Visit of IPPF Regional Director-IPPF takes note of social challenges in Seychelles |17 June 2005

This was said by the regional director for IPPF Africa, Mr Tewodros Melesse, who is on a five-day visit in the country.

Speaking to Seychelles Nation on Thursday, Mr Melesse, who arrived in the country on Tuesday, said the aim of his visit is to have an understanding of the situation first hand here and see how ASFF (Alliance of Solidarity for the Family) is responding to new arising challenges.

ASFF has been a member of IPPF since 1998 and has over the past few years been receiving technical assistance from the organisation for programme development.
Mr Melesse is accompanied on his visit by the IPPF governance officer Achille Togbeto.

IPPF was created in the 1950s and has membership in some 145 countries. It has six regional offices and the headquarters for the Sub-Sahara Africa region, which covers 44 countries including Seychelles, is based in Nairobi, Kenya. The organisation's international secretariat is based in the United Kingdom.

IPPF is an important advocate of social and health issues, such as sexual reproductive health among adolescents and the challenges of HIV/Aids, teenage pregnancies, abortions as well as gender equality and women's development issues.

Mr Melesse said he was pleased to note that here civil societies operate in a more favourable environment compared to most African countries and that the government was more open and supportive in dealing with health issues like reproductive health.

His visit, he said, would enable him to familiarise himself with all the actors advocating social issues in the country, programmes being implemented and the weaknesses, so that IPPF could get a better understanding of the realities in the country and bring in the technical support where necessary.

He said that taking into consideration the context of Seychelles, IPPF, through ASFF, could help in the development of strategic plans to meet new challenges.

He said now that the government was very much involved in reproductive health issues, there was a need to further mobilise the private sector so that it too could be a reliable partner in advocating and implementing strategies.

However, he said there was also much the IPPF could learn from Seychelles, especially its success in the area of primary health care where he commended the decentralisation of health services.
It is to be noted that IPPF has over the past five years been the Department of Health's main supplier of contraceptives, mainly condoms, at competitive prices.

Mr Melesse said this partnership could be further broadened to include other players in the civil society.

Mr Melesse, who leaves Seychelles on Sunday, on Thursday met with Vice-President Joseph Belmont where he had discussions about the need to strengthen existing cooperation between the government and IPPF.

During the week he also met with ministers Danny Faure of Education and Youth and Vincent Meriton of Health and Social Services. He was also expected to meet with representatives of other non-governmental organisations (NGOs).