20 years BFPA - experts and innovators
“From choice, a world of possibilities” is the main slogan of the International Planned Parenthood Federation /IPPF/. IPPF is a global service provider and a leading advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.
IPPF is a worldwide movement of national organizations working with and for communities and individuals. Through advocacy work, IPPF seeks public, political and financial support for universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights. Often the organization is the first to raise awareness and change attitudes on sensitive and controversial issues against extreme hostility, potential violence and arrest.
IPPF’s work is based on the belief of indivisible human rights everywhere in the world, regardless of age, gender, sexuality or religion – improvement of health, making free decision on when, if and how many children to have, sexual fulfilment, freedom from violence and discrimination, pursuing an education, having a voice. IPPF plays a vital role in international development by providing sexual and reproductive health information and services, support for strengthening health systems. Holding governments accountable to their promises and ensuring sexual and reproductive health and rights remains a priority for development and reduction of poverty. In 2011 89,6 mln. SRH services were provided to 33 mln. people, including the most vulnerable groups.
IPPF provides sexual and reproductive health services that provide choice, health protection, protection from violence and death, the prospect of a wholesome and healthy sexual life. IPPF’s service provision focuses on the ones with the greatest unmet needs, with seven out of ten clients being poor, marginalized, socially excluded and/or underserved, and four out of ten under 25 years old. IPPF continues to pay great attention to the needs of women and girls, the results being better health outcomes, improved chances of survival for women and their children and overall better quality of life. Contraceptive and non-contraceptive services were equally provided in order to achieve the goal of supplying a service package focused on prevention, diagnosis, care, treatment and support for all key components of sexual and reproductive health (gynaecology, obstetrics, contraception, HIV, abortion-related services and specialized counseling). In 2011, 169 mln. condoms were distributed, 42,5 mln. contraceptive services were provided, 2.6 mln. unintended pregnancies and 710 000 unsafe abortions were averted. Since 2005, the distributed condoms sum up to almost a billion.
These services are provided by a range of mechanisms – static clinics, mobile teams, community based distributors, private pharmacies, social franchises, government facilities, social marketing outlets, in urban, peri-urban and rural locations. Out of the 65 000 delivery points 46% are in urban areas, 54% are in peri-urban areas.
IPPF’s global advocacy work benefits from the extensive network of Member Associations and their ability to mobilize political, decision makers’ and civil society organizations’ support for sexual and reproductive health and rights. Working with IPPF’s Secretariat, Member Associations are involved in regional and global advocacy initiatives to ensure that sexual and reproductive health are included in development frameworks, agendas and commitments. In 2011 65 Member Associations were instrumental in 116 policy and legal changes in support of sexual and reproductive health and rights. At the moment through its 152 Member Associations, IPPF operates in 172 countries.
Partnerships with government agencies is an important strategy of Member Associations for providing clients with sexual and reproductive health services, especially the poor, marginalized, socially excluded and under-served. Member Associations also form strategic partnerships with each other as a way of achieving common objectives – information on sexual and reproductive health services and rights to be available to an increasing number of people. Member Associations have strategic partnerships with United Nations’ agencies such as UNAIDS, UNFPA and WHO, as well as the World Bank.
In the light of the 60th anniversary of IPPF it is a good match that BFPA will celebrate its 20th anniversary. During all these years BFPA has worked in close collaboration with IPPF – at the beginning under their supervision, today as partners and in full cooperation. With IPPF support and help, BFPA worked on more than 50 successfully implemented and exciting ongoing projects and activities such in areas as working with young people, advocating for the causes of minorities and other vulnerable groups, bettering the access to services for communities with limited or no access to SRH, as well as providing expertise and technical support in ODA. Our slogan is
“We care for the future”.
http://www.ippf.org/