Member Associations

The Association de Bien-Etre Familial – Naissances Désirables (ABEF-ND) The Democratic Republic of Congo is vast: it is Africa’s second largest country and has nearly 68 million inhabitants. The sexual and reproductive health (SRH) challenges are correspondingly immense, with the country recording some of the poorest SRH statistics globally. The Association de Bien-Etre Familial – Naissances Désirables (ABEF-ND) was founded in 1977, and since then it has worked tirelessly to drive changes which will secure a better future for the country. ABEF-ND offers sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information, education and communication for young people. It offers HIV and AIDS prevention and management services, and community-based distribution of contraceptives. It also advocates strenuously around SRH issues with legislators and health professionals. As such, it’s central to shaping relevant national policies. It achieved this through static clinics, associated clinics and community-based distributors (CBDs) and community-based services (CBSs). ABEF-ND has a small number of staff who are backed by a large body of volunteers: together, they are determined to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights for all. ABEF-ND works in partnership with the Ministry of Health, and in the private sector with faith-based health facilities. Non-governmental organizations partners include Service Centrale d'Education à la Vie (SCEV), the Women’s Action Network (RAF), Radios for the Consolidation of Peace (RCP+), Amo Congo. Donors include Programme National de Lutte contre le Sida (PNLS), UNFPA, UNHCR and GTZ. It is a Member of the National Council of NGOs against AIDS.  

The Slovak Family Planning Association (Slovak FPA), Spoločnosť pre plánované rodičovstvo, is an organization comprising physicians, nurses, teachers, psychologists, journalists and lawyers who work in sexual and reproductive health. Its mission is to promote awareness of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues and to defend the individual’s basic human right to SRH. Slovak FPA has 3 main goals: To support, defend and monitor compliance with the basic human right of all men and women to make free and informed choices with respect to their own SRH To initiate changes in the education system with regard to SRH To establish Slovak FPA as a multi-disciplinary NGO charged with coordinating the delivery of SRH right across the community Cultural and religious constraints on the pursuit of this agenda are substantial. Slovak FPA is therefore very active in organizing conferences, press conferences and high-profile mass media activities to increase awareness of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) among both professionals and the public. Slovak FPA organizes the training of teachers for sex education, and the training of volunteer-advisors for a telephone hotline which provides help and support to abused children. It runs lectures for nurses and physicians in postgraduate courses, undertakes targeted work with marginalized Roma communities, publishes a quarterly information bulletin, and works closely with international agencies such as WHO, UNFPA, UNICEF and UNHCR to promote family planning both in Slovakia and abroad.  Some of the past projects of SFPA are: Improving Women’s Health through Sustainable Reproductive Health Care Services Education of nurses in the HIV prevention Roma project VISION 2000 – improving access of marginalized groups to reproductive health services Sexuality education – creation of methodical handbook for comprehensive sexuality education Gender mainstreaming in services of reproductive health Sexuality education in the context of human rights    Website: www.rodicovstvo.sk