By: Haruna Kuyateh
The Gambia Family Planning Association (GFPA) recently concluded a two-day consultative forum with the Regional Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) in North Bank Region.
The two-day forum was funded by the UNFPA and used to discuss and advocate the new methods that promote the concept of Family Planning Services on lesser-use methods like female condoms and other emergencies under the UNFPA Reproductive Health Center funded project 2023.
The training was held in North Bank Region.
Momodou Njie, Executive Director of Gambia Family Planning Association underscored the need for stakeholders’ collaboration in promoting the concept of Family Planning Services to improve the health of women and children.
He assured that his office is committed to providing youths friendly reproductive health services to the adolescent.
The executive director described the consultative forum as crucial, noting that it would empower women, increase education, and improve maternal and infant health.
He disclosed that GFPA with funding from UNFPA will install 10 computers at Njaba Kunda branch to promote youth’s friendly reproductive health services.
Lamin Colley, Chairman of GFPA at the Njaba Kunda Branch reiterated the significance of building the capacity of TAC and call for stronger collaboration and networking to bring about positive changes in the use of family planning commodities for a safe life.
He said the GFPA intervention target youths to strengthen their understanding of sexually transmitted infections including HIV.
Abdoulie Jarjue, the Regional Health Director for Farafenni Health Region thanked GFPA for complementing the Ministry of Health in promoting reproductive health and rights.
He noted that Family Planning contributes to the reduction of Maternal and infant mortality by 15% and whilst the acceptance rate stand at 19%.
He noted that his office set up a rumor management task force to respond to misinformation surrounding Family Planning commodities.
The director, therefore, called for stronger collaboration to ensure youths friendly health services are available at the facility level while disclosing that teenage pregnancy has gone down.
The need for proper rumor management to break the myst surrounding Family Planning services in the country with intersectoral collaboration and message dissemination through the media is essential, he stressed.
According to him, the Ministry of Health is doing its quota and quickly encouraged all to come up with good suggestions and strategies to share with partners
Gasamanding Touray, the Youth Programme Officer at GFPA at Kanifing Office said the training would foster collaboration and networking in advancing reproductive health information. She hailed volunteers for their unflinching support to educate youths on Sexual and Reproductive Health Information.
She revealed that the use of contraceptive promote birth spacing and protect against sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS.
Members of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) hailed GFPA and UNFPA for building their capacity on a wide range of reproductive health issues such as STIs and HIV/AIDS. Whilst calling for more outreach programmes to enlighten women and youths.