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Family Planning Stories From the Field As advocates for international family planning assistance, the Global Population and Environment Program works to bring family planning stories from abroad home to our activists. It is imperative that we understand the intricate connections between women's health and the health of the environment so that we can better advocate for the U.S. government to keep its promises to support international family planning and reproductive health programs.
In the Family Planning Spotlight: Planned Parenthood Global Partners (PPGP) was launched in 1999 as a collaborative effort between the Planned Parenthood Federation of America national office and Planned Parenthood affiliates to build support for U.S. international family planning assistance and to directly improve reproductive health programs in the United States and abroad. A key element of this effort has been partnerships between affiliates here in the U.S. and international organizations. Partnerships yield wonderful opportunities for affiliates to augment their programs, expand their advocacy efforts and reach new constituents in their communities, while contributing to the success of their international partner. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/global/about/connections.asp Planned Parenthood of Southern New Jersey (PPSNJ) is pleased to be partnered with Shoqata Shqiptare e Planifikimit Familjar, the Albanian Family Planning Association (AFPA). http://www.ppsnj.org/global_partners.htm
Global Partners in Albania
The AFPA has three women's centers, two youth centers and provides family planning services in three Albanian maternity hospitals in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. Among the services the women's centers offer are reproductive healthcare, social services and legal counseling. The two youth centers link adolescents to reproductive health care and sexuality education through the "hook" of providing Internet access. A van and car provided by the agency bring women from the outskirts of the capital to the health service centers. AFPA publications, public service announcements, radio/television programs, information campaigns and outreach activities target the general public, while specialized trainings exist for medical professionals and journalists. Public advocacy activities range from drafting legislation to involvement in the preparation of a CEDAW Treaty for the Rights of Women Shadow Report. Activities also include efforts to increase the number of women in the Albanian government. As a result of the intensive outreach efforts and health services offered by the AFPA, 12 percent of Albanian women now use contraceptives. The maternal and infant mortality rates are also declining. This is quite an accomplishment in a country where family planning remained illegal for 44 years under Communist rule. However, despite the government's transition, rumors still exist that contraceptives cause cancer and are indicative of "loose" women. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) officer in the region informed PPSNJ representatives that the association will be affected by funding cuts (partially due to the lack of U.S. contribution to UNFPA last year resulting in a 13 percent cut in it's budget). Currently, 20 percent of AFPA's budget comes from UNFPA funds. Funds currently set aside for outreach will now be redirected for contraceptives. The need for comprehensive voluntary family planning in Albania continues to increase, while funding is being withdrawn. The lack of funding will have serious ramifications because sexually transmitted infection rates are on the rise, as is the number of young people entering their reproductive child bearing years.
Making the Population and Environment Connection
Albania has six National Forests, 24 nature reserves and 2,000 natural monuments. It is a country rich in plant and animal species with about 3,200 plant and 756 animal species. However, the protection of Albania's natural areas and biodiveristy is quite limited. Insufficient funding for park management has led to increased human threats such as hunting and woodcutting. Environmental hazards like industrial pollution, deforestation and soil erosion are prominent throughout Albania. Since the fall of communism, people living in mountain villages have cut down trees for firewood in protected state lands due to inconsistent regulation. Deforestation of thousands of acres of hillside mars the Albanian landscape, while the silting of the country's rivers presents a growing environmental concern. Nearly all raw sewage is pumped into Albania's rivers untreated.1 Burgeoning economic development in Albania over the past 50 years has contributed to unsustainable practices in agriculture, industry, forestry, fishing and urbanization. As the country's primary source of revenue, agriculture has created the greatest negative impact on both biological and landscape diversity. The lack of national objectives for the protection and sustainable management of forests threatens Albania's large mammal populations, including the brown bear and wild boar.
Uncontrolled fishing practices also pose a threat to Albania's marine and wetland biodiversity. The major lakes in the country, including Lake Ohrid, have been affected by overfishing and excessive use of explosive and poisonous materials in their waters. These lakes are internationally recognized because of their globally endangered aquatic animals and large number of species only found in that specific region.2 Population growth and urban migration sit at the root of many of Albania's environmental dilemmas. The country's total population of 3.1 million people is projected to reach 4.1 million by 2025. Tirana, Albania's capital, is one of the most densely populated cities in Europe, with fertility rates unsurpassed by any other European country.3 The loss of natural habitats directly results from both population growth and intense urban development. The increasing number of people in the coastal regions of Albania exacerbates existing air and water pollution and coastal biodiversity loss. According to the International Planned Parenthood Federation, Albania formerly had the world's highest infant and maternal mortality rates. Family planning and abortion were prohibited during the Communist era, a time when Albania was essentially isolated from the rest of the world. However, after the founding of the Albania Family Planning Association in 1992, the Ministry of Health began to promote family planning services, and the Ministry of Health and Youth openly supported family planning programs.4 Planned Parenthood reports that civil strife and disorder, coupled with Roman Catholic opposition in Northern Albania, have disrupted health programs and impeded women's access to family planning. Yet, developments toward democracy have improved the overall climate for family planning activities, increased contraceptive use and reduced maternal and infant mortality rates. 4 Albania is drafting legislation on reproductive health and making great strides in providing women and families access to family planning services. Yet, Albania continues to suffer from an economic crisis, bringing about high rates of unemployment, impoverishment and a breakdown of the education system. With a large refugee population existing due to past conflict, Albania finds itself in a precarious situation. Future development must be balanced with sustainable management of its natural resources and continued support of family planning programs. Read about USAID's http://www.usaid.gov/pop_health/home/Countries/eande/albania.html and UNFPA's http://www.unfpa.org/europe_asia/index.cfm work in Albania.
1 http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/europe/albania/environment.htm
Back to Spring 2003 Population Report
photos are courtesy of Planned Parenthood New Jersey and map is courtesy of Lonely Planet
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Representatives from PPSNJ traveled to Albania in March 2003 and received a comprehensive
overview of the status of women in this emerging democracy, including extensive coverage
of the issue of human trafficking. PPSNJ was not only impressed by the Albanian government's
commitment to ensuring women's equality, but also by the work of several non-governmental
organizations we visited, including the AFPA.
Albania is located in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula and sits on the southeastern
shore of the Adriatic. The country borders the former Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Macedonia and Greece.
Albania's interior landscape is mostly mountainous and over 36 percent is forested. It is
home to Lake Ohrid, one of the deepest lakes in the Balkans.1