When the Association Tchadienne pour le Bien-Être Familial (ASTBEF) was created in 1991, to respond to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs of the Chadian population, very few people gave it a chance of succeeding.

But over 17 years down the line, the people of Chad look to it with a lot of admiration.

In addition to family planning, we now guarantee them a host of comprehensive reproductive health services that include:

• voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) for HIV
• postabortion care, available through static and mobile clinics
• youth-friendly services
• antenatal and post-natal care
• counselling and treatment of opportunistic infections
• treatment of male and female infertility
• premarital counselling
• advocacy against harmful cultural practices such as female genital mutilation and gender based violence

We have also integrated family planning in maternal and infant health, HIV/AIDS, and youth-friendly services.

In addition to three community-based service sites, ASTBEF operates services and programmes through 25 secondary schools, 12 youth and cultural centres, 12 sports clubs, 20 mens’ and womens’ associations, and a number of workplace service delivery points.

In 2006 we served 34,188 clients, the majority of whom were estimated to be poor and/or marginalized.

A high maternal mortality rate of 1,100; total fertility rate of 6.5, infant mortality rate of 102 and contraceptive prevalence of 3 per cent are some of the problems we are struggling against.

Service delivery points
7 branches and 4 clinics ( 2 mobile service provision units)

Partnerships
Government: Global Fund National Coordination Council, High Commission for Population and Human Resources National Reproductive Health Programme Supporting Committee.
NGOs: Comité d’information et de liaison des ONG (CILONG – NGO Information and Liaison Committee), Organisation des acteurs non étatiques (OANET – Organization of Non-State Actors)
Private sector: PPFAI, NACA, HAPAC, SFH, The Central Bank of Nigeria, CAP Plc, Nigeria Breweries
Donors: UNFPA, UNICEF,PNUD, Médecins du Monde, US Embassy, PSR, GTZ, the Ministry of Social Action and Family
Networks: Network of associations against AIDS, PLWHA network for open awareness raising on the pandemic.