INSIDE
Maldives Human Development Report 2014
CONTENTS
The report addresses inequalities and vulnerabilities across geographic dispersion
2 UNRC a.i. message and New Resident Coordinator 3 RC a.i. meets Vice President 4 NHDR 2014 Launch 6 UNOPS Regional Director visits Maldives 7 WHO FCTC Meeting 8 MUSAWAH Training 9 IOM capacity building workshop 10 Health Master Plan Review 11 UPR Workshop 12 International Teacher’s Conference/UNFPA Global Selfie Campaign 13 Food and Drug Authority Medicine Workshop 14 UNDP ‘Make My Island’ project/UNICEF promotes maternal and child nutrition 15 Count Me In: Census 2014 16 UNDAF roll out training: HRBA 17 UNDP launch documentary on Waste Management 18 UNDAF roll out training: Results-Based Management
Message from the Resident Coordinator a.i. For the past few months, the UN Country Team in Maldives has been actively engaged with the Government of Maldives in the UNDAF roll out process. We have had two successful trainings on UNDAF roll out for the UN staff and Government counterparts in June and August. Both trainings were well received and their objectives effectively met.
We undertook two milestone activities in the months of August and September. First of all, the UN Country Team together with the Government of Maldives engaged in the evaluation of the current UNDAF, critically assessing the UNDAF performance, key achievements, challenges and the lessons to consider in the formulation of the next UNDAF. Almost simultaneously, the country situational assessment was undertaken through extensive consultations with the Government counterparts and inputs from partners, UN thematic groups, the UN Non-Resident Agencies, UNDG and UNDAF Peer Support Group. Through these processes, Youth and Children, Gender and Governance were the three major priority thrusts articulated by the Government to guide the next UN development cooperation framework in the Maldives. The two reports – UNDAF Evaluation and Situational Assessment- are being further refined based on the collective feedback to form the basis for the Dr. Akjemal Magtymova next level of prioritization and technical discussions. The remaining months of the year are looking quite busy WHO Representative and UN with more UNDAF related activities. Our Strategic Prioritization Retreat is coming up on 17-18 November in Resident Coordinator a.i. Maldives and the Donor Meeting is scheduled for 11 December 2014 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Among the milestones for the UN Maldives in the past quarter of the year, I am pleased to note that the Maldives’ 2014 National Human Development Report (NHDR) has been launched in June. The second such report in almost 14 years, the launch of the NHDR is a milestone that needs to be celebrated. I am confident that the report will continue to be a valuable tool in policy planning in the months to come. Right now, the UN Maldives is gearing up to commemorate this year’s United Nations Day on October 24. As we prepare to observe the day that marks the anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Charter in 1945, let us take this as an opportunity to renew our founding ideals and the commitments to work together for peace, development and equality. The UNCT in Maldives will celebrate this UN anniversary with its new leader; and it is my pleasure to welcome Ms. Shoko Noda, the newly appointed Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative to the Republic of Maldives and wish her, on behalf of UNCT Maldives, all the best in this demanding and exciting assignment. As I am concluding the term as acting UNRC, I would like to thank all of you, UNDG, its Asia-Pacific Secretariat, UNDP HQ team, UNICEF ROSA, UNCT and NRA colleagues, for extending an incredible support and guidance, which made it possible for us to progress steadily through the planned milestones, without a compromise. Taking this opportunity, I would like to thank my WHO colleagues, who stood by me, with pride and patience, often shouldering pressure of intense workload. The impressive work of my colleagues, Alice Akunga, UNICEF Representative and Devanand Ramiah, UNDP Officer-in-Charge, who backstopped the UN coordination and leadership functions at the time of need, is much appreciated. This incredible spirit of collaboration combined with strengthened UNCT leadership are set to deliver successful results and valued development assistance aligned with the national priorities of the Maldives.
New Resident Coordinator Assumes Office
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The new UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative to Maldives Ms. Shoko Noda will assume office in 19 October 2014. Ms. Shoko has been working with the United Nations since 1998 serving in various positions in the UNDP headquarters in New York and other UNDP Country Offices throughout the globe. Most recently, she has been serving as the Country Director for UNDP Nepal since March 2011. Ms. Shoko was the Deputy Resident Representative for Programme and Operations in UNDP Mongolia from November 2006 to December 2010. Between October 2005 and November 2006, she served as the Recovery Coordination Advisor in the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Pakistan, working for the post-earthquake recovery operations. From 2002 to 2004. Ms. Shoko served as the Special Assistant for the then UNDP Administrator - Mark Malloch Brown. Her other field assignments include Chief of Staff to the UN Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative in Congo. She was the UNDP Assistant Resident Representative in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia (currently Serbia and Montenegro) and prior to that she served as a Programme Officer in Kosovo and Tajikistan during post-crisis recovery. Ms. Shoko Noda was born in Kobe, Japan. She holds a Master’s Degree in Political Science from the Keio University in Tokyo.
