Mauritania: Extending access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services

Mauritania is situated in the West African Sahel, bordered to the north by Western Sahara, to the east by Algeria and Mali, to the south by Senegal and the west by an Atlantic shoreline of 700 km. It has both Arab and African characteristics.

The availability and quality of health services have an important influence on the precarious state of health of the Mauritanian population in general and of women in particular. The health facilities are often distant, dilapidated and inappropriate. Very few basic health facilities offer maternal health care because of the shortage of trained staff and their uneven distribution.

The objectives of the project are: To Ensure access to quality SRH services of the population of 6 localities and 100 rural zones, to strengthen the SRH knowledge of the target population and consolidate AMPF’s leadership role in the country’s SRH programme.

This project enabled AMPF to make a major contribution to satisfying the unmet needs for sexual and reproductive health services in Mauritania. Through setting up a service delivery system stretching from the village to the reference centre in Nouakchott, via the mobile team and the health centre, the project will result in major progress (in five regions of the country) to improving women’s health and through them, family health in Mauritania.

The very fact of extending access to family planning services in these regions had an immediate impact on maternal mortality and morbidity, and the other services offered will have an additional impact. The AMPF’s role as leader in the field of reproductive health in Mauritania was strengthened by this project.

Mauritania 4 mobile units did greatly increase the possibility for people in remote areas to benefit from quality SRH services.

Sudan: Integrated Reproductive Health Centres Project

Poverty, drought and civil war in a country as vast as Sudan pose tremendous challenges in addressing the needs of its population.

The country’s economic and social problems are reflected in its reproductive health indicators: high levels of unmet need are now the focus of the Integrated reproductive health centres project.

The objectives of the project are: to increase access to a wide range of high quality family planning and reproductive health services; and to raise the knowledge and awareness of women, men and young people of sexual and reproductive health issues. Twelve integrated reproductive health centres have been set up in 11 states, which will be complemented by community-based services.

The project is innovative at two levels: firstly for the MA itself and secondly within the context of health care in Sudan.

Before the project began, SFPA’s branch-level programme focused mainly on IEC and advocacy, while services – mostly family planning – were provided through government clinics and a network of community-based service workers. Since the opening of the integrated reproductive health centres, however, the 12 MA branches have turned their attention to providing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services. This has led to a significant shift for the branches, and has resulted in increased visibility for SFPA both at branch and national levels.

SFPA’s integrated reproductive health centres are unique in Sudan. The centres distinguish themselves through their quality of care as well as the comprehensive package that is offered – integrated services at affordable prices.