Access to Female Condoms (FC)

What is the status of your country’s access to female condoms (FC)?
Female condoms only comprise about 0.2% of the world’s condom supply. In 2007, 25.9 million Female Condoms were available worldwide (almost doubling the 2005 supply) and about 11 billion male condoms were distributed.

PPD member and collaborating African countries with FC country programs include:
1. Ghana
Another resource from Ghana
In Ghana, the Society of Women against AIDS in Africa (SWAA) in Ghana, launched a programme to improve women’s health rights through the introduction of the female condom. They successfully raised awareness of FC in two high incidence areas and tackled obstacles to FC use. While these activities still need to be extended into more districts, regions and communities, a total of 127,500 female condoms have been distributed to date through sales, community meetings and free distribution by SWAA/Ghana and collaborating organizations. Over 10,000 people have been directly reached through female condom training programmes.

2. Kenya

3. Mali

4. Nigeria

5. Rwanda

6. Senegal

7. South Africa

8. Tanzania

9. Uganda
Uganda's Ministry of Health to Reintroduce Female Condoms. Uganda's Ministry of Health will reintroduce female condoms as part of its HIV/AIDS prevention program in response to increased demand, IRIN/PlusNews reports. The Uganda government in 2007 halted distribution of the female condom because of insufficient demand and complaints that the condoms were not user-friendly. However, a recent health ministry analysis determined that women in the country sought an HIV prevention method that allowed them control over preventing sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, and unintended pregnancies. (Source: Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report - Tuesday, February 17, 2009)

10. Zimbabwe
In Zimbabwe, where distribution of female condoms has expanded rapidly in 2008, women’s groups collected more than 30,000 signatures from women demanding access to the female condom. As a result, the government initiated importation of the female condom.

How to improve female condom availability and programming in your country
Strong advocacy for the female condom is needed to stimulate demand and increase access and availability. You can:

1. Develop an integrated advocacy campaign to support the effective introduction of female condoms within and across HIV prevention and reproductive health programs.

2. Advocate for the inclusion of female condoms in your country’s
• commodities purchasing plans.
• national strategic plan submitted for PEPFAR funding.
• Country Operational Plan submitted to Global Fund to Fight AIDS,TB and Malaria.
• Ask that your government request to be included in UNFPA’s Female Condon Initiative and Comprehensive Condom Programming Initiative. UNFPA’s Global Female Condom Initiative scales up female condom programming. For example, in Nigeria, UNFPA began collaboration in 2005 with the Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria to implement a UNFPA Female Condom Initiative. Over 30 registered national RH and HIV/AIDS NGOs were trained in FC counselling and distribution and linked to sustainable supplies of stock for their programmes. These NGOs are now distributing 76% of the FCs used in Nigeria. The social marketing organizations currently engaged in distributing most (about 80%) of all male condoms used in Nigeria are planning to launch marketing of FCs as well. African countries enrolled in the UNFPA Condom Initiative in 2006-07: Zambia, Zimbabwe. Malawi, DRC, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ethiopia and Eritrea. African countries targeted for enrollment in 2008-09: Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Mauritânia, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Mauritius, Botswana, Madagascar, Swaziland, Comoros, Seychelles, Mauritius, Lesotho, Mozambique, Ghana, Gabon and Congo-Brazzaville.

3. Contact the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) mission in your country and demand that they help you gain access to the female condom (Tanzania is currently receiving female condoms from USAID; Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya are not.).

Resources:
Global Campaign for Microbicides: http://www.global-campaign.org/africa.htm
UNFPA: http://www.unfpa.org/hiv/female.htm
PATH: http://www.path.org/projects/womans_condom.php
http://www.path.org/projects/womans_condom_gcfc2005.php
WHO guide for FC use and programming: http://www.who.int/reproductive-health/publications/RHR_00_8/index.html

Additional Contacts and Organizations:
Prevention Now! Campaign. One of the goals of Prevention Now! is to link with existing female condom campaigns, such as those in Argentina, Ghana, Zambia and Zimbabwe, in order to support and catalyze efforts to increase FC access. For more information, see www.preventionnow.net.