Ms Shoko Noda UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative
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WHO Representative and acting UN Resident Coordinator meets the Vice President WHO Representative and acting UN Resident Coordinator Dr. Akjemal Magtymova made a courtesy call on Vice President H.E. Dr. Mohamed Jameel Ahmed on Monday, 14 July 2014.
It was noted that the timing of the formulation of the new UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) for the Maldives falls in line with national sectoral planning exercises and thus these processes would be mutually reinforcing and reiterative. The Vice President assured of his support and the Government’s commitment to steer, together with UN, the UNDAF roll-out for Maldives, coordinating joint planning and prioritization processes. Among other areas, the challenges currently facing the Maldives' health sector were also discussed at the meeting. UN Resident Coordinator a.i./WHO Representative assured of UN/ WHO commitment to continue close collaboration with the Government and pursuing joint efforts for finding policy solutions to ensure sustainable financing and a well-functioning health system.
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During the meeting held at the President’s Office, the Vice President acknowledged critical contribution the UN programmes had made towards tackling major social and economic issues in the country during more than 50-year collaboration. Furthermore, the Vice President stressed the importance of continued collaboration for national and international development. He highlighted the value of furthering the Government partnership with the UN in the areas of education, health, gender equality, governance and strengthening of legislative frameworks.
. Photo: UNDP
Spatial disparity between the Capital and the Atolls contribute to Human Development Gap, confirms the Maldives Human Development Report 2014
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The last decade has seen the Maldives achieve remarkable progress on the developmental front. It has gained significant economic growth, confirmed by its graduation to a middle-income country in 2011, and is the first MDG plus country in South Asia having met five out of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Amidst these notable achievements, underlying disparities within the country continue to remain a major challenge towards Human Development, finds the Maldives Human Development Report 2014. The Report – Bridging the Divide: Addressing vulnerabilities, Reducing Inequalities – presents an informative yet, critical analysis of these disparities, focusing on the inequalities that continue to exist in the country while shedding light on the vulnerabilities faced by the country that significantly contributes to these inequalities. By establishing sub-regional Human De-
velopment Index for the first time in the country’s history, the report reveals that the spatial disparity between the capital Male’ and the atolls contributes greatly to the existing Human Development gap, most notably in the form of income and educational choices. For instance, the report finds that a person living in the Capital Male’ is likely to complete three more years of schooling compared to a person living in the atolls, and the average income of a person living in the capital is nearly twice as that of what a person living in an atoll earns. Inequalities that exist in access to quality health care between the capital and the atolls have led to a sizeable number of people travelling to Male’ to gain access to better healthcare, that eventually contributes to high number of deaths registered in Male’ compared to atolls.
“Where one is born within the Maldives determines many of the opportunities and choices available to a person. Remote islands with small populations have limited accessibility to services including schooling, healthcare, social services, job opportunities and face overall isolation,” the report states.
Meanwhile Mr. Devanand Ramiah, the Officer-in-Charge of UNDP Maldives spoke on the influential role that Human Development Reports have played in other countries while expressing his hope
Where one is born within the Maldives determines many of the opportunities and choices available to a person. Remote islands with small populations have limited accessibility to services including schooling, healthcare, social services, job opportunities and face overall isolation.
sive policies and measures for action, amongst many other recommendations. It concludes by advocating to policy makers and key stakeholders to address the root of the problems, locally termed ‘Kamuge Aslu Belun’, to reducing inequalities and vulnerabilities which the report finds in income, education and health – the three dimensions of Human Development. “With the launch of the report, we have now reached the most critical juncture – the implementation of the recommendations outlined in the report. I am pleased to reaffirm that the Government of Maldives remain committed to support the implementation of
that the Maldives Human Development Report will be no different in influencing the national development. “The timing of the launch of the report could not have been more optimal from a policy perspective. As the new government embarks on policy making, we hope the analysis, recommendations and data in the report will inform decision making,” said Mr. Ramiah. Following the launch, UNDP Maldives has been sharing the report with key national partners including government ministries, independent institutions, local councils and local NGOs and associations.
