Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia has said that coordinated effort is needed to address youth and women Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) problems.
The Association held a consultative workshop with 30 journalists drawn from private and government media. The workshop deliberated on its past and present performance and set directive. It also announced that it would celebrate its 50th anniversary soon.
Association President Maaza Kitaw said that the Association makes significant contribution in SRH, family planning as well as mobilizing the community to promote maternal health. Since its establishment in 1966, the Association has been playing its due role in promoting SRH in Ethiopia, she added.
According to her, traditional attitudes and conservatives, lack of awareness, limited volunteerism activity as well as absence of stakeholder participation was the association’s challenge during its 50 year journey. Promising results have been registered in imparting family planning messages successfully.
The Associations Executive Director Genet Mengistu on her part emphasized that the 50th anniversary is a call for more volunteerism work and stakeholder cooperation to enhance public health nationwide. The association works in partnership with stakeholders, volunteers and the government in meeting millennium development goals of minimizing maternal death, she added.
Presenting the current situation of SRH in Ethiopia, Association Program Director Desta Kebede said that engaging with the youth and assisting prostitutes has been instrumental in curbing HIV and AIDS, Sexual Transmitted Diseases (STDs) expansion as well promote social safety. “As per of the association’s information, education and counseling services the number of unwanted pregnancy has decreased.”
Established only with three founding member , the association currently has over 18,000 volunteer members throughout the nation
