Population Media Center’s Post

🌍 **Empowering Healthier Futures: Family Planning and SRH at mbora** In Malawi 29% of pregnancies occur among teenagers—rising to 35% during COVID-19. In our rural communities, girls become mothers at just 15 years old on average. Adolescent girls often marry before the age of 18, with those lacking education marrying even earlier. mbora is striving to help bridge these gaps, providing accessible healthcare via outreach clinics in mbora Hubs and empowering communities to make informed choices for a healthier future. Our Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Program focuses on empowering women and girls who seek to delay or limit childbearing. 🌟 #FamilyPlanning #SRH #HealthcareAccess

Make Way for Society for Family Health Rwanda! We recently met Society for Family Health Rwanda - a pioneering organization enhancing the health and well-being of Rwandan communities. The organization is a Wemos technical partner in the Make Way programme, supporting the work in Rwanda on health systems strengthening. We spoke with their RMNCAH Specialist, Emmanuel YOBOKA, to learn about their vital work improving adolescents’ access to sexual and reproductive health services. Society for Family Health is currently carrying out a study on access to sexual and reproductive health services for adolescents in the country. It aims to identify factors that enable and hinder access, with the purpose of finding opportunities for improvement. Emmanuel explained to us: “For this study, we will look at a broad spectrum, from policy to implementation, experiences of adolescents and the capacity of health workers. The insights we gain will guide our efforts in advocacy.” Curious to learn more about Society for Family Health Rwanda? Read more ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/ezTdPeKT #MakeWay #SRHR #HealthSystems

#Palestine: the conflict in #Gaza has disproportionally affected women and children. It has increased maternal and neonatal mortality. Miscarriages increased by 300% between October–December 2023 because of health complications from lack of available care and resources. As at March 2024, there were between 50,000–60,000 pregnant women in Gaza. As at 1 May, the Al-Helal Al-Emirati Maternity Hospital in #Rafah was the main medical centre southern Gaza offering health services for pregnant women, insufficient to respond to the needs of the around 180 women giving birth on a daily basis. This report highlights the impact of the war in Gaza on the sexual and reproductive health and health rights of women and girls. Download here: https://lnkd.in/eqpqthBd #womensrights #childrenrights

This day about 10 years ago, I was privileged to have been working with a brilliant, inspiring and dedicated national alliance of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) some of whom are listed on the backdrop behind me. About 27 in total, the CSOs including media advocated for meaningful youth participation in sustainable development specifically prioritising health, gender, civic participation and Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE). Michelle Malunga Mubanga Chimumbwa We had a number of in country, regional and global facing advocacy interventions to influence health and other policies as they intertwine with the development agenda at the time the SDGs. On this day, I was presenting on the process I led to develop the know your reproductive health toolkit. This was at the launch of the toolkit. It was an empowering toolkit that summarised all the health policies for young people in Zambia including the Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1972. Access to information about what the policies provide formed and I believe still forms the real deal in actualising accountability mechanisms that benefit young people, AGYW and presents potential to achieve positive adolescent health and young people's outcomes. IEC materials that summarise the provisions health policies have for young people, AGYW are critical. Clandestine activities thrive due to ignorance of the provisions in policies - this results in increased vulnerability for young people, AGYW. Credit to Restless Development for the photos and toolkit attached. Thanks to Ministry of Health Zambia. #endchildearlyforcedmarriages #endteenpregnancy #BeTheChange

Canada is assisting Bangladesh in enhancing primary healthcare systems for women, children, and adolescents through collaboration with UNICEF and UNFPA. The project funded by Canada aims to reach more than 1.9 million women in their reproductive years, with a focus on ensuring essential healthcare services are accessible, particularly for adolescent girls, who make up two-thirds of the target group. Unicef reports that adolescent girls face elevated risks due to high rates of early marriage, GBV, malnutrition, and inadequate access to sexual and reproductive health services as 35% of births still happen at home without trained assistance. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gAwGB5tK #womenhealthcare #improvehealthsystem #ensuresustainabledevelopment #Bangladesh #Unicef #UNFPA #Canada #Bangladesh

The Coalition for Women's Health in Africa (COWHA) is a unified platform of private and non-state organizations that works towards an Africa where #women and girls have #access to equitable healthcare and optimal well-being. To advance its mission of catalyzing #partnerships through #knowledge, #advocacy and #action, the coalition presently runs two Technical Working Groups (TWGs); one focusing on Cancer (Breast & Cervical) and the other on Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) - (Contraception and reduction of unintended pregnancies). The COWHA Sexual and Reproductive Health TWG was established on April 2023, with the aim of addressing concerning trends and negative outcomes associated with contraception and unintended pregnancies in #Africa. From its establishment, the SRH TWG members have been working on a situational analysis regarding the involvement of the #private sector in delivering SRH solutions within the focus countries (Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya). Upon completion, this comprehensive analysis will be documented in a report, which will be disseminated among health stakeholders to enhance understanding and influence #policies within the SRH sector. #COWHA #womenshealth #unintendedpregnancies #contraception #knowledgeispower #SRHTWG #Kenya #Ghana #SouthAfrica

On a bustling day at Kwapong Health Center in rural #Ghana, Beatrice Nyamekye, a community health nurse, gives a group of women longer lasting #contraception methods, like an implant or hormonal injection. The women at the health center represent a new generation of women in #Africa that are increasingly receptive to modern #contraceptives, with the number of women using them doubling in recent years. This is possible thanks to three factors: women and girls are becoming more educated, there is a bigger range of options for them, and better roads and planning make it possible to deliver these commodities down to the last mile. Being empowered to make their own #FamilyPlanning decisions can be life-changing for many of these women. However, securing family planning products in Africa remains a challenge. We’re proud to work with organizations like USAID the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to continue procuring #FP commodities and support the local #HealthWorkforce so that women have access to quality #ReproductiveHealth and autonomy. Read more at the The New York Times: https://ow.ly/UUN850Sq9Zj

🌍 Today is World Population Day! 🌍 First celebrated on July 11, 1987, marking the “Day of 5 Billion”, World Population Day is recognised internationally to raise awareness about the challenges and opportunities posed by global population trends. One of the objectives of World Population Day is “To promote access to reproductive health services, family planning information, and contraceptives to empower individuals and families to make informed choices about their reproductive lives.” Meeting the unmet need for sexual reproductive health and family planning services is a challenge in many Pacific Islands. Recently, we collaborated with Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa and Kiribati Family Health Association on a Mid-Term Review of the Kiribati Healthy Families programme. According to the United Nations Population Fund, Kiribati's population of 135,000 is set to double in the next 40 years. This population growth confirms the urgent need for safe, accessible family planning as well as social services and robust infrastructure to support the growing population. Read more about this project here - https://lnkd.in/gXMNXcDw Let's continue to strive for a future where everyone has access to accurate information and the resources they need. #WorldPopulationDay #GlobalHealth #PacificIslands #CountEveryone #InternationalDevelopment #FuturePartners

December 27,I was honored to be invited to take part in the dialogue on sexual reproductive health and rights ,event organized by @menengageburundi. Differents topics were discussed: How to cultivate positive masculinity so we end sexual based violence. And this is possible when we empower boys ,men to take action and respect girls and women opinions in dignity. How we can educate our children about reproductive health from their childhood,This because,adolescents most of the time get pregnant because of lack of clear information on SRH ,this education is taken as what cannot be said with our elders parents,it is taken like taboo in many Africa countries. Educating married couple on different strategies of educating their kids can be a key to success in preventing unwanted pregnancies and TSIs. MenEngage Alliance Medical Students for Choice UNFPA Burundi Dynamic Doctors CARE