

| 31 March 2016
Sudan Family Planning Association
The Sudan Family Planning Association (SFPA) was established in 1965 by pioneers in obstetrics and gynaecology in response to increases in maternal, neonatal and infant mortality and morbidity. As the statistics show, Sudan is a country in great need of frontline sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. Advocacy, and undertaking information, education and communication (IEC) programmes are critical. The organization has a strong team of health personnel and professional staff that operate 389 service points. These diverse outlets and outreach services are designed to secure the greatest possible access, particularly for vulnerable groups. Outlets include 11 permanent clinics and 4 mobile units, and the organization works in conjunction with 62 associated operations, 60 private physicians, and over 90 other agencies. 158 community-based distributors/community-based services (CBDs/CBSs) provide the essential platform of on-the-ground support which enables SFPA to meet an estimated 64% of the country’s current demand for contraceptive pills. A major priority for SFPA is improving the status of women and enhancing their understanding of their rights. The organization allies SRH closely with development initiatives for women. Economic independence, or the capacity to make a significant contribution to a family’s income, empowers women, and with economic empowerment comes the potential for greater control over reproductive health and family planning. In Sudan (particularly in rural areas) harmful practices such as female genital mutilation are widespread. SFPA is vigorous in combating FGM. SFPA has played a key role in the design, testing and implementation of the HIV and AIDS Stigma Index, and has undertaken critical work in HIV prevention initiatives amongst at-risk groups. It’s a founder member of the Sudan AIDS Network (SAN). It’s highly active as a technical adviser to the government on population policy, and it advocates strenuously for financial and political support for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

| 31 March 2016
Associação Caboverdiana para a Proteção da Familia (VERDEFAM)
Established in 1995, the Associação Cabo-Verdiana Para a Protecao Da Familia (VERDEFAM) serves a population of just over 500,000, about 10% of people living in the Republic of Cape Verde. Cape Verde is an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa. Through static service points and mobile clinics, the organization offers family planning, the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV and AIDS, and antenatal and post-natal care. Staff are supported by a large group of volunteers and specially-trained peer educators. VERDEFAM also works in collaboration with Cape Verde National TV to produce health sensitization programmes. Because of its wide-ranging sexual and reproductive health (SRH) expertise, VERDEFAM was invited to participate in the national committee of strategic SRH organizations which together formulated Cape Verde’s National Reproductive Health programme and the 2006-2011 National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan. Despite its relatively high level of development compared with many other African countries (according to a variety of international indices) the country still has worryingly high maternal and infant mortality counts. Together, these SRH challenges emphasize the importance of VERDEFAM’s services to the men, women, young people and children of the Republic. VERDEFAM works in partnership with a number of government departments, including the Ministry of Health, the Cape Verdian Institute for Gender Equality and Equity (ICIEG), the Committee for the Coordination and fight against HIV and AIDS (CCS-SIDA), the Committee for the Coordination of the fight against Drugs (CCCD) and the Ministry of Education. Civil society partners include the Organizaçao das Mulheres de Cabo Verde (OMCV) and the Red Cross and Acrides. It also works with national networks: the Comité de Coordination du Combat au VIH/SIDA, the Comité Municipal de Santé de la mairie de Praia and the Plateforme des ONGs du Cap-Verde. VERDEFAM receives funding from GTZ, the UNFPA, the National HIV and AIDS Council (BM/CCS-SIDA), ICIEG/SNU), UNICEF and UNAIDS. VERDEFAM has a private sector partnership with the national telecom company. Contacts Website: www.verdefam.cv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verdefam.verde