Education on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: A collaboration of public and private education for the integration of adolescent and youth reproductive health into the basic curriculum of health technicians and senior health technicians.

In Mali, specifically in Mopti and Sikasso, young people and adolescents have difficulty exercising their sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR). This has direct implications, such as a high rate of adolescent fertility, early marriage, and female genital mutilation/cutting.

Health care providers are key actors in addressing the sexual and reproductive health problems of young people and adolescents, but often lack up-to-date training on their SRHR needs. Therefore, there is a need to strengthen the quality of training for health providers.

The Objective

The objective of the FORCE project is to strengthen the quality of training for health technicians and senior health technicians in order to improve the provision of sexual and reproductive health and rights care for young people and adolescents.

The project aims to achieve the following long-term effects:

• Better information and greater freedom of choice for young people on sexuality issues
• Improved public and private health care for family planning, pregnancy and childbirth, including safe abortion.

The Approach

With a holistic approach, the project focuses on several levels:

• Integration of sexual and reproductive health of young people and adolescents, gender and social inclusion into the curricula of health technicians and senior health technicians
• Training of trainers of public and private health schools in Mopti and Sikasso in Sexual and Reproductive Health for Adolescents and Youth
• Training in strategic planning and results-based management, communication and advocacy
• Development and implementation of quality assurance systems
• Development and implementation of institutional policies on gender and social inclusion
• Development of a network of public and private health education institutions to advocate for the harmonisation of quality assurance measures.

The Partnership

The FORCE project is a unique collaboration between private and public health schools and national and international institutions to ensure a high-quality health care environment that will contribute to an improvement in the sexual and reproductive health of young people and adolescents in Mopti and Sikasso.

Beneficiary partners in Mali:

• National Institute for Training in Health Sciences (INFSS): the two schools with branches in Mopti and Sikasso
• The three private health schools:
  • Ecole de Santé ‘Amadou Garba Koita’ in Mopti (ESM-AGK), 
  • Ecole de Santé Espoir de Koutiala (ESK) in Sikasso
  • Ecole de Formation des Infirmiers et Auxiliaires de Santé N’GOUINSO (EFIAS) in Sikasso
• Association des Ecoles de Santé du Privé (AESP)

Technical Partners

• Mali : le Département Education et Recherche en Santé Publique (DERSP)
• The Netherlands: KIT Royal Tropical Institute and CINOP
• Regional Level: Institut National Médico-Sanitaire (INMeS) in Benin