3 rd Annual Research Conference on Population, Reproductive Health and Economic Development

1. 3rd Annual Research Conference on Population, Reproductive Health and Economic Development What Policy Makers Need to Know about Population. Presentation by Dr. Jotham Musinguzi Regional Director, PPD Africa Regional Office Dublin, Ireland January 17, 2009

2. Experiences in policy engagement at country and regional levels • Charting a Path for Population within the Ministry of Finance: Opportunities and Challenges at country level (Uganda) • Partners in Population and Development Africa Regional Office’s (PPD ARO’s) work: • Challenges and Opportunities at Africa regional level

3. Prioritizing issues in national budgets at country level What were some of the challenges ? • Is this issue a priority? If yes, why is it not funded? Remember the saying that “unfounded priority seizes to be a priority” • Is the item in current budget or not? • Does it require cuts in other ministry budgets (most likely MoH and MoE, usually not MoD)?

4. Prioritizing issues in national budgets at country level – Challenges (cont’d) • Does it need a supplementary budget? • Supplementary budgets need Parliamentary approval • Inclusion in the budget may have tax implications! • “Anyway, election year is coming, will the Cabinet approve to increase tax with elections around the corner?”

5. Other challenges of engaging policy makers • Policy makers: • Different backgrounds (e.g. education, profession, experiences and capacities). • Different levels of appreciation of (sometimes) complex issues • Frequent or high turnover (half/shelf life) • Environment of scarce resources with competing needs • “Visionary” vis-a-vis “non- visionary” leaders or short-term interests vis-a-vis long-term

6. Data-related challenges Concerns with population-related data: • Quality • Reliability • Packaging • Presentation

7. Data-related challenges (cont’d) • Who is presenting the data? • Credibility (?? Need for partnerships) • Mind your language (language sensitivity e.g. SRHR, abortion, etc)

8. Data-related challenges (cont’d) Presentation of Data • Is the meaning clear? Compared to what? • Examples: • MMR of Uganda is high at 505 per 100,000 live births • Uganda’s high pop. growth rate of 3.4 % per annum • Uganda’s high fertility rate of 6.7 • Linkages of FP/RH with Poverty • Have we made a compelling case? • Is the causality relationship clear to everyone?

9. Data-related challenges (cont’d) Is the data relevant to the local situation? For example, does the data • Does it address a topical issue? • Is it striking? • Does it address a large proportion of the population? • Have great impact (at relatively low cost)?

10. Uganda’s Population Trends,2000 – 2025

11. WHAT IS THE MESSAGE ?

12. Just remember that data which is well packaged and presented can be very compelling and lead to a new policy or policy change/review

13. Opportunities to use policy-related data Hold leaders and policy makers accountable on their commitments: • Existence of national/regional/global policy frameworks already agreed upon eg. • National Roadmaps/strategies to reduce MMR & IMR at country level • Maputo Plan of Action (Africa’s strategy on universal access to SRH services) • Abuja Declaration (on devoting at least 15% of national budget to Health) • Paris Declaration (and more recently Accra call for Action) on Aid Effectiveness • MDGs (with 8 priority goals) • Existence of agreed upon financing mechanisms and frameworks e.g. PRSPs, SWAps, Budget Support, IHP, Monterey, etc

14. Opportunities (cont’d) Possible entry points: • Re-packaging of data/information e.g. Policy briefs • Remember politicians like to be informed and look smart! • What is the policy maker focused on currently? Is it Universal Primary Education, Poverty Eradication, Gender, HIV/AIDS, etc • Policy makers feel ‘good’ when they make a difference in peoples’ lives • Does it give political mileage? As policy makers, what is in there for them? E.g. Does it attract votes?

15. Opportunities (cont’d) • Policy dialogue • Advocacy and • Building strategic partnerships and networks with other key players e.g Parliamentarians, multilateral and bilateral Agencies (esp. WB, UNDP, WHO, UNFPA, etc), CSOs, FBOs and the Media.

16. PPD ARO’s Vision for Africa A continent that meets its Reproductive Health needs, promotes the Population and Development agenda and thereby addresses poverty, through South-South Cooperation.

17. PPD Africa Regional Office • Enhancing Political Leadership for SRH and Population • Parliamentarians, e.g. Social Services Committees of Parliaments (Health, HIV/AIDS, Gender, Population, and Education). • Ministers (Health, Gender, Population, Social Welfare, Planning, Finance & Economic Development) and their senior advisors. • Senior Government Officials. • Networks & building Strategic Partnerships • Networking with sub-regional and regional reproductive health networks within the regional economic communities (RECs) of the African Union. • Strategic partnerships with NGOs and CSOs in the region including policy-related research institutions. • Bilateral and multilateral agencies e.g. UNFPA, WHO, UNDP, WB, etc. • The Media. • Sharing and Exchange of experiences and good practices. • Utilization of south to south cooperation as an effective modality in addressing SRHR.

18. Thank You.