WARHN

The West African Reproductive Health Network (WARHN) met 24-27 August 2009 in Akosombo, Ghana, to develop a strategic plan for 2009-2013.

Participants included representatives six countries in West Africa (Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo). Partners included Partners in Population and Development Africa Regional Office (PPD ARO), UNFPA, West African Health Organization (WAHO); Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights (ARHR); RIPS- Regional Institute of Population Studies (RIPS); Planned Parenthood Association Ghana (PPAG); Population Impact Project (PIP); Ghana Health Service (GHS); Ghana Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC); Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC); University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS); and Ghana Registered Midwives Association (GRMA).

Representatives agreed that the network was of critical importance towards improving collaboration in the West Africa sub-region in the area of sexual and reproductive health and rights, and population and development.

By the conclusion of the meeting, Ghana was elected to host the Secretariat of WARHN and charged with responsibility for its coordination.

In addition to issuing a Communiqué, WARHN agreed to a vision, mission, mandate, and core values:

WARHN’s vision is “A West Africa that is free from problems related to sexual and reproductive health and rights.” Its mission is “To promote access to optimal sexual and reproductive health and rights in West Africa through advocacy, strategic partnerships, effective networking, sharing of information on best practices and expertise.”

WARHN’s mandate is “Promoting sexual reproductive health and rights as a fundamental human right in West Africa.”

The core values for WARHN are: Transparency, Accountability, Commitment, Quality, Diversity, and Gender Equality/Equity.

More information, including the strategic plan for WARHN, will be posted here as soon as available. After the strategic plan is finalized, network members of WARHN will work together to develop country-specific action plans to increase in-country activities as well as improve cross-country collaboration in the region in the context of South-South cooperation.

Read and download the WARHN Communiqué: http://ppdafrica.org/docs/WARHNcommunique2009.pdf

Read the WARHN strategic plan (English)

Read the WARHN strategic plan (French)

 

Regional meeting of the West Africa Reproductive Health Network (WARHN), 24-28 February 2013. Hotel, L’Ocean, Dakar, Senegal

Partners in Population and Development (PPD) is a Southern-led, Southern-run inter-governmental organization with deep commitment to improving the reproductive health and rights in collaborating and partner countries, in strategic partnership with NGOs and other civil society organizations. The membership has steadily grown to 25 countries which collectively encompass more than half the population of the entire globe. Fourteen of these countries are from Africa.

As part of its work, PPD ARO is reactivating sub-regional networks to promote family planning, reproductive health and population and development issues in Africa. In line with this, PPD ARO in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Social Action of Senegal organized a meeting for the West Africa Reproductive Health Network (WARHN) in Dakar, Senegal, at Hotel, L’Ocean from 24-28 February 2013.