The Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi) reports:
A senior World Bank official with alleged links to Opus Dei reportedly removed all references to contraception in the bank’s program for Madagascar.
Media reports indicate that El Salvadorean, Juan Jose Daboub, ordered staff to remove all references to family planning from its country assistance program document for Madagascar.
Specific targets relating to contraception were also deleted from the document. The original draft committed the Bank to work to increase contraception uptake from 14 per cent in 2004 to 20 per cent; the final document contained no goal.
Mr Daboub was appointed by the World Bank president, Paul Wolfowitz, and has been the focus of opposition from bank staff.