Member Associations

Established in 1985, IPPF’s Member Association in Guinea-Conakry faces many stark sexual and reproductive health (SRH) challenges including some of the highest fertility and child mortality rates in the world, coupled with very low levels of contraceptive use.   The Association Guinéenne pour le Bien-être Familial (AGBEF) has mounted a vigorous response to these challenges. Through its services points (static clinics, mobile clinics, associated clinics, community-based distributors (CBDs) and community-based services (CBSs) the organization reaches out to poor and marginalized groups with a particular emphasis on young women and men, and displaced persons and refugees. The Member Association’s services include disseminating information, education and communication around sexual and reproductive health (SRH); youth-friendly SRH services; prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV and AIDS through interventions such as voluntary counselling and testing (VCT); improving access to contraceptives at community level; and advocating and mobilizing the public to demand  their SRH rights. AGBEF’s team includes volunteers, peer educators and thousand of CBDs. Its youth action movement has a membership of over 100. The Member Association partners with government departments and large international NGOs to promote and develop its work.  

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).