View the latest family planning advocacy news from our partners.
Pathfinder International in India gained the support of UNFPA to collaborate on advancing corporate social responsibility (CSR) for family planning. In November 2016, Pathfinder signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UNFPA to provide technical assistance to corporations to enhance investment in health and wellbeing of women, men, adolescents and young people in India.
The Jharkhand state government in India has released 5.5 million rupees ($83,800) to procure instruments necessary for the provision of quality family planning services. In July the government issued directives to all 24 districts to procure instruments for services including non-surgical vasectomy, intrauterine contraceptive device insertion, and mini-laparotomy (a common form of tubal ligation.)
In September 2016, Ambuja Cement Limited, a leading cement producing company in India, incorporated family planning for the first time into its corporate social responsibility program—the Ambuja Cement Foundation (ACF). This is the first advocacy win for AFP local partner Pathfinder International India.
This year, all 52 Urban Primary Health Centers serving the 3.1 million people in Lucknow district, Uttar Pradesh, India began offering intra-uterine contraceptive device (IUCD) insertion services. Between January and September 2016, 2,836 women received IUCD insertions.
Jharkhand state in India has founded its first state- and district-level advocacy working groups for family planning. The three groups have been formally established and endorsed by the state government.
Six districts in Bihar state, India have established district advocacy working groups. The groups—formed for the first time in Araria, Gopalganj, Jehanabad, Kishanganj, Sheohar and Siwan districts—are now initiating strategic advocacy efforts to improve access to quality family planning services in their communities.
The Advance Family Planning (AFP) initiative is increasing its advocacy efforts in India this year, expanding into a new state and pursuing national-level advocacy through the private sector. The India offices of Jhpiego and Pathfinder International will join as AFP’s local partners to support this expansion, which results from a recent supplement award.
In early March 2016, a high-level delegation from Nepal’s Ministry of Health family planning division and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) visited Indonesia. The tour aimed to showcase Indonesia’s successful advocacy and social and behavior change communication approaches, which could be relevant to the Nepali context.
The Mission Director - National Health Mission Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Amit Kumar Ghosh, issued a directive to expand the roles of 1,500 male health officers in all 75 districts to include counseling for non-scalpel vasectomy. Block Community Program Managers and Health Education and Information Officers will conduct community meetings to dispel the myths and misconceptions related to non-scalpel vasectomy (NSV), prepare monthly plans for Information Education and Communication/Behavior Change Communication, and create a conducive environment for NSV.
On August 7, 2015, Dr. Dileep Kumar, Civil Surgeon and Member Secretary of Jehanabad District Health Society in Bihar, India sent a directive to all local health centers and hospitals to observe “Fixed Day Static Services.” The Jehanabad population now has ready access to quality female sterilization services every Thursday throughout the year, in addition to the spacing methods regularly offered at health centers.
Following advocacy from AFP partner Population Foundation of India (PFI), Mr. Rigzin Samphel, Additional Executive Director, State Innovations in Family Planning Services Agency (SIFPSA), signed a letter on June 5, 2015, to establish district working groups for family planning in three districts of Uttar Pradesh: Agra, Jhansi, and Lucknow. The DWGs will advocate for family planning and provide technical support to districts in identifying gaps and solutions to improve local family planning indicators.
Advance Family Planning’s (AFP’s) eight new case studies illustrate the advocacy efforts leading to “quick wins” (discrete policy or funding advancements) achieved in the last year.