Ipas Africa Alliance’s Post

Redefining Health Choices: Cultural Sensitivity Meets Impact 💡 Imagine this: A health solution that resonates across traditions—where both men and women are supported to make transformative choices. When Population Services International (PSI) introduced self-injectable contraception in #Nigeria and #Uganda, they aimed to shift the narrative around reproductive health. But PSI didn’t just push forward; they leaned into the cultural realities on the ground, ensuring that this project was about more than health—it was about respecting and working within traditions to create lasting change. 📌 The “Golden Chair” Dilemma PSI’s DISC project had a powerful vision: using a grand, golden chair to symbolize women taking charge of their health. However, deep cultural insights in Nigeria and Uganda revealed that symbols of authority like this chair are typically reserved for men or community leaders. It was a challenge to the team: How can we promote empowerment without overlooking deeply held traditions? 💡 A Collaborative Solution: Innovating Within Traditions Working in partnership with design teams and Triple C Advisory (TCA), PSI embraced these cultural nuances. They strategically reimagined the project, including male figures in visuals to honor traditional authority while still promoting women’s empowerment. 🌱 This approach showcased that true empowerment isn’t about discarding traditions but innovating within them. Strategic Partnerships at Work Deep dialogues between PSI and its partners were key to building a culturally mindful strategy. This collaborative spirit led to a new initiative—PSI’s Maverick Next Project in Uganda—engaging men and boys to reshape gender norms around reproductive health. Recognizing the need to involve men was a game-changer, opening doors to a more inclusive health landscape. Looking Forward Together PSI’s commitment to cultural sensitivity and strategic collaboration is setting new standards for gender-inclusive health initiatives. Their partnerships are creating a future where health decisions are supported by communities and shared by all. Our journey with PSI underscores a powerful truth: empowerment isn’t about imposing change; it’s about co-creating it. Together, we are paving the way for healthier communities that honor traditions while embracing innovation #PSIForChange #EmpoweringChoices #CulturalSensitivity #GenderEquity #PartnershipsMatter #InclusiveHealth #PSIImpact Dr Khetsiwe Dlamini

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

As traditional heads of household in Nigeria, men play a vital role in influencing their families’ health-seeking practices, including the uptake of family planning services. Recognizing the role of men in health seeking, including in the area of maternal and child health, the Government of Nigeria, in collaboration with the USAID Integrated Health Program - Nigeria, WI-HER, and key stakeholders, such as the Federal Ministry of Health and States Ministries of Health, embarked on a transformative journey to both challenge deeply ingrained socio-cultural norms related to family planning and promote male health-seeking behavior. https://bit.ly/42flDBf #HealthSeekingBehaviors #FamilyPlanning #MaternalHealth #ChildHealth #HealthOutcomes #MaleEngagement

A New Dawn for Maternal Health in Nairobi and Kajiado. Thrilled as Reproductive Health Network Kenya in partnership with IPPF Africa Region launches a new project today: EmpowHer Project! To address the critical maternal health issues identified in the KDHS 2022, Reproductive Health Network Kenya in partnership with IPPF Africa Region is launching Empowher—a transformative project focused on reducing maternal mortality and morbidity among marginalized women and girls in Nairobi and Kajiado counties. These areas face significant challenges, including high rates of early marriage and teen pregnancies, with 8.4% of young women in Nairobi and 21.8% in Kajiado already mothers. Adding to the difficulty are unmet needs for family planning (12.5% in Nairobi and 13% in Kajiado) and high levels of gender-based violence, affecting 12.2% of women in Nairobi and 16.9% in Kajiado. Empowher will tackle these issues with tailored SRHR interventions, thanks to collaborative efforts with like-minded organizations. By partnering with local and international stakeholders, the project will offer targeted education, accessible healthcare services, and robust support systems. These partnerships will enhance the project’s reach and effectiveness, creating a united front in the fight for a healthier future for women and girls in these regions. Visit www.rhnk.org for more information #Empowher

