Associação Guineense para o Bem Estar Familiar
Guinea-Bissau is one tenth the size of its neighbour Guinea-Conakry, but its people suffer equally distressing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) problems. The Associação Guineense para o Bem Estar Familiar was established in 1993 to address the major issue in family planning: equipping couples to make active, informed choices about the number of children they would have, and when they would have them.
Since then, the Member Association’s work has expanded to embrace a full range of SRH concerns. It provides young people with information, education and communication (IEC) and behaviour change communication (BCC) around sexual and reproductive health; it works on the prevention, diagnosis and management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) includind HIV; it provides post-abortion care and support; it provides care for victims of gender-based violence (GBV); and it advocates strongly at government level for legislation to prevent GBV.
Associação Guineense para o Bem Estar Familiar achieved these results through a small but committed team that operate over hundred service points, including static clinics and community-based service points. Despite the relatively small size of the organization, it is growing rapidly with strong central support from IPPF, influential government partnerships, and backing from non-governmental organizations including UNFPA.
Vision: Everyone is free to make choices about their sexuality and well-being without discrimination in Guinea-Bissau.
Mission: To advocate with the Government of Guinea-Bissau and all stakeholders for the creation of an environment conducive to the exercise of SRHR, institutional capacity building, resource mobilisation and the provision of quality RH services for adolescents, young people and vulnerable people, respect for gender equality and social solidarity.
Objectives:
a) To promote the Guinean family, its value and defence as the basic unit of society and an essential space for the full realisation of the individual, with special attention to sexual and reproductive health;
b) Advocate for the fundamental human right of all women, men and young people to make free and informed choices regarding their own sexual and reproductive health, and for the means to exercise that right;
c) Facilitate access to information, education and sexual and reproductive health, both through direct provision to citizens and through referral-to-referral facilities, regardless of age, sex, marital status, financial capacity, ethnicity, political and religious beliefs, disability, sexual orientation or any other factor that may make an individual the object of discrimination.
4 fixed clinics, 1 mobile clinic, 3 associated clinics and 141 DBCs
Average number of annual clients 133,569, and annual services 176,336
Services provided at the clinics are Contraception, Abortion, STIs, HIV/AIDS, Gynaecology/obstetrics, Fertility, GBV, Urology, General practice, Laboratory services