In April the UN issued a call for governments to fund the vaccination of every girl in the world against the sexually transmitted disease HPV, or human papillomavirus. Such an undertaking could cost about $300 per person (adjusted for inflation) and result in billions of dollars raised for the UN. This might appear to be a noble goal on the surface, except for the fact that the money to fund this program would be held and distributed by the pro-abortion UN Population Fund.
UN officials are calling on all donor countries to purchase the vaccine at $14 dollars a shot. The non-profit organization PATH would be responsible for finding private sector pharmaceutical companies to provide the vaccine. Three shots are required over a period of six months, making the total treatment $42 dollars for each girl vaccinated. Girls would receive their first injection around the age of 12. Each treatment would only last five years, meaning that each woman would have to receive approximately seven treatments to cover their reproductive lifetime. The idea of asking countries to fund a vaccination for a STD is controversial, and the UN is already beginning to advise dignitaries on how to respond to critics of this program.
The UN is calling this campaign an effort to eradicate cervical cancer. While it is true that HPV can lead to cervical cancer in young women, UN officials have suggested that supporters avoid disclosing the fact that HPV is passed through sexual contact. It is interesting to note that there was a vocal political backlash in the US when several states tried to require HPV vaccinations because of its STD origins. As a result, most attempts to require the vaccination failed. If pressured into asking why we should fund vaccinations for a STD, the UN is advising dignitaries to use the precedent of Hepatitis B. Hepatitis B was originally seen as an STD, but now the Center for Disease Control and American Academy of Pediatricians recommend all newborns be vaccinated against the disease. It has been proven that infants develop more severe infections if they come into contact with Hepatitis B through tainted blood or poorly sanitized daycare locations and may not show symptoms for years.
Another pressing concern for Pro-Lifers is the fact that the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) will lead this effort and use this money to further their pro-abortion agenda. Due to the economic downturn and declining global fertility rates, international population programs have seen their donations steadily decline since 2008. UNFPA will benefit greatly from this proposed vaccination plan. The revenue they receive would likely be in the billions of dollars.
It is widely expected that the UNFPA will use this income to bolster their efforts to globally legalize and increase abortions. In May, UNFPA issued a press release that the world population would reach 7 billion by October 31, 2011 and called for more family planning services worldwide to slow population growth. As Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin of Nigeria, UNFPA’s executive director, explained, “We must invest the resources to enable women and men to have the means to exercise their human right to determine the number and spacing of their children.” The press release does not address the mounting evidence that as population declines, other problems arise, such as economic instability, a diminished work force and less revenue available to support social programs.
There is still time for Pro-Life activists to make a difference. The UN will deliberate this vaccination plan September 19 – 20 at the UN High Level Meeting on Non-communicable Diseases. Please take a moment to contact UN officials at http://www.unfpa.org/public/contact/ and let them know not to use funds to destroy innocent Life.
