Sexual and reproductive health and rights training
The client and the challenge
In Bangladesh, young people's access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) information and services is severely limited. According to the 2014 Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey, 15 to 19-year-olds account for 25% of fertility, yet only 42% use any form of contemporary contraception. Within the health system, family welfare assistants frequently lack the skills and motivation to provide inclusive SRHR services. In schools, inclusive SRHR information is largely absent, leaving many young people without it entirely.
KIT Royal Tropical Institute, funded through NUFFIC and the Netherlands government, commissioned MDF Bangladesh to help address this through training under the We CARE programme, a collaboration of Bangladesh government agencies working to develop three curriculums on sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Approach and results
MDF Bangladesh facilitated a pilot training programme and a Training of Trainers for multiple target groups: family welfare visitors, family welfare assistants, medical officers for maternal and child health, Upazila Family Planning staff, and sub-assistant community medical officers across different districts of Bangladesh.
As a result, over 30 advisors are now equipped with SRHR outreach information. They are actively referring young women and men, people with disabilities and indigenous groups with unmet family planning needs to SRHR services.
