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UNFPA United Nations Population Fund |
On the occasion of World Population Day the UNFPA Representative in the Russian Federation Philippe Elghouayel appeared on the NTV television channel live. Many TV viewers called in, which proves that Russians are greatly interested in and concerned about the demographic situation in the country. Philippe Elghouayel announced the publication of the UNDP Global Human Development Report for 1999, which was launched in London on July 12. |
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11 July – World Population DayUNFPA in the Russian Federation celebrated the World Population Day in order to raise the public awareness of population issues and world demographic trends as well as to cooperate with the national network media. The UN Information Centre in Moscow provided considerable assistance in organizing and hosting a round table meeting with representatives of academia (research institutions and centres specializing in population studies and demography) and media. The event gathered a number of research fellows from the Centre of Population Issues at the Moscow State University, Institute of Social and Economic Problems of Population, Youth Insitutute, Moscow State Pedagogical Institute, Executive Committee of Trade Unions, Institute of Gerontology and many others. Government officials from the State Duma and the Moscow Regional Administration of also attended the event. Media were represented by journalists and national broadcast radio and TV reporters. Population issues and demographic trends in the Russian Federation generated a lively discussion. |
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UNFPA United Nations Population Fund |
Seminars on Perinatology and Adolescent Reproductive Health in Yakutsk |
| Training seminars on perinatology and
adolescent reproductive health were held in July in Sakha Republic within a framework of
the UNFPA project on reproductive health services implemented together with WHO.
Two instructors from the Russian Family Planning Association went to Srednekolimsk and Olekminsk uluses to conduct seminars on adolescent reproductive health for the medical staff from the local hospitals and primary health care units. Their lectures touched upon medico-social aspects of adolescent reproductive health including counselling on healthy life style, psychological peculiarities of adolescent counselling, fundamentals of family planning and information on STDs/HIV/AIDS. The local doctors and nurses were provided information materials like «Programme of family planning and healthy life style», books and magazines, counselling guides and reference materials. The seminars were organized by the Russian Family Planning Association with assistance of Ms. Natalia Kirova, Chief Gynecologist of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). |
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ODCCP United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention |
New UN Agency in Moscow |
 In
order to assist Russia and Belarus in combatting transnational organized crime, drugs
abuse and money laundering the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention opened a regional office in Moscow on July 1, 1999 covering the Russian Federation and Belarus. Mr. Bruno Dato was assigned as UNODCCP Representative. He has long experience with the United Nations Drug Control Programme and came from the Headquarters Operational Branch in Vienna. In 1990s the problem of drug abuse, organized crime and terrorism have worsened in Russia and the CIS countries. The activities of drug traffickers and other criminal organizations are considered to be one of the biggest threats to the security of the Russian Federation, endangering the country’s economy, de-stabilizing the political climate and undermining public morale. It is difficult for the Government, however, to confront the quickly aggravating drug problem due to the lack of appropriate experience, well-trained drug control staff, modern equipment and overall budgetary constraints. UNODCCP will provide technical and financial assistance to Russia and Belarus and in close collaboration with the Ministry of Interior will implement many of the planned counter measures to prevent crime and drug trafficking. The decision to open a UNODCCP office in the Russian Federation is to support the commitment of the Government of the Russian Federation in responding to the challenge posed by the drug trafficking and abuse and crime. This was, inter alia, reconfirmed at the International Conference on Drug Control Cooperation with the Russian Federation organized by UNDCP on April 16-17, 1997 in Moscow and attended by delegations from 25 countries and 14 international organizations. |
Ms.
Irina Panova from the Ivanovo Research Institute of Maternal and Infant Care came to
Yakutsk on July 13, 1999 to give a seminar on perinatology which gathered 40 medical staff
from Yakutsk. Ms. Panova read lectures on perinatal mortality, premature birth,
resuscitation of prematurely born babies and therapeutic treatment of mothers with anemia,
kidney illnesses and other health complications. She brought reference materials on
perinatology reserch findings for the seminar’s participants. 