UN agencies help nation on key fronts

UN Population Fund

The UN Population Fund, or UNFPA, was introduced in China in 1979, just after the start of the country's reform and opening-up policy. At the time, the nation was also facing a serious challenge - its continually-expanding huge population.

At the time, the primary task of UNFPA, the UN's sexual and reproductive health agency, was to work with China to collect and use population data for further development.

Babatunde Ahonsi, the agency's representative in China, said it supported setting up institutions and personnel training so that the country could make up-to-date population data available for policy planning.

With UNFPA's support, China gained a better understanding of its population size and demographic trends. Modern demographic analysis techniques helped the country to conduct its first modern census in 1982.

The agency also acted as a bridge connecting China and the global community in academic exchanges.

It invited international experts to China to give training to staff members from the National Bureau of Statistics, enabling the census to be conducted.

The population fund also selected young Chinese experts and scholars and sent them overseas for further studies.

Ahonsi said: "UNFPA contributed to the establishment of a population studies system in China. There are currently more than 20 major university departments offering courses in demographics in China, which have benefited from the efforts UNFPA made at the time."

In the 1990s, UNFPA's work began to focus on reducing maternal mortality and providing high-quality maternal, child health and family planning services to grassroots communities.

In cooperation with the UN Children's Fund and World Health Organization, UNFPA supported the integration of family planning with maternal and child health services and the building of facilities in 305 counties in 26 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions.