Member Associations

The Planned Parenthood Association of Sierra Leone (PPASL), established in 1959, works on a range of serious sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues to improve people's health and quality of life. A key focus is to improve access to maternal health care, to reduce the risk of maternal and infant death. PPASL accesses the community through 5 service points, 12 workplace outreach projects, and 3 youth centres, via a 40-strong permanent staff team, backed by nearly 300 volunteers, 9 community-based distributors (CBDs) and a Youth Action Movement membership of 150. There is a 90% prevalence of female genital mutilation (FGM) in the country, and finding ways to handle the attendant psychological and physical trauma is one of the organization’s major challenges. Much of PPASL’s work is directed towards behaviour change communication (BCC) among community leaders, police and army personnel and Muslim and Christian groups. Safe motherhood, family planning, and the sensitisation of young people to SRH concerns are also central to the direct services which PPASL provides.    The Member Association works in partnership with government health and development ministries and the Sierra Leone Armed Forces Hospitals. Non-governmental organization (NGO) partners include the Reproductive Health Service, CHASL, MSSL, National AIDS Secretariat/SHARP and the Marie Stopes Society. PPASL receives financial support from UNFPA, UNICEF, UNAIDS, the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, Plan International, MOHS & RH UNIT, Marie Stopes Society, SL Red Cross Society and Action Aid.  Contacts Website: www.ppasl.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/454639337890032/

The Mouvement Français pour le Planning Familial (MFPF) runs 40 clinics in France and delivers services to over 350,000 people annually. Half of its clients are under the age of 20.   MFPF provides counselling on a range of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) problems, including physically and emotionally traumatic incidences of rape, marital violence and female genital mutilation. It runs training courses and produces material for health personnel covering a whole range of SRH issues. MFPF is lobbying for improved administrative procedures with regard to the abortion law (to cut down on delays), it provides support to young girls denied parental authorization for abortion, and it has been highly active in challenging opposition to fertility regulation. MFPF is a leading member of the High Council for Information on Sex, a national umbrella entity for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in the broad field of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). It has also conducted solidarity campaigns with immigrant women, and with sexual and reproductive health organizations in other European countries (such as Bosnia and Poland) where women's sexual and reproductive rights are violated.   Contacts Website: www.planning-familial.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConfederationPlanningFamilial Twitter: https://twitter.com/leplanning