UNFPA acitivities in the Russian Federation

 

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. 

 

UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and 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.
 

UNFPA - because everyone counts 

 

 

  

UNFPA in Russia

  

The cooperation between the Government of the Russian Federation and UNFPA began in 1995, and has focused on the following areas:

 

- population and development

 

UNFPA supported the collection and analysis of policy-relevant population data at the federal and regional level, contributing to a more complete understanding of current demographic trends and policy options.

 

- reproductive health

 

UNFPA invested in programmes to meet young people's needs for health care, education, economic opportunity and life skills. The Fund works to ensure that young people receive accurate information, non-judgmental counseling and comprehensive and affordable services to prevent unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. In this work, UNFPA seeks to engage young people as active participants in programmes that affect them.

 

- HIV/AIDS prevention

 

Key priorities were promoting safer sexual behaviour -- including delayed sexual initiation -- among young people, making sure condoms are readily available and widely and correctly used, and preventing the infection among pregnant women and their babies.

 

The projects supported by UNFPA in the Russian Federation:

 

1. “Strengthening of reproductive health services at the district level in the republic of Sakha” (1998-1999). Increased the quality of reproductive health services by enhancing the managerial and technical skills of medical service providers.

  

2. “Reproductive health and rights of young people in the Russian Federation” (2000-2002). Aimed to improve the reproductive health of young people in Moscow, St.Petersburg, Tver, Tomsk, Barnaul and Novosibirsk by supporting the federal and regional authorities in developing appropriate health policies.

 

3. “Strengthening national capacity for population policy development and advocacy” (2000-2003). Increased the national capacity to formulate socio-demographic policies. The most important result was the adoption of the “Concept for Demographic Development in the Russian Federation until the year 2015”.    

 

4. “Strengthening integrated reproductive health services in Smolensk Oblast” (2001-2005).  Improved access to reproductive health information and services among the population in general and young people in particular, as well as the skills of health professionals in dealing with young clients.

 

5. “Comprehensive partnership strategies for HIV/STI Prevention among young people in the Russian Federation” (2002-2005).

Jointly, with other UN agencies cooperated with regional authorities to reduce the number of new HIV/STI cases among young people in Altai Krai and Volgograd region. UNFPA supported educational professionals and reproductive health providers to improve their skills for healthy life styles promotion in schools and counseling in sexual and reproductive health.

 

6. “HIV/AIDS prevention among sex workers in St-Petersburg” (2002-2004). Developed a successful and replicable model for HIV/AIDS prevention among sex workers by enhancing the partnership between governmental and non-governmental organizations.

 

7. “Consolidated partnership between governmental and non-governmental organizations on HIV/AIDS prevention among sex workers” (2003-2004).Increased cooperation between governmental and non-governmental organizations on HIV/AIDS prevention among sex workers in 10 cities.

 

8. “Development and implementation of regional population and development strategies” (2003-2007). Promoted regional strategies on population and development, by promoting research, enhancing capacities in the field of socio-demographic policy, strengthening intersectoral coordination, and dissemination of information.

 

9. “Capacity development for NGOs to support HIV/AIDS prevention among sex workers (2005-2006). Increased the capacity of non-governmental organisations in St. Petersburg to work in the area of HIV prevention among sex workers, established network of non-governmental organizations, strengthened inter-sectoral cooperation.

 

10. “Support to the “Three Ones” initiative for the development of a national HIV/AIDS policy and action framework” (2005-2007). Aimed to develop a national strategy on the integration of HIV/AIDS prevention in sexual and reproductive health services.

 

11.“Population, reproductive health and gender issues in the mirror of Russian media” (2005-2006). Increased information awareness among population of population, gender, reproductive health issues through development of regional strategy; established network of mass media, increased professional skills of journalists.

 

12. “Strengthening youth peer education organizations’ capacities of implementing behavior change communication programs” (2006 – 2008).Strengthened Youth peer education organizations’ capacities to implement behavior change communication programs; developed nation-wide Y-PEER network; increased information awareness among young people in Russia.

 

 

UNFPA’s partners in Russia:

 

o       The Russian State Duma

o       Ministry of health and Social development

o       Ministry of Education

o       Russian Federal State Statistic Service

o       Russian Academy of Sciences

o       Moscow State University

o       Russian Family Planning Association

o       Russian Union of Journalists

o       Regional Administrations

o       Regional and local Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)