The International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF) and the City of Paris have decided to commit to family planning issues in West Africa. The project aims to increase the involvement of local authorities in issues relating to the reproductive health of adolescents and young people.
The Autonomous District of Abidjan is committed to the health of young people
Following a call for projects launched among West African town halls and local authorities, the Autonomous District of Abidjan submitted an ambitious project to reduce early pregnancies in schools and implementCôte d'Ivoire's 2016-2020 National Development Plan (PND).
Since 2013, between 4,000 and 5,000 cases of school pregnancies have been recorded annually. Between 2016 and 2017, 4,875 cases of school pregnancies were recorded:
- 404 cases reported in primary schools;
- 4,471 in secondary education.
Promoting the use of modern and appropriate contraceptive methods is also an important issue for the District. It is estimated that 64.5% of girls aged 15 to 19 have already had sexual intercourse, while only 30.2% of unmarried adolescents and 6.9% of married adolescents use modern contraceptive methods.
It is in this context that Equipop was commissioned to travel to Abidjan to support and assist the district in finding the best institutional and associative responses.
An exploratory mission drawing on Equipop's skills and expertise
From October 30 to November 6, 2017, Isma Benboulerbah, program assistant, and Dr. Luc de Bernis, member of the Equipop board, traveled to Côte d'Ivoire to assist the Abidjan district in framing and finalizing the project. Numerous observations led to recommendations to ensure the consistency of the district's project to prevent early pregnancy in schools. One of the recommendations was to prioritize the involvement and support of young people and adolescents in the design and implementation of this project.
During this mission, meetings were organized with district teams, representatives of national institutions, technical partners, and associations working on the issues of early pregnancy and access to contraception. The meetings with associations were facilitated during our exploratory mission thanks to our Alliance Droit et Santé network, of which some associations are members. They were therefore called upon to contribute their knowledge and expertise on issues relating to the reproductive health of young people and adolescents and family planning, such as the Association of Ivorian Midwives, ONEF, MESSI, and ASAPSU.
The partnership between the City of Paris, AIMF, and Equipop will ensure the implementation of a promising project in the Abidjan district. It will be launched in 2018, and we will be sure to keep you informed!
