Member Associations

Guinea-Bissau is one tenth the size of its neighbour Guinea-Conakry, but its people suffer equally distressing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) problems. The Associação Guineense para o Bem Estar Familiar was established in 1993 to address the major issue in family planning: equipping couples to make active, informed choices about the number of children they would have, and when they would have them.   Since then, the Member Association’s work has expanded to embrace a full range of SRH concerns. It provides young people with information, education and communication (IEC) and behaviour change communication (BCC) around sexual and reproductive health; it works on the prevention, diagnosis and management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) includind HIV; it provides post-abortion care and support; it provides care for victims of gender-based violence (GBV); and it advocates strongly at government level for legislation to prevent GBV. Associação Guineense para o Bem Estar Familiar achieved these results through a small but committed team that operate over hundred service points, including static clinics and community-based service points. Despite the relatively small size of the organization, it is growing rapidly with strong central support from IPPF, influential government partnerships, and backing from non-governmental organizations including UNFPA.

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