Member Associations

The Association Béninoise pour la Promotion de la Famille (ABPF) has been operating for almost 40 years. ABPF offers family planning, ante-natal and post-abortion care, infertility treatment, screening of cancers of the reproductive system, and management of sexually transmitted infections (including HIV and AIDS). Its service points include permanent and mobile clinics. ABPF is focused on reaching marginalized groups such as prisoners, sex workers, refugees and internally displaced persons. The majority of clients are estimated to be poor, marginalized, socially excluded and/or under-served. To reduce the national maternal mortality rate, ABPF operates an effective community-based obstetric and antenatal care service in 16 villages, using traditional birth attendants and volunteer health workers. ABPF also runs a locally-based service for young people which involves hundreds of community-based distributors (CBDs) and peer educators providing young people with sexual and reproductive health information, condoms and counselling services. In acknowledgment of ABPF’s expertise and accomplishments, the Government of Benin invited the organization to become a member of the technical committee (in the Ministry of Planning) that drafts reproductive health policies: the Population Policy, the Family Health Policy, HIV and AIDS policies and the National Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy. Whilst ABPF has recorded major advances in sexual and reproductive health, there are still very significant challenges as the figures for lifetime risk of maternal death, child mortality rate and unmet need for contraception of illustrate. Driving the work of ABPF is a large and dedicated team of hundreds of volunteers. There’s a Youth Action Movement which draws on the skills of young people. ABPF works in partnership with a range of government organisations, including parliament, the Ministère de la Famille, the Ministère de la Jeunesse, and the Ministère du Plan. Funders include USAID. Non-goverrnmental organizations working with ABPF include the Country Co-ordinating Mechanism for health and sexual and reproductive health.   

The Fédération Francophone Belge pour le Planning Familial et l'Education Sexuelle serves Belgium's Wallonian community. It runs 42 centres, where it conducts training in family planning for health personnel, and an information and documentation centre. The organisation is prominent in the promotion of women’s sexual and reproductive health rights, and has organized a solidarity campaign for Algerian migrant women.      

Sensoa serves Belgium’s Flemish community. It is the official government partner in the Flemish region with regard to sexual health and SRH promotion. The organzsation was created in 2003 from the merger of several HIV and AIDS organizations and the region’s family planning association (CGSO). Its work includes information, education and communication (IEC) activities carried out through the use of social media, websites, manuals, webinars and training packages, press actions, mass media, brochures, exhibitions, teaching material, posters, targeted at professionals working with youth, young adults, adults, men who have sex with men and people living with HIV and AIDS and directly towards these target groups as well. Sensoa also runs a training centre, an online shop and a counselling service for people living with HIV and AIDS. Additionally, the organization has an international programme which is primarily involved in advocacy for sexual and reproductive health and rights and HIV and AIDS in Belgium’s international development cooperation, and on associated capacity building.