Reproductive health including family planning; HIV/AIDS prevention in ECOWAS Region V

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The member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are part of the region with the highest population growth and the highest maternal and child mortality rates in the world. Only 18 percent of married women use modern family planning methods, although the demand for them is much higher. A quarter of married women have no regular access to modern contraceptives at all - they are either unavailable or too expensive. The contraceptive prevalence rate in West Africa is therefore significantly lower than the prevalence in North or East Africa (46% and 35% respectively). The fertility rate in West Africa is 5.4 children per woman. As the population of reproductive age increases, the need for contraceptives and reproductive health services will increase even further. The aim of the FC module is to contribute to improving sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in the ECOWAS economic area. The specific aim of the module is to improve regional political and programmatic cooperation in the area of SRG and, in particular, to contribute to the availability of SRG consumer goods and to positive behavioral changes in the target population when consuming SRG consumer goods in the ECOWAS region. The importance and effectiveness of SRG policies are to be improved through improved access to SRG products, but also through strengthening the regional health organization WAHO and structurally effective influencing and coordinating national policies. The project thus helps to reduce population growth, reduce maternal and child mortality in the region and strengthen HIV prevention. This also contributes to reducing gender-specific disadvantages and to the equal participation of women and men in the development process in their countries. The target group is the sexually active and predominantly poorer population of the ECOWAS economic area. A special focus is on women and young people as well as mobile sections of the population who migrate within the country but also across borders. These are specific risk groups for sexually transmitted diseases due to their life situation (prostitutes, migrant workers, refugees, army and security forces, road and transport workers). The beneficiaries of the financing mechanism are found in both the public and private sectors, including social marketing organizations.