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. Photo: Hussain Jinan
To address these vulnerabilities and inequalities, the report presents a framework on equality and vulnerability that would guide the development of inclu-
the recommendations of the report and in integrating the human development perspective in designing public policies,” said the former Minister of Health and Gender, Dr. Mariyam Shakeela during her address after launching the report.
UNOPS Regional Director for Asia, Europe and Middle East visits Maldives on an official tour in Asia
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UNOPS Regional Director for Asia, Europe and Middle East, Mr. Bruce McCarron visited the Maldives together with South Asia Regional Hub Director and Representative, Ms. Francoise Jacob on 5th June 2014.
closure and in transition to handover to the Ministry of Health. The Regional Director recapitulated that UNOPS will continue to support in providing assistance as required.
During his visit, he met with Government partner Ministers with whom UNOPS is currently implementing various developmental projects. At the Ministry of Environment and Energy, Mr. McCarron met with State Minister Abdullah Matheen and reiterated UNOPS support to the Ministry in the areas of water, sanitation and solid waste management.
Mr. McCarron paid a courtesy call on Dr. Akjemal Magtymova, WHO Representative and Resident Coordinator a.i., to briefly discuss UNOPS strategy in the Maldives and its support to the Government of Maldives. He took the opportunity to express gratitude to Dr. Akjemal for the support provided to UNOPS and collaboration in creating synergies and implementing health sector related projects in the past.
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UNOPS is currently implementing three projects with the Ministry of Environment and Energy worth over USD 12 Million in the areas of integrated water resource management and waste management. During the meeting, Mr. McCarron also emphasized the importance of environmental projects in the Maldives and garner support in aid coordination with international donors. Mr. McCarron also met with the Minister of Health, Dr. Mariyam Shakeela to discuss the challenges in the health sector, particularly in the public sector health procurement and supply chain management of medicines and consumables. UNOPS project on strengthening public sector health procurement had achieved to provide immense savings for the Government during the past year. The project is currently under
Mr. McCarron met with the UNOPS team based in the Maldives to discuss project implementation progresses and the challenges the teams faced during implementation. He advised the team to stay focused on achieving the developmental goals UNOPS had pledged to the Government of Maldives respite the challenges. He further informed regarding the internal changes UNOPS is currently undergoing in order to provide efficient, effective and transparent services to the field offices and its partners. He also requested the team to strengthen coordination with the recently established South Asia operation hub based in Sri Lanka. Mr. McCarron concluded his visit on 5th June and continued the mission to Sri Lanka, where the South Asia operations hub is based.
Meeting on Implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in the Maldives A meeting was organized in collaboration with the World Health Organization and Health Protection Agency for the implementation of the WHO Framework on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in the Maldives. One of the major aims of the meeting was to identify mechanisms for multisectoral actions to control tobacco in the country. In her opening remarks, WHO Representative to the Republic of Maldives Dr Akjemal Magtymova emphasized the importance of educating young people in the Maldives on the dangers of smoking and tobacco usage. “As a tool for fighting back, we have the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, with 179 parties now committed to implementing the treaty’s articles and obligations. These parties govern nearly 90% of the world’s 7 billion people. We also have a practical, cost-effective way to scale up implementation of provisions in the treaty on the ground. That is, the best-buy measures for reducing tobacco use set out in the MPOWER package: monitoring tobacco use, protecting people from second hand smoke, offering help to quit tobacco use, warning on the dangers of tobacco, effective enforcement of banning tobacco advertising, promotion, sponsorship and raising tobacco taxes” Dr Akjemal Magtymova stressed. The WHO believes that the full implementation of their Framework Convention on Tobacco control would deliver the single biggest preventive blow to heart disease, cancer, diabetes and respiratory diseases.
Top: The meeting attended by officials from WHO, HPA and key stakeholders was aimed at identifying mechanisms to control tobacco in Maldives. Bottom: Acting Minister of Health Col. (Rtd.) Mohamed Nazim noted that the number of minors smoking is on the rise. Photos: WHO
The Minister said that preventable lifestyle risk factors to non-communicable diseases such as smoking is a rising problem in the Maldives that needs to be addressed. He also believes that the convention and it’s implementation is one of the best steps that can be taken towards eliminating these risks. The main objectives of the Tobacco and Substance Abuse programme in the Maldives is to prevent people from the dangers of Tobacco, especially from the mental, financial and health-related risks. Over half of the Maldivian men and one in every ten women are victims of tobacco. Worryingly, tobacco use among young students of age 13 to 15 has not decreased between the years 2004 to 2011.
