The Japanese Ambassador Emphasizes Importance of the Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD) and Reproductive Health for Advancing Human Security and Enhancing People’s Wellbeing in Africa at The 11th African Conference on Sexual Health and Rights (ACSHR) Today is the last day of the 11th African Conference on Sexual Health and Rights (ACSHR) held in Rabat, Morocco from February 26 to March 2, 2024, under the esteemed patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. The conference theme is “The Sexual and Reproductive Health and Family Well-being in Africa”. As the 11th SCSHR organize committee, IPPF has been working hard jointly with its Member Association in Morocco (AMPF) and like-minded organizations such as UNFPA as driving force to make sure of the following conference objectives are met: • Take stock of responses to sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and youth in Africa; • Identify, interrogate and consolidate on best and promising SRHR policies and practices for women and youth SRHR in Africa; • Provide networking opportunities, strengthen coalitions and movements for advancing women and youth SRHR in Africa. At the Plenary Session held in the morning of the last day of the three-day conference, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Tunisia, H.E. Mr Takeshi Osuga made a presentation entitled ‘TICAD 8 and Japan’s Cooperation on African Continent’. After introducing TICAD's history since 1993, he explained how the SRHR have been incorporated into the TICAD Summit outcomes. He also briefed about Japan’s contribution to African development in relevant areas in partnership with IPPF and its member associations. During his speech, H.E. Mr Osuga said: "Japan will continue to invest in SRHR projects in Africa and support the advocacy efforts in support of SRHR. Whether or not SRHR will be further mainstreamed internationally and especially in Africa, in line with African Union's Agenda 2063 and the Goal 3, target 7 of the SDGs, is totally up to African countries and the civil society in each country." IPPF has participated in the TICAD process since 2006. In next year 2025, the 9th TICAD will be held in Yokohama. IPPF will continue to advocate SRHR to make it one of the core topics of the TICAD. For further information, please contact Mr Mustapha Kameyal [email protected] (Arabic and English) and Ms Yuri Taniguchi [email protected] (Japanese).   About the International Planned Parenthood Federation The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is a global healthcare provider and a leading advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all. We are a movement of 150 Member Associations and Collaborative Partners with a presence in over 146 countries. Building on a proud history of 70 years of achievement, we commit to lead a locally owned, globally connected civil society movement that provides and enables services and champions sexual and reproductive health and rights for all, especially the under-served. We advocate for a world where people are provided with the information they need to make informed decisions about their sexual health and bodies. We stand up and fight for sexual and reproductive rights, and against those who seek to deny people their human right to bodily autonomy and freedom. We deliver care that is rooted in rights, respect, and dignity - no matter what.

With support from the Government of Japan, International Planned Parenthood Federation’s (IPPF) Member Associations in five countries, namely Afghanistan, Palestine, Sudan, Ukraine and Yemen, will provide urgent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services to communities affected by natural disasters and conflict situations.  These IPPF Member Associations will: Provide sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and maternal and child health services for women and girls and marginalized communities in six remote and flood affected provinces in Afghanistan; Provide urgent sexual and reproductive health services to communities affected by the escalating violence in Palestine; Improve accessibility of services and community sustainability to decrease sexual and reproductive health-related mortality and morbidity of women and girls in three States with high internally-displaced populations in Sudan; Restore health facilities and access to maternal health services in conflict affected areas for populations affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine;  Provide critical sexual, reproductive and maternal health care to internally displaced people and local communities in Yemen. This vital funding from Japan will help with provision of badly needed but currently missing health services, especially for women, so that they can live with dignity and free from unwanted pregnancies, death of themselves and their newborns, and reproductive ill-health. It will allow us to provide essential and quality SRH and maternal and child health services in the communities, prevent and manage the consequences of sexual and gender-based violence, including the clinical management of rape, equip community-based midwives with skills to provide high quality obstetric and neonatal services and strengthen health information systems to collect high quality data to respond to the needs and priorities of women and girls’ health. IPPF Director General, Dr Alvaro Bemejo, said, "I offer heartfelt thanks to the Government of Japan for their  unparalleled generosity to enable IPPF to respond to the needs of women and girls caught up in crises around the world. This generosity will allow IPPF and our local partners to provide a critical lifeline to the growing number of people in desperate need of humanitarian assistance."   By the end of December 2024, IPPF, through our local partners in the five countries, will aim to deliver health services and information to at least 239,000 people in total.   For further information, please contact Yuri Taniguchi, IPPF London Office, at [email protected].   Photo Credits: IPPF/Hannah Maule-ffinch/Sudan

Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, IPPF has supported partners in Ukraine and surrounding countries to provide access to essential sexual and reproductive health and rights information and services for those affected. Dr. Galyna Maistruk, Executive Director of Women Health and Family Planning Ukraine said: "Today marks one year since the brutal Russian invasion of my homeland. For us in Ukraine, the 24 February is a benchmark of consciousness and striving at any cost to be helpful and effective at their front. We are fully conscious that grieving for losses, despite tremendous, will not benefit us. And we stand together and remain a people not defined by the war but by our strength, resilience and values. Under shelling, air raid sirens, without electricity we remain committed to supporting the healthcare system through provision of essential equipment, medicine and training for doctors. Thanks to our reliable partners in IPPF and its member associations the work carries on supporting women and girls who need to access vital reproductive health care, abortion, and support after sexual violence until there is a free Ukraine." Banner image credit: Marko Subotin/Shutterstock

With support from the FY2022 Supplementary Budget received from the Government of Japan, the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) Member Associations in four countries, namely Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Pakistan and Ukraine will protect the health and lives of vulnerable populations affected by conflict and natural disasters through the community-based provision of sexual and reproductive health and essential health services, including maternal and child health, in the following areas:   Afghanistan: 9 provinces (Karpisa, Parvan, Badakhshan, Laghman, Logar, Bamiyan, Samangan, Baruch and Paktika)  Ethiopia: 3 provinces (Afar, Amhara, Somali).   Pakistan: 2 provinces (Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).  Ukraine: 2 cities (Odessa, Poltava).  In all countries the implementation of activities will be a participatory, inclusive and rights-based process that puts people at the centre, responding to their specific circumstances, challenges faced, needs and aspirations, while allowing the most vulnerable to have a voice. It also seeks to realise human security through the provision of relevant health services, especially for women, so that they can live with dignity and free from threats such as unwanted pregnancy, death of themselves and their newborns, and reproductive ill-health. By using and expanding local networks, knowledge, human resources and facilities developed through years of grassroots activities in each country, IPPF will expand the impact of our activities and cause lasting change in people's lives.  The IPPF Director General, Dr Alvaro Bemejo, said, "I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the people of Japan for this invaluable support they have given to the IPPF. We will fully utilise this opportunity to deliver our services to as many vulnerable people as possible and will do our utmost to be there for them and support them."   In the year to December 2023, IPPF, through our local partners, will aim to deliver health services and information to at least 270,000 people across the four countries.   For further information, please contact Yuri Taniguchi of IPPF London at [email protected].