FLAS
Established in 1979, the Family Life Association of Swaziland (FLAS), has developed from
being a provider of family planning-only services, to providing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health (SRH) programmes to young people, men and women.
A full member of International Planned Parenthood Federation, we give young people priority.
One of the youth centres has a radio studio where programmes around SRH are created and then given to national radio stations for transmission, or broadcasted during FLAS road shows.
Other services provided are:
- prevention and management of HIV/AIDS
- post-abortion care
- prevention of mother to child transmission
- voluntary counseling and testing (VCT)
- family planning
- treatment of sexually transmitted infections
Peer educators are used to reach marginalized groups during outreach visits. Peer education training, for instance, is provided to members of the Business Coalition Against AIDS initiative.
This work resulted in 20,000 clients, of which 14,000 were poor or socially excluded, being served in 2006.
FLAS is a member of SRH Steering Committee, the Gender and HIV/AIDS Consortiums; and Male Circumcision Task Force.
Maternal mortality rate of 370, modern contraceptive prevalence of 26, total fertility rate of 3.5, and high teenage pregnancy, are some of the challenges that FLAS has to contend with.
Service delivery points
2 branches and 2 clinics
Members of governing body
7 (two representatives of YAM, one female and one male)
Staff and volunteers
42 staff and volunteers 230 (140 women and 90 men)
Voluntary counselling and testing sites
7
Youth centres
2
Members of Young Action Movement
180
Peer educators
29
Partnerships
Government: Ministry of Health, Ministry of
Education, the Ministry of Regional Development and Youth Affairs (MRDYA) and that of Women Affairs.
NGOs: Swaziland National Youth Council (SNYC), Swaziland Health and Population Education (SHAPE), Population Services International (PSI), Swaziland National AIDS Programme (SNAP) and NERCHA , the
public relations arm of the GFATM, PACT
Private Sector: Media houses, the Business Coalition Against HIV/AIDS (BCAHA) and SWANNEPHA, a National network of organisations of PLWHA. FLAS is a
member of the SRH Steering committee, the Gender Consortium, the Male Circumcision task force and the HIV/AIDS consortium
Donors: USAID
Networks: The Alliance of Mayors Initiative for
Community Action on AIDS