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“The number of children smoking has increased. According to research, 17,000 and more children now smoke at home, in front of their parents. Approximately 34,000 children are able to buy cigarettes from shops by themselves,” Acting Minister of Health Col (Rtd.) Mohamed Nazim expressed concern that more and more adolescents and young children are using tobacco in Maldives.
Advocates in Maldives Discuss Ways of Mobilising to Promote Gender Equality in Islam Muslim women around the world have seen their participation in the private and public sphere curtailed or restricted, to varying degrees, on the basis of religion. This is also the case in the Maldives, where religion is often used to justify violence against women, to prevent women’s participation in public life and to reinforce discriminatory practices that put women at a disadvantaged position. The 2012 study “ The “Rights Side” of Life - Second Baseline Human Rights Survey” by the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) indicates that the shift towards more conservative views when it comes to equality for women within marriage and in the family is a result of the assertion of certain conservative Islamic values. Maldives has come a long way since it ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, CEDAW in 1993 and its optional protocol in 2006. The reservation to Article 7(a) was removed and reflected in the 2008 Constitution. Currently, the reservation to Article 16 of the convention is based on conservative interpretations of Islamic law. The current Family Act, ratified in 2001, for the first time codified family related provision of Shariah and introduced a number of progressive elements such as prenuptial agreements, setting of a minimum age for marriage, and defining the procedures for divorce for women and child support after dissolution of marriage. Despite this, in 2010 alone, there were 61 cases of child marriage registered in the courts of the country and to date only 5 nuptial agreements have been registered at the court. Thus it is evident that the provisions of the Family Act has not translated into positive lived realities for Maldivian women, largely due to the lack of implementation of the Act and lack of general public awareness of the Act.
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From 22 to 25 June 2014 the United Nations in Maldives, in collaboration with partners including Musawah Global Movement for . Equality and Justice in the Muslim Family, the Ministry of Health Photos: RCO and Gender and Asian Development Bank, brought together key players from varying backgrounds for a four-day workshop to share knowledge and experience of removal of reservations to the CEDAW in other Islamic countries and strategies to develop capacity of stakeholders to mobilise on promoting gender equality in Islam. A total of 28 individuals, including representatives from various line ministries, Independent Commissions and civil society, took part in the workshop to raise a number of gender issues, reflect on challenges and opportunities and to initiate discussions on working collectively on gender equality and Islam. The UN remains committed to facilitate and support the working groups emerged from the workshop and their selected initiators in realizing their important goals.
Photo: IOM
IOM Helps Combating People Smuggling and Human Trafficking in the Maldives
To support in the delivery of the first outcome, IOM’s Immigration and Border Management (IBM) Unit at the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) developed a five-day training module specially designed for frontline border control officials. The training was delivered by IOM regional and international experts. The training provided the participants with an understanding of the phenomena of people smuggling and trafficking within the the international legal framework of the United Nations Convention against
Transnational Organized Crimes (UNTOC) and its two related protocols against human smuggling and trafficking. Training modules covered a broad range of topics from document examination to interview techniques, profiling and identification of victims, corruption prevention and detection, health protection and repatriation procedures. “This is the first time we have received such high caliber training in the Maldives. The training program has equipped our frontline border control officers with the necessary skills and knowledge to identify and intercept potential smuggled people at borders� said Aminath Rasheeda, Chief Principal Immigration Officer, Maldivian Department of Immigration and Emigration. The Minister of Defence and National Security, Hon. Mohamed Nazim, the Controller of Immigration, and Emigration Alusthaz Hassan Ali and the President of Anti-Corruption Commission Mr. Hassan Luthfee participated and officially opened the training.
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The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in the Maldives has concluded a five-day capacity building training in Male for 26 frontline immigration and border control officers to combat people smuggling. The training is part of a broader project on Capacity Building in Migration Management in the Maldives funded by the IOM Development Fund. The project specifically aims to enhance the capacity of migration/border officials on adequate labour migration procedures and knowledge on human trafficking and smuggling, and improve protection of migrant workers and victims of trafficking through the establishment of victim referral and assistance mechanisms through training and support.
