Sexual Reproductive Health and Maternal Health in Otjozondjupa, policy revisions of the Reproductive Health Policy, the Adolescent Friendly Service manual and also some activities that target men’s involvement in reproductive health issues. One of the activities targeting men include a Lifestyle Ambassadors’ activity that encourages prominent men to speak freely on HIV/AIDS. “There are a number of activities that target men’s involvement and not programmes because we want to focus on both men and women,” Hammerslacht said. The main event of World Population Day will be held at the Oscar Norich Stadium in Tsumeb, while other activities will take place in Windhoek and Usakos until July 22. In Usakos, the Namibian Men Planned Parenthood Network will have a mobilisation and awareness campaign while in Windhoek, Bethold Himumuine Primary School will be the venue for a workshop on men’s involvement in combating HIV/AIDS.