Regional Family Planning Associations exposed to disaster risk reduction training

Dec 19, 2018 News

Sexual and reproductive health must be among the key factors to be taken into consideration when aiming to achieve disaster risk reduction. This notion was recently amplified by Chief Executive Officer of the Caribbean Family Planning Affiliation [CFPA], Reverend Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth.
This is imperative Sheerattan-Bisnauth noted since women, children and vulnerable populations face increased health and protection risks in times of disasters. Without strategic intervention during disasters, she noted, there could be a critical need for sexual and reproductive health services with gender and human rights perspectives and approaches to better protect the vulnerable to meet their specific needs.
Sheerattan-Bisnauth’s disclosure was forthcoming when the CFPA, in collaboration with the International Planned Parenthood Federation [IPPF], RedR UK and the United Nations Population Fund [UNFPA], met here in Georgetown from December 11 – 15.
The Disaster Risk Reduction Training for Family Planning Associations forum targeted representatives from Antigua and Barbuda, Curacao, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana.
This was seen as imperative, since Caribbean islands are among the most vulnerable to climate change impacts, and are threatened by extreme weather patterns with hurricanes, earthquakes, flooding, volcanoes, droughts and other disasters often causing substantial destruction to communities and entire nations. Such conditions have been known to result in debilitating effects on families, communities and entire nations.

Caribbean Family Planning Affiliation, Reverend Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth.

In fact, migration due to humanitarian crises, especially from Venezuela in recent times, is among the issues that require humanitarian responses from Family Planning Associations. These Associations are, moreover, well positioned to play a crucial role, especially in the provision of health sexual and reproductive health services, including medical and psychosocial support.
For this reason, the recent training initiative was aimed at strengthening the humanitarian responses of IPPF’s Member Associations in the Caribbean with a focus on Sexual and Reproductive Health [SRH] needs with critical gender lens, in times of disasters.
This includes the provision of basic necessities, family planning, HIV, STI and related services, prevention of unwanted pregnancy, addressing sexual violence, mental and psychological trauma and depression, and ensuring the needs of the most vulnerable persons are met.
At the forum participants shared their experiences in times of disaster and gained a better understanding of: humanitarian frameworks, developing disaster preparedness plans and strategies and identifying key stakeholders and Caribbean connections and strategies.
They were also trained in the Minimum Initial Service Package [MISP], which is a series of crucial life-saving actions required to respond to reproductive health needs at the onset of a humanitarian crisis. These actions, it is expected, would be sustained and expanded with comprehensive reproductive health services throughout protracted crises and recovery.
Dr. Gianni De Castro, the Executive Director of PROFAMIL Haiti said, “Thanks to this initiative, we are more equipped and prepared to contribute to a better response in Sexual and Reproductive health in a humanitarian crisis situation.”
Ms. Marilyn Richards, Executive Director of the Dominica Planned Parenthood Association said, “The Disaster Risk Reduction service providers’ training was timely and relevant particularly because Dominica was devastated by a category five hurricane – Maria in September 2017. It emphasized the importance of sexual and reproductive health and stakeholders’ involvement in providing health care after a disaster.”

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