Hosted by
IntraHealth International, featuring the CS4FP initiative; the Ouagadougou Partnership; and The Challenge Initiative
Description
Conducted in French: Although several countries in East and Southern Africa report widespread use of modern contraception, West Africa—especially francophone West Africa—lags behind the rest of the world. The region has a huge population of young people yet is still struggling to expand access to family planning and improve maternal and child health. But powerful voices, from youth in school yards to local mayors, are rising up and effecting change.
Family planning advocates in West Africa are inventing new ways to make contraceptives available to more of the people who need them. They’re changing behaviors, attitudes, biases, and minds. And they’re going beyond educating and raising awareness—they’re influencing the practices and behaviors of policy- and other decision-makers to effect lasting impact for the health of women and their families.
This Facebook Live segment will be held in French and will feature voices from three levels of advocacy (youth, local government, and the regional consortia) who will share their challenges, successes, and advice for others to ensure more adolescents, women, and families across West Africa and beyond have access to the family planning services and contraception they need.
Moderator
Advocacy or family planning program lead, IntraHealth International
Panelists
A family planning youth ambassador, one of 364 family planning youth ambassadors across West Africa who completed training provided by IntraHealth International through its Civil Society for Family Planning Plus (CS4FP Plus) project and is now leading family planning and reproductive health advocacy campaigns and taking part in high-level discussions with ministries of health and other partners to demand access to contraceptives and youth-friendly reproductive health services
A mayor in francophone West Africa, who will explain his/her new family planning initiative in her/his city
A leader in the Ouagadougou Partnership, a collaboration between nine Francophone West African governments; private, government, and multilateral donors; and countless civil society organizations.