Member Associations

Rahnuma (formerly the Family Planning Association of Pakistan or FPAP) started serving poor and marginalized people in Pakistan as the Family Planning Association of Pakistan (FPAP) in 1953. After over 50 years of momentous achievements, the FPAP felt that its name did not fully reflect the scope of its work. It renamed itself ‘Rahnuma’, an Urdu word meaning 'one who shows the path and provides direction'.  Rahnuma was one of the pioneers in providing family planning services and advocating for spacing of childbirth and for smaller families. The government later embraced the cause by establishing the Ministry of Population Welfare. In the space of a decade, Rahnuma grew from a single clinic, based in 1 room in Karachi, to a large-scale operation with an infrastructure of district branches offering model clinics and information and educational facilities. Today, the network operates nearly 5,000 service points, comprising 118 permanent clinics, 11 mobile units, 191 associated clinics and over 2,000 community-based distributors/services (CBDs/CBSs). It also handles referrals to over 2,143 private physicians. Rahnuma has developed innovative programmes to increase access to high-quality, affordable health services. It has advocated for a rights-based approach to sexual and reproductive health (SRH), for the empowerment of particular groups within communities (especially women and young girls), and for the strengthening of civil society in Pakistan. As the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) agenda has shifted over the years, Rahnuma has increasingly embraced SRHR in the context of national development and poverty alleviation, owing to the direct connection between socio-economic conditions and health and well-being. Contacts Website: http://www.fpapak.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rahnuma.fpap.9 Twitter: https://twitter.com/Rahnuma_FPAP 

Set up in 1957, the Mauritius Family Planning & Welfare Association (MFPWA) was one of the earliest organizations in Africa focusing on family planning issues. As the nation struggled to find a way to address pressing population issues, a group of advocates formed MFPWA and started to provide services directly to women. Today, the organization caters to the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs of the whole community. It also has particular strands of activity relating to specific groups including sexually abused children, elderly people and marginalized populations on Rodrigues Island.  Through 2 permanent facilities, and a private sector-supported daycare centre, MFPWA’s 15 staff and 550 volunteers deliver services including family planning, the prevention and management of HIV and AIDS through voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), support for people living with HIV/AIDS, infertility management, antenatal and post-natal care, post-abortion care, the diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and screening for cancers of the reproductive systems. The Member Association also operates peer-educator-led outreach programmes targeting hotels, export processing zones and popular tourist hot spots.  MFPWA has played a critical role in promoting the integration of family life education into the national school curriculum and its powerful, informed advocacy has been influential in shaping government legislation on SRH, particularly in relation to HIV and AIDS. MFPWA partners with and advises government departments which address health, quality of life, women’s rights, child development, family welfare, social security and youth and sports. MFPWA works with a large number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) including the Mauritius Council of Social Service, the Mauritius Alliance of Women, PILS (People living with AIDS), SOS Pauvrete, the National Women’s Council, the Senior Citizen Council and Link. Donors include the Indian Ocean Commission and UNFPA. Website: http://mauritiusfamilyplanning.com