JOURNALISTS FOR MAPUTO ACTION PLAN

By Leocadia Bongben

An NGO, Femmes-Sante-Developpment, FESADE and its partners, Rutgers an International NGO that advocates for reproductive and sexual rights and the Society for Women and Aids in Africa, SWAA Cameroon has started an advocacy to position the female condom in a bundle of 13 contraceptives essential for maternal and infant health.

This is the essence of the meeting with the media at the FESADE office at the Avenue Kennedy in Yaoundé on March 30.

With a four-month financial support from the Reproductive Health Suppliers Coalition, RHSC FESADE organized an informative workshop for civil society organizations and the media on the Global Financing Facility, GFF- (an initiative that gives priority to under –financed issues like family planning and addressing the needs of the underprivileged population) and strategies to position the female condom among the 13 contraceptives essential for maternal and infant health.

An advocacy kit has also been produced and a document on the situation, analysis of a national health strategy on the inclusion of the female condom in the contraceptives list produced.

The female condom is regarded as a safe method of preventing HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancies. Yet these are not readily available like the male condom and not widely used as mostly men decide in sexual relationships.

It is against this backdrop that FESADE with the support Rutgers is on the onslaught turn the tides and position the female condom among essential contraceptives.

Thanks to the advocacy of FESADE in 2015, UrbainAkonoAbegaFESADE Coordinator maintained thatgovernment set aside 30million in the budget to purchase the female condom. But this is not enough as the financing of female condom is still in the hands of donors. Cameroon is one of the eight countries eligible in the second roundof the GFF for the period 2015 to 2030. 

SaskiaHusken Rutgers representative said getting access to GFF Cameroon would to be part of the process to select and chose the good products in the market.

She disclosed that through the Universal Access to Female Condom Joint Programme condoms have been distributed in Cameroon, Mozambique and Niger.

Stating that sexuality is positive and not always seen in the negative Saskiarevealed that two more female condoms approved by WHO would be introduced. She said with a variety of female condoms available there is competition leading to price reduction and contribute to reduce maternal mortality.

Suzanne NgnieRepresentative of SWAA Cameroon underscored the role of the civil society in reaching out to the population in difficult access zones, identifying stock-out as a major problem.

Ngnie quelled misgivings about discomfort in using the female stating that the woman is expected to have the final say, learn to use the condom correctly by inserting and moving with it hour before meeting her partner.