David Norris (Independent)

In November last year, just a few months ago, there was also a smear made on the UNFPA that it exaggerated maternal mortality statistics for some extraordinary reason. The position is quite clear that it was speaking about a case of underestimating maternal mortality. There can be very manipulative and selective quotations, which can be angled in a particular way.

For example, the following was being claimed:

The problem with the number [the latest maternal death estimate] is that it cannot be substantiated, this is according to the former head of the UN statistics office, Dr. Joseph Chamie. The primary reason the number is suspect is that most countries in the world do not report accurate information on deaths at all.

The fuller quote, when put in context, implies the contrary. I will put the quote on the record.

Dr. Chamie states the world was underestimating maternal death numbers. A point made in the publication was that the old way of getting abortion death figures greatly underestimates the number of deaths caused by abortion and:

Caution should be exercised when examining maternal mortality ratios and making comparisons across countries. Under-registration of maternal deaths varies by country, as does under-registration of the cause of death. Even in developed countries, such as the United States of America, maternal mortality has been found to be under-registered by as much as 27%.

In view of this it is not a question of exaggerating but a question of being careful with statistics. We should also be aware that there is under-estimation of the matter.

I will give another quotation from these lobbying groups. It states "even where the deaths are derived from a civil registration with complete coverage, maternal deaths may be missed or not correctly identified, thus compromising the reliability of such statistics". The actual quote, from The World's Women 2005 in context is:

Reliable estimates of maternal mortality are still difficult to obtain for many countries [which only excerpts UNICEF, UNFPA, and WHO explanations of the 2000 death estimates]. There are often the problems of significant under-reporting and misclassification of maternal deaths. Even where deaths are derived from a civil registration system with complete coverage, maternal deaths may be missed or not correctly identified, thus compromising reliability of such statistics.

The problem is again under-reporting rather than exaggeration. It is very important we know this.

With regard to the United States, my colleague, Senator Rónán Mullen is a man for whom I have a genuine estimation and affection. However, I do not agree with him. He raised the question of the American administration and cited Colin Powell. For a general, Colin Powell is rather gutless on these issues. I remember when there was an attempt to introduce equal rights for people with regard to sexual orientation in the American army and it collapsed under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" concept. That is the amount of moral fibre that fellow has.

This attack, as a result of the extreme evangelistic Protestant right wing in the United States of America, was carried out in the face of the fact that they had already appropriated the funds. More importantly, the eminently respectable independent assessment team of 2002 found no evidence supporting false claims that UNFPA supported or participated in managing a programme of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilisation. The team recommended the release of funds to UNFPA.

The report states:

During our visits to five of the 32 countries we asked many SFPC [State Family Planning Commission] officials, doctors of the local hospitals under the Ministry of health, county administrative officials and ordinary Chinese in spontaneous/no-notice encounters on the street, in a school or in factories whether they were aware of any recent coercive abortions or involuntary sterilisations. All answered in the negative, although some admitted that prior to the joint SFPC/UNFPA programme there had been such cases.

In other words, UNFPA is operating in China to prevent these coercive policies. That is the truth.