Member Associations

Associação Para o Planeamento da Família (APF) is a vibrant and dynamic Member Association which has played a key role in advancing the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) agenda in the country. It has 10 regional delegations operated by volunteer staff, and works closely with health and education professionals, and with professionals engaged in community intervention, particularly with reference to the SRH needs of young people. Information, education, training and advocacy are central to APF’s work. APF runs programmes in fields such as sexual orientation, early pregnancy and motherhood, teenage parenthood, abortion, contraception, male SRH, and the prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV and AIDS. The Member Association played a crucial role in a long campaign to legalize abortion in the country. A bill to allow abortions up until the 10thweek of pregnancy finally received parliamentary approval in 2007. APF manages a resource centre, which has an extensive library of information and publications on SRH. It operates a telephone helpline (Sexuality Online) which provides information, support, counselling and referral services for young people, and a second helpline dedicated to assisting individuals in need of advice over unwanted pregnancy. Over the years, the Member Association’s service delivery and advocacy work has made an invaluable contribution to improvements in SRH and maternal and child health and to contraceptive awareness, understanding and use. It has also helped to produce a significant reduction in numbers of teenage pregnancies.     Contacts Website: www.apf.pt Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/apfamilia  

The Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka (FPASL) complements Sri Lanka’s government health services with 5,300 services points: 6 permanent facilities, 6 mobile units and thousands of community-based distributors/services (CBDs/CBSs). It focuses on reaching the most vulnerable groups in society. Clinics offer a comprehensive range of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. These include contraception, counselling, diagnostic services, HIV and STI screening and voluntary counselling and testing (VCT). FPA Sri Lanka works closely both with the Ministry of Health and decentralized government agencies. The government recognizes FPA Sri Lanka as one of the ‘mother’ non-governmental organizations (NGOS), working in SRH, nurturing smaller NGOs across the country. The Member Association promotes family planning as a basic human right. It addresses key SRH and relationship issues faced by young people via school and youth-centre based workshops and through the Happy Life Contact Centre. This centre provides information on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) to the general public through a range of new media tools). FPA Sri Lanka advocates to increase political commitment to reproductive health education (with political and religious leaders). It promotes female empowerment, it seeks to eradicate unsafe abortion and liberalise abortion laws, and it aims to foster community involvement in projects. Additionally, it runs regular training sessions for staff, volunteers and personnel from outside organizations working in the SRH field. FPA Sri Lanka has developed a highly successful contraceptive retail sales programme, backed by major media campaigns, supplying around 60% of the condoms and 90% of the oral contraceptives sold in Sri Lanka.   Contacts Website: www.fpasrilanka.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fpasrilanka Twitter: https://twitter.com/FPA_SriLanka