Female Health Foundation Team Leader, Katy Pepper at katypepper@femalehealthfoundation.org. FHF works in partnership with UNFPA and provides technical assistance to governments, INGOs, NGOs and other agencies. They provide assistance, guidance and support with advocacy including linkage to others working in the same field/area; updated information on FC promotion and use; technical information on female condoms and guides on programming with the female condom.

For countries in East Africa, the Global Campaign for Microbicides’ Eastern Africa coordinator, Pauline Irungu, at pirungu@path.org. PATH, A.C.S Plaza, Lenana Road, P.O Box 76634 Nairobi, 00508. Phone: +254 (020) 3877177/80/89 Fax: +254 (020) 3877172. The Global Campaign’s goal has always been to amplify demand for more and better HIV prevention options, particularly for women They are now increasing our efforts to mobilize advocacy for access to the female condom, especially in countries hardest hit by the HIV pandemic. For more information, please see the Global Campaign website at www.global-campaign.org.

Technology Tip for Viewing Slow-Loading Websites

A quick tip for viewing websites that are full of images and Flash animation on a slow internet connection.

IYHY is a web-based service that acts as a text-only proxy, stripping down websites for faster load times.

The website IYHY returns just the basic text of the site you plug into it. It removes graphics and images, but keep links so that you can still navigate.

There is no login required for the basic service, but with a free account you can save your most frequently accessed sites to save time.

Try out IYHY at http://www.iyhy.com/

Global Gag Rule rescinded by U.S. President Obama

U.S. President Barack Obama today issued an executive order reversing the Global Gag Rule. The Global Gag Rule [also known as the “Mexico City Policy” or specifically, The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151b(f)(1))] denied United States family planning funds to foreign NGOs that use their own private, non-U.S. dollars to counsel women, make referrals for abortion, or perform abortions. It even denied U.S. funds to NGOs that expressed support for laws to make abortion safe and legal. The Global Gag Rule was in effect from 1985 until 1993, when it was rescinded by President Clinton. President George W. Bush reinstated the policy in 2001, where it was in effect until Friday, 23 January 2009 (today).

President Obama also pledged to work to restore a partnership with UNFPA, “I look forward to working with Congress to restore U.S. financial support for the U.N. Population Fund. By resuming funding to UNFPA, the U.S. will be joining 180 other donor nations working collaboratively to reduce poverty, improve the health of women and children, prevent HIV/AIDS and provide family planning assistance to women in 154 countries.”

Below is President Obama's statement.
--------------

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release: January 23, 2009

Statement of President Barack Obama on Rescinding the Mexico City Policy

"It is clear that the provisions of the Mexico City Policy are unnecessarily broad and unwarranted under current law, and for the past eight years, they have undermined efforts to promote safe and effective voluntary family planning in developing countries. For these reasons, it is right for us to rescind this policy and restore critical efforts to protect and empower women and promote global economic development.

"For too long, international family planning assistance has been used as a political wedge issue, the subject of a back and forth debate that has served only to divide us. I have no desire to continue this stale and fruitless debate.

"It is time that we end the politicization of this issue. In the coming weeks, my Administration will initiate a fresh conversation on family planning, working to find areas of common ground to best meet the needs of women and families at home and around the world.

"I have directed my staff to reach out to those on all sides of this issue to achieve the goal of reducing unintended pregnancies. They will also work to promote safe motherhood, reduce maternal and infant mortality rates and increase educational and economic opportunities for women and girls.

"In addition, I look forward to working with Congress to restore U.S. financial support for the U.N. Population Fund. By resuming funding to UNFPA, the U.S. will be joining 180 other donor nations working collaboratively to reduce poverty, improve the health of women and children, prevent HIV/AIDS and provide family planning assistance to women in 154 countries," said President Obama.