National Strategic Planning: Health Sector As part of the national strategic planning in health, the Government of Maldives has initiated a review of the implementation of the 2016-2015 Health Master Plan. During the assembly on 1 and 2 September 2012, health care professionals along with national and international partners discussed findings of the review and recognized that the period from under the review covering 2006-2014 was a politically challenging time for the country and its health system became fragmented due to unsystematic and shortlived policy changes. The need for re-building the system both in terms of capacity, scope and quality of services was agreed. Acting Health Minister, Minister of Defense and National Security, Retired Colonel Mohamed Nazim pointed on inequality in provision of health services, stating that there is a vast difference between health care services in the capital city Male’, islands and atolls. Minister Nazim urged of the importance of providing equal access to health care services to all citizens across the country. During the course of the meeting, the Minister emphasized that while comparatively good health care services exist in Male’ city and atolls nearby, the fast declining quality of services in atolls further away is a major drawback. The Minister called for the priority in balancing and equalizing the health care goods and services across the country to be accounted for in the current and new Health Master Plan. He also believes that measures should be taken to reduce out of pocket expenditures. “At the same time, I feel it is very important to improve the relations between public health and private sectors. Right now, the two sectors are rather divided. Health industry needs to be integrated”, the Minister stated. Furthermore, he gave a brief update that a centre dedicated for investigative and diagnostic purposes would be established very soon to improve inquisitive services in the Maldives.
In her remarks, the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to the Republic of Maldives Dr Akjemal Magtymova stated that the process of the review and formulation of the next Health Master Plan was in parallel with the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) roll out. Dr Magtymova highlighted the benefits of enriching these two processes for setting clear priorities and the vision for achieving universal health coverage. Furthermore, she noted that health issues are multisectoral. Improving health is one of the social priorities, which contributes and interrelates with the three thrusts identified by the Government for the next cycle of the UN cooperation in the Maldives, which are: Governance, Youth and Children and Gender. The Minister of Health emphasized the importance of public health and also hoped that the Health Protection Agency of Maldives (HPA) would further promote the importance of well-being, hygiene and health issues within the community. During the evaluation process, several different areas were identified as key findings and challenges. Some of the main objectives of the evaluation were to determine the achievement of planned targets, the extent of implementation of the proposed strategies to meet each policy area and to provide an evidence base for the formulation of the new Health Master Plan. After reviewing the current health master plan, the meeting went on for two days to discuss key priorities for the Health sector Master Plan for the years 2016 – 2025. Top: WHO Representative Dr. Akjemal Magtymova delivers her speech at the meeting. Left: Senior officials of WHO and Health Ministry at the Hospital Emergency Preparedness Workshop facilitated by Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre. Photos: WHO
Workshop on Universal Periodic Review Prepares Stakeholders for the Next Cycle
Photo: RCO
The Human Rights Adviser’s team at UN Maldives supported a workshop organised by the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) to prepare stakeholders for the up coming Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the Maldives in May 2015. The one-day workshop was designed to provide participants with an in-depth understanding of importance of and the processes of the UPR, focusing on the role of NHRIs and CSOs and the procedures of the stakeholder submissions.
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A total of 21 individuals attended the workshop, including staff of the HRCM and civil society representatives from organisations working in the areas of civil and political rights, child rights, the advancement of women, disability rights.. The workshop gave special emphasis to the differences between the first and the second UPR cycle and focused on the role of NHRIs and NGOs through - out the 4 and half-year cycle. HRCM member, Ms. Jeehan Mahmoud, staff from the Commission and CSO representatives also reflected on the lessons learnt from the first UPR cycle and discussed on strategies for the up-coming cycle. The workshop was part of the ongoing efforts of the Human Rights Adviser’s team to support the preparation of stake holders for the second UPR cycle.
The first Universal Periodic Review of the Maldives took place in November 2010, where the country accepted 100 out of 134 recommendations. The second review of the Maldives will take place at the 22nd session of the Human Rights Council in May 2015, where progress on implementation of recommendations and new and emerging human rights issues in the country will be addressed.
What is the Universal Period Review? - It is a unique process involving a periodic review of the human rights record of all UN Member States. - The review is based on a National Report prepared by the State; a compilation of UN information prepared by the OHCHR, and a summary of information from stakeholders which is also prepared by the OHCHR. - NGOs and NHRIs can submit information to the summary of information from stakeholders, and the information they provide can be referred to by any of the States taking part in the review.
