ANGOBEFA: marking the road to good sexual and reproductive health

Family Planning Association of Angola (ANGOBEFA) is committed to tackling the daunting reproductive health situation in the country and
improving the lives of Angolans.

Established in 1995 to champion the sexual and
reproductive health and rights of women, ANGOBEFA has responded to poor health
outcomes and dismal indicators by implementing reproductive health services and programmes.

At our clinic in the town of Luanda, ANGOBEFA provides:

• family planning
• safe motherhood services, including antenatal and post-natal care
• prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections
• educational programmes for young people to raise
  their awareness of their sexual and reproductive health and rights
• general medical and laboratory services

This comprehensive mix of services is available to all, though we are particularly focused on targeting under-served populations including:

• adolescents and young people
• women
• people living with HIV/AIDS 
• men

The hard work of ANGOBEFA is highly valued and has proven its worth. In 2006, the majority of our clients were poor or socially excluded.

ANGOBEFA’s considerable success in delivering services to hard-to-reach groups is due
to our large volunteer base and Youth Action Movement members, who work tirelessly
to ensure that sexual and reproductive health services are accessible to those who need
them most.

Recently we initiated a unique information,
education and communication (IEC) project: 125 peer educators travelled around the
country’s provinces disseminating reproductive health information and commodities to
young people both in and out of school.

Due to the proven results and impact of ANGOBEFA’s work, the government relied heavily on us for technical advice when developing the national HIV/AIDS policy.

Despite our triumphs, we still face many challenges. High female illiteracy, traditional cultural practices around property ownership and inheritance, high
unemployment, high maternal and child mortality rates (of 1,700 per 100,000 and 141
per 1,000, respectively1), threaten to roll back the gains that have already been made
in gender equality and women’s empowerment.

These play a powerful role in the sexual
and reproductive health of women and the well-being of entire families and communities.

Nevertheless, opportunities are opening up for ANGOBEFA and will help us to make
real changes in coming years.

The National Strategic Plan on Sexually Transmitted
Infections, including HIV/AIDS, and the National Norms and Policies for Reproductive
Health, are raising awareness among Angolans and especially among young people, enabling
them to make informed decisions to ensure their own sexual and reproductive health.

Increased awareness and heightened priority within the government and among the public make it easier for ANGOBEFA to advance our strategic plan and serve our target groups effectively.

Service delivery points 
branches and 1 clinic

Members of governing body
12 (six women)

Staff and volunteers
25 staff and 96 volunteers

Members of Young Action Movement
100

Peer educators
125

Partnerships
Government: The Ministry of Health, Ministry of
Family and Promotion of Women, National Institute
for Children
Non-Governmental Organizations: ANASO (HIV/AIDS Network), LPV, CBOs
Donors: Government of Germany (BMZ), DANIDA,
UNFPA
Networks: ANASO (HIV/AIDS Network), Women
Network (Rede de Mulher), International Democratic
Federation of Women (FDIM)