1 December 2020. Today, IPPF Africa Region joins the rest of the world in commemorating the World AIDS Day. This is a day set aside for individuals, governments, organizations, activists and other stakeholders to recognize the challenges of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, evaluate responses and renew their commitments towards eliminating HIV/AIDS. HIV continues to be a major global health issue, with the World Health Organization estimating that there were about 38 million people living with HIV at the end of 2019. Africa is hardest hit, with an estimated 68% of people living with HIV living in sub-Saharan Africa. This year’s commemoration is unique as it comes at a time when the world is reeling from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic continues to pose significant threats to the gains achieved over the years in the war against HIV/AIDS across the world. Seizing the Moment, a new report released by UNAIDS on the global AIDS epidemic indicates that 2020 targets will not be realized because of the challenges that have been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The report further suggests the possibility of the global AIDS response being set back by 10 years or more if the COVID-19 pandemic results in severe disruptions to HIV services. This, with the background of a global community that is determined to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. COVID-19 has significantly affected people’s access to HIV counseling, testing, treatment and management services. Women and girls are hardest hit by HIV/AIDS. According to UNAIDS, women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 59% of all new HIV infections in the region in 2019, with 4,500 adolescent girls and young women between 15 and 24 years old becoming infected with HIV every week. Young women accounted for 24% of new HIV infections in 2019, despite making up only 10% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa. These figures are unacceptably high. IPPFAR takes this opportunity to call on all stakeholders to re-think effective strategies that will accelerate and sustain HIV/AIDS gains now, and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. We must not relent in pushing African governments to strengthen their health systems and policies that will accelerate the achievement of HIV/AIDS goals. It is imperative that African governments implement their commitments to various instruments for the realization of health goals, such as the Abuja Declaration and the Maputo Plan of Action. Further, with shrinking donor funds, governments must strategize on domestic funding strategies that must be fully implemented. Governments, the private sector, in partnership with the research community and medical associations, must also invest in cutting-edge research on the prevention, treatment and global understanding of HIV/AIDS. Civil society and faith-based organizations should be encouraged to develop effective community models and put in place measures that eliminate any human rights barriers that prevent the achievement of these goals. IPPFAR reiterates its commitment to supporting all measures aimed at realizing an AIDS-free generation in Africa.

We are delighted to welcome Ms Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry as our new Regional Director. She joins the IPPF family from Amnesty International where she was the Regional Director for West and Central Africa based in Dakar, Senegal. Before working at Amnesty International, Marie-Evelyne had served as Senior Official in numerous UN agencies, including UNDP, UNFPA, UN Department of Public Information, UN High Commission for Human Rights and UN mission in Haiti.  Marie-Evelyne has been a human rights defender since she was a teenager. She has promoted equity for all, the elimination of racial discrimination and the eradication of injustice. Her advocacy efforts towards tolerance and inclusivity have enhanced the development of peaceful and sustainable communities across Africa across the world. IPPF Africa Region will greatly benefit from her experience in human rights, development,  strategic communications including mediation and peacebuilding to reposition its work in the Africa region and beyond. Marie-Evelyne’s robust wealth of experience in diplomacy, working with governments, advocacy and impacting policy, will enhance IPPF’s mandate and work particularly in the improvement of the living conditions of women and youth throughout Africa.  “I hope to lead IPPF Africa to ensure access to life-saving reproductive health and rights services to all girls, women and youth on the African continent, thus contributing to the realization of all their human rights and enhancing a new Africa, free of discrimination and working for the development of all its citizens, “  said Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry. IPPFAR is, therefore, approaching 2020 with new hope. Ms Evelyne will be leading her team towards a new era of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) advocacy and service delivery. Her work will be supported by the governance reform that has just been agreed upon at IPPF general assembly in Delhi.