Inclusion of Special Education Needs across the Education Spectrum Inclusive education policy of Ministry of Education outlines that Special Educational Needs (SEN) is an integral component of the education system. In order to provide equal opportunities for all the children, a SEN class has been established in each atoll. SEN is a new area for many teachers and lacks the pedagogical dimensions needed for inclusivity of children. SEN teachers are not experienced and have very limited knowledge on the subject area. The recently concluded International Teachers Conference in Male’, highlighted the critical need to address diversity in children and provided a platform to share good practices among teachers participating in the conference. The three-day conference theme “Rethinking Social Transformation and Harmony” held from 8-10 September with over 100 participants, devoted one day for discussions on inclusive education. UNICEF supported this dialogue through technical expertise where success stories were shared amongst participants and awareness raised on the importance of SEN inclusivity across the education spectrum.
The dialogue further supported teachers to refresh their knowledge and pedagogical practices, share practical knowledge, and discuss successful educational and pedagogical approaches including solving of problems. The conference also provided the opportunity to exhibit work done by the SEN Units to participants.
Conference participants looking at some of the exhibits by SEN Units. Photo: UNICEF
UNFPA Maldives Takes Part in Global Selfie Campaign for Youth
The campaign was designed to gather millions of “selfies” from young people, decision-makers, high-profile celebrities and others from around the world, in support of UNFPA’s proposal for a youth goal to be included in the post 2015 development agenda. “Our campaign's key ask will not be for a stand-alone youth goal, but rather we will call for youth to be at the heart of the post-2015 international development agenda. We are asking for the needs and rights of young people to become a key cross-cutting issue,” UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin said in a statement.
The idea behind the selfie campaign was to gather the photos as a show of support and then use the collection to communicate to decision-makers that young people all over the world want to make sure that they are “put in the picture” of future development plans. The aim was to harness and demonstrate to world leaders the worldwide support that exists for young people to feature at the heart of the development agenda after 2015. Selfies from all social media platforms with the hashtag #WPD2014 were automatically aggregated in a public tagboard, collecting selfies from all over the world in one place. The selfie campaign ran until International Youth Day on August 12. UNFPA’s global youth campaign will come to end in September 2015 when it will culminate in a handover at the UN General Assembly of a creative product reflecting all of the selfies gathered from around the world.
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UNFPA Maldives took part in the ‘Selfie Campaign’ targeted at youth worldwide as part of its global youth campaign. The selfie campaign was launched in Maldives on 2 July in the run up to this year’s World Population Day on July 11 under the theme of ´Investing in Young People’.
Availability of medicines: there is a need to change the whole health system “My recommendation is to have proper staff, a pharmacist in each regional hospital perhaps, so the stocks can be properly supervised and so that we can have proper stock management. You also need a better information system, because if you have these you can have a quantification system,” Dr. Kathleen Holloway, Regional Adviser on Essential Medicines at WHO South East Asia RegionalOffice who facilitated the workshop said. Having discussed the prevailing issues and the suggested recommendations, the outcomes of the workshop, according to Dr. Holloway, are fruitful.
Photo: Pallium India
This was the conclusion of the recently undertaken situational analysis conducted by the Maldives Food and Drug Authority, Ministry of Health in collaboration with WHO.
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There has been quite a lot of public and government concern about stock-outs, drug availability and access to essential medicines in Maldives. To address these issues, the Maldives Food and Drug Authority in collaboration with WHO Country Office and technical support of the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia held a one-day workshop in June to engage key stakeholders in health sector and other concerned parties including local importers and suppliers. The workshop was aimed at presenting the findings of the situation analysis on pharmaceuticals and health care delivery in the Maldives. A major finding from the country situational analysis indicates the lack of sufficiently qualified staff to manage drugs, resulting in poor stock management. Another major problem identified in the situational analysis is the lack of an information sharing system between key stakeholders. For instance, the study shows that there is no information on consumption of medicine in Maldives.
