Family planning
With the population of Madagascar doubling every 20 years, and the resulting increase in pressure on dwindling coastal resources, the coastal communities of southwest Madagascar urgently require the means with which to manage their population growth.
Initial research conducted in the region revealed a huge unmet need for family planning. The majority of women are having their first baby before the age of 16, infant and maternal mortality is high, and women are having up to 16 children (despite not wanting such large families). The situation where couples do not have the means to provide for their children is commonplace. Women wanting to access a family planning service would have to travel 50km by boat or on foot to the nearest clinic.
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Watch a video about the family planning initiative in Andavadoaka |
In response to this need, in August 2007 we opened Andavadoaka's first family planning service, offering sexual and reproductive health education, and contraception. The service, which is run to the same high standards we would expect in the UK, has been developed in close partnership with the community, and has the community's full support. It has proved so popular that Blue Ventures is looking to expand the service, through running satellite clinics, to reach as many people in the region as possible. In order to help us with this expansion, we have set up a medical student elective programme. This will enable medical students to make a worthwhile contribution to the project, whist offering them a range of fantastic learning opportunities.
Until recently, the prevalence of HIV has been very low in Madagascar. Alarmingly, we are witnessing a rapid increase in HIV prevalence, and epidemics of other sexually transmissible infections (STIs) such as syphilis and gonorrhoea. We must act now to stop HIV decimating the communities we are working with. Raising awareness about the importance of protection from STIs is an integral part of serving the reproductive health needs of the community. We are using a wide range of fun and interesting ways of trying to get this message across, from holding formal meetings in the village, to decorating T-shirts with condom logos, to the use of theatre.
If we truly want to help protect coral reefs, and ensure the people of southwest Madagascar have food on their tables in years to come, we must tackle the root causes of environmental degradation. Our expanding global population needs to be seen in this context. By working at this interface between conservation and population growth, we are proud to say that Blue Ventures is pioneering a model that can be easily replicated elsewhere.
We have demonstrated that enabling communities to manage their population growth can become an integral part of helping them to develop sustainably.
Family Planning in the news!
Madagascar tackles its family planning crisis (People & Planet)
Ambitious family planning goals (IRIN)
Family Planning Reports
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