5 August 2020 - IPPF regrets the decision of the Western Hemisphere Region, taken by its Board, to withdraw from the Federation, and is deeply sorry to see a number of Member Associations from the region resign from IPPF. As the largest global Federation working on sexual and reproductive health and rights, in more than 160 countries, IPPF is committed to continuing to work in all parts of the Americas to provide healthcare and fight for sexual and reproductive freedom for women, girls, men, boys and all people of all gender identities. This is more urgent than ever during a health pandemic and with continued opposition to sexual care and rights from repressive conservative forces in the Americas and around the world.  IPPF is completely open to all our current Western Hemisphere Region members remaining part of the global Federation while they also form a new regional relationship and pledges its continuous support to those in the region that have committed to remaining part of the Federation. Membership is voluntary and it is entirely up to individual members to decide on their own course. As a locally owned, globally connected movement however, IPPF has always believed that we are stronger together.  Over the last fifteen months, IPPF has been on a journey of reform. It has changed by choice, for choice. It has worked in partnership with members, donors and its regulator to develop best practice safeguarding policies and processes. It has dealt with and continues to deal with any cases of unacceptable behaviour. A safeguarding system is in place across the entire Federation to allow clients, staff, volunteers and any individual to report concerns confidentially. In November last year reforms to IPPF’s governance and funding model were agreed unanimously at a General Assembly of member delegates drawn from every region, including Western Hemisphere. Unfortunately, the Board of Western Hemisphere Region felt it could no longer support this new model. Discussions between the region’s Board and IPPF’s Board on a way forward had been ongoing. We are sorry these will not now continue.      IPPF has been a locally owned, globally connected Federation for 68 years, supporting all its members and the millions of women, girls and vulnerable clients they serve. That will not change, and we remain committed to working with members and partners across the globe.

07 May 2020- Authorities in Sub-Saharan Africa must ensure their responses to the COVID-19 pandemic include specific protections for the rights of women and girls, International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa Region (IPPFAR), Amnesty International and Women's Link Worldwide said in a report published today. The document provides a roadmap for governments and regional organisations for taking the necessary measures to protect the rights of women and girls, who are often disproportionately affected in crisis situations. It highlights states’ obligations to guarantee the right to live free from discrimination and violence and calls on governments to ensure access to essential sexual and reproductive health services, commodities and information during the pandemic. “The current COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the vulnerability of women and girls. Their health and wellbeing is not only negatively impacted by the disruption of essential sexual and reproductive health services such as contraceptives counselling, maternal and newborn health, gender-based violence (GBV), and testing and treatment for HIV and sexually transmitted infections; but also their livelihoods and even their lives are threatened when sexually based crimes go invisible and stay unpunished,” said Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry, IPPF Africa Regional Director. “This is why the African Union, regional economic commissions, governments and women rights defenders ​​must redouble their efforts in ensuring that the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls are protected and upheld​ and violations of these rights are documented and dealt with by justice systems.” The organisations are calling for governments to take urgent action to protect the rights of women and girls, highlighting the specific gender risks which the COVID-19 pandemic poses. Example highlighted in the report includes the right to live free of violence and any form of torture, inhumane or degrading treatment. “During times of crisis and turmoil such as the one we are living in, women and girls face an increased risk of suffering violations of their rights. This is especially true for women already living in marginalized situations. For this reason, it is urgent that we work to ensure that their rights are respected and guaranteed,” said Viviana Waisman, President & CEO of Women’s Link Worldwide. “These guidelines are a roadmap to allow us to carry out this monitoring and advocacy work and demand that governments comply with their obligations and maintain their commitment to the rights and lives of women and girls during the COVID-19 pandemic.”   According to the report, the implementation of measures such as curfews, lockdowns or travel restrictions may lead to police brutality and violence which ultimately poses a risk for women and girls to being subjected to sexual violence. There are also concerns of increase in teenage pregnancies, as previously observed in Sierra Leone following the lockdown imposed to halt the spread of the Ebola epidemic. Governments should put safeguards in place to ensure women and girls are protected from sexual violence and have access to sexual and reproductive health services and commodities. The organisations also call for better protections for refugee and migrant women. Africa hosts more than 25.2 million refugees and internally displaced people and houses four of the world’s six largest refugee camps in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia.  Refugee camps in the region usually provide inadequate and overcrowded living arrangements that present a severe health risk to inhabitants. “As COVID-19 spreads across the region women and girls have reportedly already faced an increase in domestic violence. Restrictions on movement, social isolation and lockdowns can make it even harder for women to access essential services like sexual and reproductive healthcare and protection from domestic violence,” said Samira Daoud, Amnesty International West and Central Africa regional director. “We call on governments in the region to act urgently to prevent gender gaps increasing. Any measures taken to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic must respect and protect women’s rights, including the right to live free of violence and torture and other ill-treatment, and the right to access justice.” *Spokespeople available for interviews Read press release in French here. ABOUT OUR ORGANISATIONS IPPFAR: The International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa Region (IPPFAR) as the leading sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service delivery organization in Africa, and the leading sexual and reproductive health and rights advocacy voice in the region. Amnesty International: Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 7 million people who take injustice personally. We are campaigning for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all. Women’s Link Worldwide: Women’s Link Worldwide is an international nonprofit organization that uses the power of the law to promote social change that advances the human rights of women and girls, especially those facing multiple inequalities.