***
Memorandum for the Secretary of State, the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development

Subject: Mexico City Policy and Assistance for Voluntary Population Planning

The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151b(f)(1)), prohibits nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that receive Federal funds from using those funds "to pay for the performance of abortions as a method of family planning, or to motivate or coerce any person to practice abortions." The August 1984 announcement by President Reagan of what has become known as the "Mexico City Policy" directed the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to expand this limitation and withhold USAID funds from NGOs that use non-USAID funds to engage in a wide range of activities, including providing advice, counseling, or information regarding abortion, or lobbying a foreign government to legalize or make abortion available. The Mexico City Policy was in effect from 1985 until 1993, when it was rescinded by President Clinton. President George W. Bush reinstated the policy in 2001, implementing it through conditions in USAID grant awards, and subsequently extended the policy to "voluntary population planning" assistance provided by the Department of State.

These excessively broad conditions on grants and assistance awards are unwarranted. Moreover, they have undermined efforts to promote safe and effective voluntary family planning programs in foreign nations. Accordingly, I hereby revoke the Presidential memorandum of January 22, 2001, for the Administrator of USAID (Restoration of the Mexico City Policy), the Presidential memorandum of March 28, 2001, for the Administrator of USAID (Restoration of the Mexico City Policy), and the Presidential memorandum of August 29, 2003, for the Secretary of State (Assistance for Voluntary Population Planning). In addition, I direct the Secretary of State and the Administrator of USAID to take the following actions with respect to conditions in voluntary population planning assistance and USAID grants that were imposed pursuant to either the 2001 or 2003 memoranda and that are not required by the Foreign Assistance Act or any other law: (1) immediately waive such conditions in any current grants, and (2) notify current grantees, as soon as possible, that these conditions have been waived. I further direct that the Department of State and USAID immediately cease imposing these conditions in any future grants.

This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

The Secretary of State is authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

BARACK OBAMA
THE WHITE HOUSE, January 23, 2009.

# # #
For more information: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/23/obama.abortion/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
http://www.PLANetWIRE.org

Summer Institute in Reproductive Health & Development at Johns Hopkins, USA, June 1-12, 2009

The Gates Institute is hosting a two-week course entitled, “Reproductive Health and Development: Analytic Skills for Policies and Programs” at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, June 1-12, 2009. This course is aimed at mid-career professionals working in population, reproductive health and development programs in developing countries.

This course will introduce participants to contemporary population, reproductive health and development issues, measures and indicators. Participants complete data-driven exercises that strengthen their analytic and interpretive skills to understand linkages between demographic change, sexual and reproductive health outcomes, and economic and social development. Seminar topics include population dynamics, poverty alleviation and health inequities; gender equity and development; nutrition over the life span; reproductive health dynamics of birth spacing and birth outcomes, family and economic impacts, sexually transmitted infection patterns and service integration models. Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:

• Discuss global population dynamics, sexual and reproductive health measures and associated development changes
• Explain linkages between population change, reproductive health changes and socioeconomic development
• Identify data sources for, calculate and apply key measures and indicators of population, reproductive health and development
• Interpret data to make informed policy or program decisions
• Use analytic tools including but not limited to Spectrum, Stat Compiler, and STATA
  

A limited amount of financial support is available from The Gates Institute for highly qualified individuals from developing countries depending on funding availability. The application deadline is February 20, 2009.

The PPD ARO is happy to review PCCs’ application materials, as well as write a letter of recommendation for the program and for funding from the Gates Institute. For assistance or more information, email ppdafrica@gmail.com

For more information on the program, visit:
http://www.jhsph.edu/gatesinstitute/education_training/workshops_training/summer_institute/index.html

January Online Forum: Effective Models for Delivering Family Planning to Groups with Limited Access

The Global Exchange Network (GEN) for Reproductive Health is hosting an international virtual forum, “Effective Models for Delivering Family Planning to Groups with Limited Access,” to be held January 26-30, 2009, on the Global Exchange Network for Reproductive Health website.

Forum participants will have the opportunity to learn about experiences in delivering family planning and reproductive health services to groups with limited access from Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.

The forum will focus on:
• Discussing and analyzing the factors that contributed to the success of these experiences;
• Identifying and assessing the key strategies and interventions employed; and,
• Identifying any practical features that might prove useful in our efforts to expand sexual and reproductive health and family planning coverage and benefits in our own countries.

We encourage all PPD partners to register on the website in advance-- http://globalexchange.msh.org. Click on “New User? Register here.” Participation is free, but you must register in advance (one or two business days) in order to access the site and participate in the forum.