What the stakeholders took away from the workshop include the need to train qualified staff to manage stocks better, the importance of having proper infrastructure and implementing an information sharing system between the key players, and the need to have the existing regulations and policies reviewed to increase monitoring. “I think the major message is that there should be some institutional memory to learn about what policies will work and what policies haven’t worked, and there should be some way to get policy makers to understand to change the whole health system in a big way so that it won’t have problems,” Dr Katherine Holloway said. A similar country situational analysis has been conducted in the Maldives in 2011. Based on the current analysis, a report will be produced to see how much progress Maldives has made since then. According to Dr. Holloway, the MFDA has made a substantive progress in some areas while lagging far behind in other areas. Dr. Holloway says one factor to consider is that over the past 3 years since the first report was published, important lessons have been learned which will help the system as a whole to see what can be done to improve the areas that need improvement. Once finished, the country situational analysis report will be published in WHO website.
UNDP initiates prototype-testing phase of its innovative project ‘Make My Island’ UNDP Maldives launched the prototype-testing phase of its innovative project, ‘MakeMyIsland’ on 4 Sepember 2014. The project, through a web-based application, aims to connect local communities to their respective local councils to address municipal concerns such as waste management, street lighting and problems regarding erosion. The application will allow members of the community directly report their problems, and by using Google Maps, pinpoint the exact location of the specific problem to the council without the need to physically present themselves at the council secretariat. Members of local communities can either report their issues through a mobile app, or by text messaging and as well as an online reporting system. The UNDP Maldives Country Office team, who are leading the project, will conduct a series of prototype tests in Laamu Atoll Fonadhoo Island with the support of the Fonadhoo Island Council and the local community including local NGOs, women and youth
UNDP Maldives Country Office team on the ground at Laamu atoll Fonadhoo Island. Photo: UNDP
groups. The idea of Make My Island is inspired by the UKbased Fix My Street which also operates in a similar fashion, connecting the public with its local councils. Fix My Street is also providing technical assistance and support to the project.
UNICEF Strengthens Partnerships with Civil Society Organizations to Promote Maternal and Child Nutrition
Another 20 participants from 8 islands in Kaafu Atoll also received further training on specific effective communication practices when delivering nutrition information to pregnant mothers and caregivers of children under five. According to a nutritionist from ARC, the training for healthcare providers was an important avenue to provide information on counselling, interpersonal skills and communication methods to bring about positive behaviour changes. The interactive and participatory methods used by the NGOs to find possible solutions for the challenges faced in feeding infants and young children were an integral component of the training for the healthcare providers.
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Healthcare providers in training at K. Thulusdhoo. Photo: UNICEF
Under the umbrella of UNICEF and Health Protection Agency’s national campaign on Maternal and Child Nutrition, engagement with civil society further enhanced the efforts to increase awareness on positive nutrition practices amongst healthcare providers in Male’, Raa, Kaafu and Gnaviyani Atolls. NGOs, Advocating the Rights of Children (ARC) and Society for Health Education (SHE) successfully completed trainings for 85 healthcare providers on various components of nutrition practices through comprehensive capacity building and training activities with the aim to influence changes in practice among health providers ensuring that caregivers receive accurate, actionable advice that would lead to critical feeding improvements and sustainable progress.
UNFPA has been working in close collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics, the Government agency charged with implementing the Census. Photo: UNFPA
Count Me In: Census 2014 Concluded The long-awaited Census was conducted in Maldives in the last week of September 2014. During the nationwide population count, all people who are residing in the Maldives were counted, including, for the first time, the expatriate population. Census is a crucial mechanism to collect important data for policy formulation and development planning. UNFPA has been working in close collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics, the Government agency charged with implementing the Census. To ensure that the present round of censuses yield data that is reliable and comparable across countries, UNFPA has mobilized resources to strengthen the country’s technical capabilities through facilitation of trainings and providing technical expertise. The Census results are timely to support the Government’s vested interest in youth development, 21 per cent of the Maldivian population is estimated between the ages of 15-24, amounting to a large proportion in the working age group.
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“Census 2014 is both historic and different. For the first time ever, this census takes into account the expatriates living and working in Maldives,” Mr. Mohamed Maleeh Jamaal, Minister of Youth and Sports said during the ceremony held to launch Census 2014 on 7 August. “The census will give us more precise data and better insight into exactly the investment that are needed to fully realize the potential of young people for the benefit of not only the young people themselves, but for society and development in general,” Mr. Rune Brandrup, UNFPA Programme Coordinator said. With the theme ‘Count me in’, Census 2014 took place from 20-27 September 2014. The preliminary results are expected within a few weeks. UNFPA in Maldives will work with National Bureau of Statistics and other partners to produce analysis of different areas of particular interest including women and youth. The previous Census took place in 2006.
