 An in-depth interview was conducted with all three
delegates from Cameroon. Although a nationally coordinated approach to implement
Cameroon’s action plan has not been possible, individual delegates and their
organizations have made significant efforts to address the critical issues included in
Cameroon’s plan. For example, to address the exclusion of men as a target group for
family planning activities, a sensitization training has been conducted for male service
providers. Additionally, in an effort to increase awareness of family planning, village
teams and opinion leaders have been sensitized through discussion groups and community
workshops.
Both the IPPF affiliate Association Camerounaise pour le Bien-Etre de la Famille
(CAMNAFAW) and Femmes, Santé, Développement (FESADE) have conducted sex education
workshops for adolescents, parents and teachers. Specifically geared to adolescents,
CAMNAFAW has developed leaflets, booklets and t-shirts as program materials, and outreach
efforts have been implemented in various neighborhoods throughout Yaounde. Social
educators have been trained to work with young adults at health clubs and youth centers.
Select adolescents are trained as peer educators and some serve as distributors for
condoms and spermicides. FESADE has also developed numerous information, education and
communication (IEC) materials for its workshops on adolescence. Workshops topics address
both youth and parents and include: sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)/AIDS,
contraception, values in the home, sexual behavior, promotion of the equality of the
sexes, anatomy and stages of sexual development. A turnout of 3,800 adolescents for an
information session on contraception conducted in Douala clearly demonstrated
adolescents’ interest in family planning and the need to continue activities focused
on young adults.
Cameroon’s conference delegates should be applauded for these and the many other
activities they are implementing to work towards our shared goal to improve access to and
the quality of family planning/reproductive health (FP/RH) services. All delegates
expressed regret and frustration that more effort was not made to match donor agencies
with activities included in the action plans, particularly in light of the USAID mission
closing in Cameroon. The importance of coordinating donor agencies with activities is a
significant lesson learned for conference organizers and donors involved in the planning
process.
 In-depth interviews were conducted with two of
the five conference delegates from Ivory Coast, and—despite some significant changes
since the conference1 —efforts to implement the action
plan are under way. Most notably, the objective to expand family planning centers into the
regions has been discussed with the Minister of Health and the World Bank. The World Bank
has agreed to provide financial support for the integration of family planning into 110
health centers and to create a reference center in Abidjan that will provide a wide range
of FP/RH services. Funds were expected to be available in October 1996.
Since the conference, increased efforts have been made to integrate postpartum and
postabortion family planning services at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de
Yopougon. More generally, the interest in combating outdated information about
contraindications for safe contraceptive use has been heightened, and more attention is
being devoted to issues related to harmful traditional practices. For example, the IPPF
affiliate the Association Ivoirienne pour le Bien-Etre Familial (AIBEF) plans to conduct a
study on female genital mutilation in the upcoming year. Additionally, AIBEF has
discussed—with representatives of REDSO/Abidjan—its interest in testing the use
of female condoms at its clinics.
Under the leadership of several dedicated and energetic delegates, Ivory Coast is
moving forward in many tangible and beneficial ways to improve access to and the quality
of FP/RH services.
1For example, three of the five conference delegates
have pursued other professional opportunities abroad or have moved on to other health
fields. In addition, since the development of the action plan, a new Minister of Health
has been named.
 In-depth interviews to determine the status of Guinea’s
action plan were conducted with three of the five conference delegates. Since the March
1995 conference, significant national efforts have been made to improve access to quality
FP/RH services. The action plan has been shared with Ministry of Health representatives,
and integrated into the national reproductive health program which is reflected in the
Document du Symposium National sur la Santé de la Reproduction. Delegates explained that
the conference proceedings were used as a resource for the 1995 and 1996 Symposia on
reproductive health.
Specifically, a community-based distribution (CBD) program has been initiated under the
auspices of the IPPF affiliate the Association Guinéenne pour le Bien-Etre Familiale
(AGBEF). All delegates interviewed explained that one of the most useful conference
sessions was on strategies for improving access to services during which CBD programs were
covered. Other notable achievements since the conference include the development of RH/FP
norms and standards, the implementation of an IEC workshop and the improvement of FP
training modules.
An overall comment regarding the role and utility of regional conferences by the
Guinean delegation is that the exchange of experiences between countries indeed plays an
influential role in national FP/RH programs. One delegate even expressed an interest in
conducting such regional meetings on an annual basis.
|
This bulletin was produced by JHPIEGO, an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University.
JHPIEGO, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health of women and families
in developing countries, works to increase the number of qualified health professionals
trained in modern reproductive health care, especially family planning.
Family Health International (FHI) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to
improving reproductive health around the world, with an emphasis on developing countries.
FHI is committed to expanding family planning options; preventing the spread of AIDS and
other sexually transmitted diseases; and improving the health of women and children.
Financial support for this publication was provided in part by the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID). The views expressed in this bulletin are
those of the editors/contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of USAID.
Senior Editor: Bob Johnson
Writer/Editor: Chris Davis
Technical Editors: Sandra de Castro Buffington, Kathy Jesencky,
Noel McIntosh, Willibrord Shasha
Production Editor: Holly Simmons
Contributors: Everett Boyd, FHI, Kyahn Kamali, Anne Pfitzer,
Jeanne Rideout, Ilka Rondinelli, Julie Yendrek
Translation: Frances Kleeman, Eliane Lanusse-Nalls
Logo: Courtesy of Johns Hopkins University/Population
Communication Services
Photos: ASDAP (a Malian nongovernmental organization), Susi Wyss |
More
Back to MAQ Bulletins |
