Member Associations

Located off the eastern coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean, Comoros is an archipelago of 4 islands at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel between northeaster Mozambique and northwestern Madagascar. At a little over 1,800 square kilometres, it’s the third smallest nation in Africa, but has over 700,000 inhabitants. It is one of the most densely populated countries on the continent. A third of the population are women of reproductive age and the absence of essential health services presents major risks to their health and survival. High fertility levels allied to low contraceptive uptake, and widespread poverty combine to drive high risks related to sexual and reproductive health (SRH). In response, the Association Comorienne pour le Bien-Être Famille (ASCOBEF) is delivering a comprehensive range of sexual and reproductive health programmes and services. These include family planning, gynaecological counselling and services, antenatal care, information, education and communication (IEC) programmes and behaviour change communications (BCC) activities to promote health-seeking behaviour. It is also playing a major advocacy role in the fight against gender-based violence, and has provided extensive victim support. The majority of ASCOBEF's clients are poor, marginalized, socially excluded and/or under-served. ASCOBEF deliver services and programmes supported by volunteers, Youth Action Movement members and peer educators. ASCOBEF works in partnership with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) including Réseau Femmes et Développement. It receives financial support from UNFPA, the Global Fund, UNICEF and the World Health Organization.

The Bulgarian Family Planning and Sexual Health Association (BFPA) is a non-governmental organization founded in 1992, registered in public benefit. Its activities are oriented towards several main areas of work – access to health services, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), health and sexuality education, advocacy, prevention of trafficking of human beings, sustainable development policies and prevention of HIV/AIDS and STI. The target groups of the organization are various and include mainstream young people, state, municipality and school authorities, health professionals, NGO and community leaders, teachers, journalists. BFPA puts special focus on marginalized and socially deprived groups – Roma, other minorities, blind and deaf children, young people with disabilities, rural women, children in institutions, young people with criminal record. BFPA is expert and innovator and introduced for the first time in the country the concept of peer education, youth friendly services, mobile services, Roma health mediators. BFPA staff, Management Board and volunteers have different professional backgrounds. This diversity of professional and social expertise helps to implement successfully over 75 projects, supported by over 50 different donors. These projects assure ongoing health, social and educational activities in Sofia and county-wide with the support of BFPA branches and various partner networks in the country and abroad. The interventions include national-wide campaigns, health services and screenings, wide range of trainings, researches, peer education etc.