Agness and Bupe had their first two children back-to-back in 2018 and 2019 without taking any recovery time or allowing Agness to focus on work. According to a misconception in their region, men should keep their wives pregnant as often as possible, so they are not appealing to other men. Unfortunately, myths and misconceptions like this prevent contraceptive use around the world. Agness started to listen to Kwishilya (“Over the Horizon”), a radio show produced by PMC-Zambia with support from USAID. “Listening to the show together made it easier to have a conversation about spacing children using more modern forms of family planning,” said Agness. “Because of the happenings in Kwishilya, there were no misunderstandings. We both had all the information.” Population Media Center has worked in #Zambia since 2018 when The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded PMC $2.6 million to develop and disseminate content targeting behavior change to improve the health of women and children in Zambia. In 2021, USAID extended its support for the two popular PMC-Zambia radio shows, Kwishilya (“Over the Horizon”) and Siñalamba (“Breaking the Barrier”). Today, PMC continues to break barriers and misconceptions, all with entertainment-education, throughout #Zambia. Learn More About PMC in Zambia: https://lnkd.in/gcpARSuh #FamilyPlanning #Contraception #HealthEducation #BehaviorChange #ReproductiveHealth #WomensHealth #ChildSpacing #Zambia #USAID #Kwishilya #PopulationMediaCenter #PMC #HealthAwareness #RadioShows #SocialImpact #MythBusting #EmpowerWomen #CommunityHealth #GenderEquality #PublicHealth #PMCZambia

Menstrual Health Advocacy in Cameroon 🩺 Young women are crusading to expand access to menstrual health care and education in Cameroon. Article by Abdullahi Jimoh for Think Global Health https://lnkd.in/gw8Aq4iP

New report by SEMA Reproductive Health indicate that Nigeria faces a funding deficit of up to 70% in the SRH sector. This gap is having a detrimental impact on healthcare outcomes, especially in underserved areas. The report further shows that heavy reliance on external donors for procurement of SRH products , especially in remote areas, further exacerbates the situation, hindering access to these essential products and services. Great insights here

Thanks to The New York Times for putting a spotlight on women's health in sub-Saharan Africa. Far too often, the perspectives of our users are not heard. In the past decade or so, many more women in rural Nigeria for instance, have opted for contraceptive options that allow them more agency and flexibility, such as injectables like the Sayana Press. To their frustration, they are not able to source these options near them. This is where Lafiya Nigeria, comes in. Our model operates exactly on the pain points of the healthcare system, strengthening personnel (through upskilling our Lafiya Sisters) and supply. We work alongside ecosystem partners like Marie Stopes International, featured in the article, to amplify not just our reach, but our collective impact. https://lnkd.in/d4YukPiq

Infanticide, the deliberate killing or fatal neglect of an infant before the age of one year, occurs across cultures and regions. But there has been limited attention paid to this issue, especially in research. To fill the evidence gap, the African Population and Health Research Center, Population Council and Ibis Reproductive Health partnered together to conduct a study in 2021 with 19 women and girls in Dakar, Senegal who had been criminalized for infanticide. We are hosting a webinar on April 17 from 10-11:30am ET to unpack the findings from that study and shed light on the multifaceted aspects of infanticide in Senegal. Specifically, the online convening will: - Explore the cultural, socio-economic, legal, and psychological factors contributing to unintended pregnancies and infanticide in Senegal. - Examine how a continuum of reproductive injustice can lead to infanticide. - Discuss potential strategies and interventions to prevent infanticide and support vulnerable adolescent girls and women in Senegal. This webinar is designed for policymakers, government officials, academics, healthcare professionals, social workers, NGOs, and community leaders interested in women’s rights and well-being, reproductive justice, and public health in Senegal and beyond. RSVP here: https://lnkd.in/gtZPUAgh

Read this carefully, especially if you are a Sexual Reproductive Health & Rights advocate like me. "Due to limited resources, many c-sections and births are being performed without basic medical supplies, or anesthesia and without any postnatal care.” - Ammal Awadallah, director of the #Palestinian Family Planning & Protection Association (PFPPA) "Health care workers report a 300% increase in the miscarriage rate among pregnant people in Gaza since Israel’s attacks began three months ago" Nour Beydoun, #CARE’s regional advisor on #Protection and #Gender in emergencies. Meanwhile, not only has the #Netherlands opposed a #ceasefire, thus hindering the delivery of the most urgent #humanitarian aid, but it has also supported the massacre of #Palestinians by supplying F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel for use against the population of #Gaza. More recently, the Netherlands has suspended its funding to #UNRWA, the only organization with staff and a network on the ground in Gaza. According to the latest figures, 152 UNRWA staff were killed since October 7, marking the biggest human loss a UN organization has faced in a war in such a short period. When will this stop?! As long as we are silent, we are complicit, and this nightmare will carry on. Humanity is dying in Gaza. #ceasefirenow #stopthegenocide #endtheoccupation