The International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa Region (IPPFAR) congratulates the Gabonese Republic on its recent removal of article 402 (5) in the penal code, which criminalized homosexuality. On 29 June 2020, Gabon’s Senate voted to repeal the country's sodomy law. The vote stood at 59 in favour of repeal, and 17 against. This followed the National Assembly’s vote of 23 June 2020 which saw 48 MPs vote in favour, 24 against, and 25 abstentions. It is now up to the Head of State to promulgate the text. IPPFAR celebrates this significant win with the Gabonese lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community and activists, including human rights organisations -all of whom have worked tirelessly towards this achievement. IPPFAR is one of the leading organisations at the forefront of advocating for the respect of sexual and reproductive health and rights for all. We strongly believe that no law should criminalize a person’s sexuality, and that no one should be discriminated against because of their sexual orientation. IPPFAR hopes that this recent development in Gabon will inspire other African countries to take a similar approach -that of protecting and upholding the rights of every individual. IPPFAR reiterates its commitment to supporting and working with governments, organizations and individuals in the advancement of sexual reproductive health and rights for all. For more information about the work of IPPF Africa Region, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Every year on 4 February, IPPF Africa Region joins the world in marking the World Cancer Day. This is a day set aside to draw attention to the cancer disease and encourage action towards a future free of cancer. This year’s theme is ‘I Am and I Will’, which encourages personal initiative to take the necessary action to combat cancer. Cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with approximately 70% of deaths from the disease occurring in low-and middle-income countries, according to the World Health Organization. As a fast-rising major public health concern in many developing countries, cancer leaves behind devastating effects on families, communities and economies. Yet, if detected and treated early, many cancer deaths can be averted. Early diagnosis however remains a great challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to lack of awareness about cancer risk factors, many health systems across the continent are not fully capable of meeting the demands of early diagnosis, testing, treatment and management. At IPPF Africa Region, we complement government efforts in addressing the health challenges in sub-Saharan Africa. Through our Member Associations (MAs) in 39 countries, we work with different partners: both in the public and private sectors in providing sexual and reproductive health services. One of our focus areas is reproductive health cancers, including breast cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer and prostate cancer. Through our static clinics, mobile clinics and other outreach strategies, our MAs continually create awareness about cancer, by providing information on prevention, risk factors and where they can access related services. Our MAs also offer cancer-related services including visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) for cervical cancer screening, HPV testing, mammogram screening for breast cancer, and referrals for surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and further management. Between 2017 – 2019, IPPF Africa Region saw an estimated 4,278,029 women tested for cervical cancer. A further estimated 2,398,576 people were tested for breast cancer. Through our clinics, an estimated 97,496 people underwent surgical treatment in the same period. Our contribution to such cancer data is important for the development of cancer control programmes and creation of cancer policies. We are also involved in cancer surveillance and research activities that inform the development of reproductive cancer drugs and vaccines. Our advocacy efforts include calling on African leaders to prioritize the health agenda in their countries and follow up on their commitment to various health instruments such as the Abuja Declaration. The Abuja declaration requires African countries to commit at least 15% of their annual budgets to improving the health sector.   The health of any country begins with an individual so on this day, we urge all of us to make a personal commitment to take various actions that will reduce the cancer burden in our countries. It is our responsibility to ensure that we go for regular screening and testing, avoid risk factors that predispose one to cancer, advocate for cancer prevention, treatment and management, including speaking out in support of research, as well as advocate for the implementation of international commitments to health care in our countries. What we do today matters towards the realization of a cancer-free future.