African Forum of Faith-Based Organisations in Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS

?“If we are sensible and work together with the very many people who are concerned, we can make a difference ?– for so many people rely on us, and God relies on us.?” - Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu

What is the Forum?

The African Forum of Faith-Based Organisations in Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS (Forum) is the alliance of Faith-Based Organisations (FBOs) in Africa working in the field of sexual and reproductive health (SRH). The Forum provides an effective mechanism for FBOs to increase their capacity to become agents for change; to have a stronger voice at local, national and international levels; and, to advocate for increased recognition of women?’s and men?’s rights to modern, safe, integrated and affordable sexual and reproductive health services.

How was the Forum developed?

The concept of the Forum initiative arose from the challenges faced by FBOs when attempting to incorporate SRH care into their mainstream health services. Although FBOs play a crucial role in the provision of healthcare to communities in Africa, many find the ambiguities on SRH issues and the needs they encounter within communities to hinder their ability to provide appropriate and comprehensive SRH services.

To address this need, International Family Health (IFH) established the Forum to engage FBOs in the dialogue around issues of ethics and morality in reproductive health, as well as to facilitate an interactive learning environment to improve service provision in SRH.

The Forum was launched at the XIth International Conference on AIDS and STDs in Africa (ICASA) in Lusaka, in September 1999, bringing together 9 FBOs from 6 African countries for the first time. In March 2000, Forum partners re-convened in Kampala to develop its mission statements and to identify priority issues for future action.

Since its formation, the Forum has served as a platform for the exchange of knowledge, expertise, ideas and experiences relating to SRH issues. It has strongly advocated for increased access to quality, affordable and comprehensive SRH services; the promotion of regional partnerships that strengthen programme implementation; and, the development of good practice models in SRH service delivery.

What are the aims of the Forum?

The overall aim of the Forum is to promote dialogue on ethical and moral issues that are perceived as barriers to the active involvement of FBOs in SRH priorities. The emphasis is on identifying the tensions between the theological and ethical constructs of religious hierarchies and the expectations of, and constraints on, the role of FBOs in meeting community SRH priorities, to influence constructive change for policy and programme development.

The Forum aims to support ?“champions of change?” to advocate for SRH policy and service development; to address the needs of the communities they serve; and, to inspire others to drive similar change.

The Forum also aims to foster partnerships with secular organisations and FBOs at national, regional and international levels, to break the isolation of FBOs and strengthen their capacity to influence the discourse on SRH within their institutions and their constituencies, and develop solutions which can be owned and implemented by the communities they serve.

What are the objectives of the Forum?

The main objectives of the Forum are to:

· strengthen the capacity of FBOs to initiate and lead the discourse on SRH amongst their constituencies in a faith-based context.
· Facilitate the development of tools to enable FBOs to analyse the policy and programme approaches of their organisations from a technical perspective, informed by sound knowledge, understanding and evidence of the real and unmet SRH needs in their communities.
· Build alliances and share learning with organisations in the South and North, to enable FBOs to adapt progressive ideas and experiences to their socio-cultural, economic and political realities.
· Create opportunities to collectively raise awareness and understanding of SRH issues in Africa, thereby contribution to the broader progress of policy change and sustainable development.

What are the KEY activities of the Forum?

· Institutionalisation of the Forum in Africa: The aim is to build the ownership and capacity of partner organisations to sustain and further develop the Forum in Africa. This will be achieved through a series of technical and programmatic exchanges, and capacity building activities.

· Action Research: The action research will answer key questions relating to the response of FBOs to SRH needs, priorities and international protocols. Recommendations will be formulated to inform programme and policy development in SRH. The outputs will include a Forum monograph and databases on SRH technical, training and funding resources.

· Technical and Programmatic Exchanges: Forum partners will participate in national, regional and pan-African activities, and key international activities, to share the Forum?’s vision, progress and direction, and foster South-South and South-North participation.

· Leadership Development: International exchange visits by Forum partners and participation in key international events will contribute knowledge transfer, sharing of experiences and the establishment of strategic alliances with relevant international networks and organisations. This will develop the capacity of leaders of FBOs in Africa to facilitate policy and programmatic changes in SRH.

· Resource Development, Communications & Advocacy: This includes the production of the Forum review (2 issues per year), the development of a Forum website, and the production and dissemination of other resource materials, to enhance the communication and advocacy capacity of the Forum.


International Family Health

International Family Health (IFH) is an international NGO based in the UK. IFH was established in 1991 to improve the sexual and reproductive health of women and men in poor countries. IFH places a high priority on the integration of sexual and reproductive health programmes, including HIV/AIDS and STD prevention and care, family planning and safe motherhood, including comprehensive post-abortion care, IFH provides technical assistance, consultancy services and programme management, and is actively involved in strengthening the capacity of local institutions, including identifying funding from a variety of public and private sources. IFH is an accredited UNFPA Executing Agency.

Contact Information:

International Family Health
First Floor, Cityside House
40 Adler Street
London E1 1EE
United Kingdom
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7247 9944
Fax: +44 (0)20 7247 9944

Forum - Southern Africa (Durban)
Tel: +27 31 3327216 / 2096572
Fax: +27 31 2096538
e-mail: [email protected]