UNDAF Roll-Out Training Focuses on Human Rights Based Approach to Programming The Resident Coordinator’s Office at UN Maldives together with UN Women and UNEP organized a training workshop on “UNDAF Roll-Out Training: Human Rights Based Approach to Programming, Integrating Gender Equality and Environmental Sustainability” targeted at UNCT members and planning and program level staff at UN Maldives. The 3-day workshop was aimed at providing more in-depth knowledge and understanding of how to implement the Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA) in the work of the UN Maldives and integrate gender equality perspectives and environmental sustainability issues therein.More specifically, the objectives of training workshop was to give participants understanding on the value of human rights in development and help them integrate gender equality perspectives and environment sustainability issues in applying a Human Rights based approach. A total of 26 participants took part in the training workshop that ran from 16-18 June 2014 at STELCO Training Room. Participants learned a wide range of topics including human rights in the context of UN Reform and integrating gender in the UNDAF process and the concept of Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA). Other topics covered include interlinked challenged of HR and Gender Equality and development and linking HRBA to Gender Equality and Environmental Sustainability.
Photo: RCO
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Participant also looked at a 3-step approach to implementing HRBA, looking at HRBA through a gender lens and mainstreaming Environmental Sustainability into the Common Country Assessment and the UNDAF. The workshop also looked into the next steps involved including an overview of the UNDAF roadmap and the process ahead and opportunities regarding the integration of HRBA, GE and ES in the next UNDAF.
UNDP launches documentary on Good Practices in Waste Management The UNDP’s Mangroves for the Future (MFF) Programme in association with local film production company Red Productions has launched a video documentary titled ‘Good Practices in Waste Management’ during the Environment Day Film Festival held on 5 June 2014. The festival was launched by the Minister of Environment and Energy, Honorable Mr. Thoriq Ibrahim. The documentary, ‘Good Practices in Waste Management’ explores the waste management practices in the islands of Alif Alif atoll Ukulhas, Meemu atoll Dhiggaru and Haa Alif atoll Vashafaru. The video shows the three islands have come up with locally-led solutions in waste management and the successful replication of Ukulhas model in Raa Atoll Ungoofaaru. The documentary was produced by Red Productions through a small grant of the MFF Programme to research on waste management practices employed by island communities across the country. Speaking on the video, Mr. Devanand Ramiah, who is the Officer in Charge of UNDP Maldives said that the documentary was a very good example of how locally found solutions for pressing problems can be replicated and scaled up providing sustainable solutions. “This documentary is a prime example of UNDP’s aim to address key national environmental issues by harnessing local knowledge and best practices, and exchanging this knowledge and information of good practices that already exist in the country,” Mr. Ramiah said.
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During his speech, Minister Thoriq Ibrahim also thanked Mr. Fahthaah and Red Productions. He noted that it was important to have more ambassadors such as Mr. Fahthaah for environmental causes and issues. He also spoke on the importance of importance of waste management in tourism sector reflecting on the sector’s strong dependence on environment. The UNDP’s Mangroves For the Future (MFF) programme is a strategic and long term response to the continued degradation of costal ecosystems threatening the livelihoods and security of coastal communities throughout the Indian Ocean Region. One of the focal areas of MFF in the Maldives is addressing waste management issues in the country.
Top: The documenraty on Good Practices in Waste Management explored waste management practices in 3 islands. Middle: The festival was attended by senior officials of different state institutes and UN staff. Bottom: UNDP Officer in Charge Mr. Devanand Ramiah hailed the documentary as a prime example of UNDP’s aim to address key national environmental issues. Photos: UNDP
RBM TRAINING 2014
From 20-21 August 2014, a selected number of UN programme staff and Government representatives met in SHE Building training room for a two-day workshop on Results-Based Management (RBM). This is part of a series of trainings related to the UNDAF roll out process, aimed at capacity development for UN staff and Government partners on Results-Based Management principles. Participants discussed revisiting development problem statements that could be addressed through the next UNDAF and developing a ‘Theory of Change’ to address the problems identified through the background studies to inform the future UNDAF analysis. The workshop was facilitated by UNDAF Consultant at UNDG Laura Marconnet and UNDP Programme Specialist/Head of MSU Daniela Gasparikova.
UNITED NATIONS MALDIVES
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