By Vincent Gunde
A Local Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) –Fight Aids Malawi (FAM) says it was established with a strong commitment to expand access to SRHR and HIV prevention and treatment services for women, girls and children in Malawi.
FAMs approach integrates innovation and community-led programming to address structural barriers that impede the marginalized groups from accessing necessary HIV services in some of the districts it is implementing the interventions.
Updating the District executive committee (Dec) in Dowa, FAMs Project Coordinator Annie Kachigamba, said the organization is in Balaka, Lilongwe, Dowa, Rumphi and Karonga districts saying in Dowa, they are at Chankhungu health centre, Mponela Rural Hospital and Chinkhwili Health Centre.
Kachigamba said the key activities of the project include capacity building for HealthCare Workers and youth on Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) and rights, providing resources and suppliers for SRHR interventions.
She said the project is supporting Youth Friendly Health Services (YFHS) outreach services and building capacity to communities that they know and understand the need to reform the abortion law, among others, in Dowa district.
The officer said on strategies to implement the project, FAM has trained service providers in Youth Friendly Health Services, adolescents and youth in SRHR and supporting with SRHR resources e.g youth recreation materials, and drugs like misoprostal.
“The project is providing support towards Youth Friendly Health Services outreach clinics and conducting community engagement meetings,” said Kachigamba.
She said the project is supporting adolescent and youth SRHR education circles and working with survivors of unsafe abortion by building capacity on advocacy and SRHR in Dowa district and the other districts it is implementing the interventions.
In his remarks, Dowa District Council’s Director of Administration Thomas Mwafongo, thanked FAM for being in the district implementing interventions for women, girls and children appealing to partners in health components to support the project to meet its intended outcomes.
However, Mwafongo said the project has some grey areas which need the Technical Working Group (TWG) to work out for it to be implemented in the interest of all in the district advising the organization to present the project in next month’s Dec meeting.
