During JOICFP's Consultative Meeting with Donors, 27th and 28th August, Tewodros Melesse, Director, Africa Regional Office, IPPF, spoke with JOICFP eNEWS.

eNEWS: What are IPPF's main activities in Africa?

Melesse: IPPF is involved in many areas. In 44 sub-Saharan countries we focus on the ‘5A's' - access, adolescents, abortion, AIDS and advocacy through over 2,000 clinics and youth centers.

IPPF works to integrate HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment with reproductive health and family planning services, and we are concerned with safe delivery, vaccination programs, malaria prevention, and post-abortion care, amongst other things.

We are also the first organization to work with the Youth Action Movement.

Our work with the African Union on a continental SRH policy has been groundbreaking, and we participated in the formulation process.

eNEWS: What would IPPF Africa like now from JOICFP and civil society in Japan?

Melesse: Our relationship with JOICFP started with the integrated project (IP) and has progressed to the community-operated reproductive health (CoRH) approach, including JOICFP providing bicycles for field workers.

We would, of course, like to strengthen this relationship, and ask for even more advocacy toward the Japanese government.

In the coming year, TICAD IV will be held in Tokyo, and we would like that sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRH/R) be included in the agenda. This would support the Maputo Plan of Action for the opererationalization of SRH/R in the continent toward the goal of universal access to comprehensive SRH services by 2015.