Member Associations

The Planned Parenthood Association of Sierra Leone (PPASL), established in 1959, works on a range of serious sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues to improve people's health and quality of life. A key focus is to improve access to maternal health care, to reduce the risk of maternal and infant death. PPASL accesses the community through 5 service points, 12 workplace outreach projects, and 3 youth centres, via a 40-strong permanent staff team, backed by nearly 300 volunteers, 9 community-based distributors (CBDs) and a Youth Action Movement membership of 150. There is a 90% prevalence of female genital mutilation (FGM) in the country, and finding ways to handle the attendant psychological and physical trauma is one of the organization’s major challenges. Much of PPASL’s work is directed towards behaviour change communication (BCC) among community leaders, police and army personnel and Muslim and Christian groups. Safe motherhood, family planning, and the sensitisation of young people to SRH concerns are also central to the direct services which PPASL provides.    The Member Association works in partnership with government health and development ministries and the Sierra Leone Armed Forces Hospitals. Non-governmental organization (NGO) partners include the Reproductive Health Service, CHASL, MSSL, National AIDS Secretariat/SHARP and the Marie Stopes Society. PPASL receives financial support from UNFPA, UNICEF, UNAIDS, the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, Plan International, MOHS & RH UNIT, Marie Stopes Society, SL Red Cross Society and Action Aid. 

Pro familia advocates for the rights to individual self-determination in sexuality and family planning and is committed nationally and internationally to sexual and reproductive health and rights. For pro familia, sexual and reproductive rights and health rank among human rights. pro familia is the leading professional association on sexuality and partnership in Germany. With information and counselling services, pro familia wants to contribute to women, men and young people being able to live their sexuality and sexual orientation in a self-determined way, to parenthood being a free decision and to a satisfying sexual life without fear of unwanted pregnancies or sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, and to people being able to participate in scientific progress. The services offered in the 180 counselling centres nationwide include counselling, information and age-appropriate sex education on partnership, sexuality, sexual orientation, contraception, pregnancy, family, unfulfilled desire to have children and reproductive medicine, prenatal diagnostics, birth, financial support, unwanted pregnancy as well as separation and divorce. Pro familia publishes information brochures for clients and specialist publications for doctors, counsellors and educators, organises specialist conferences, lobbies for sexual and reproductive health and rights and offers a wide range of further and advanced training. In the field of sexual education, it is committed to human rights education.