Mona Lisa Africa
Niger
OCTOBER 2006
Introduction
Niger is part of the "Mona Lisa Africa" pilot program which began in September 2006. Several pilot programs, such as the "South Niger -South Tunisia" program supported by "Equilibres & Populations" and French Members of Parliament since 2001, or the activities of the UNFPA (United Nations Funds for the population) in the North of the country, have shown that it is possible to increase the prevalence of contraceptives. Given the strength of the success, the government decided to extend its activities to make it possible for Nigerian women to space out or to limit their pregnancies.
Thus, the Minister of Health himself requested his participation in the initiation of the "Mona Lisa Africa" program in order to enlarge the proposed contraceptive offer. Moreover we have benefited from the on-site support from Mrs Marlène Lays from the UNFPA who coordinated the "Mona Lisa Africa" pilot program in Niger. The Ministry of Health is represented by the Secretary General.
A first delivery of 1,500 IUDs was received in Niamey on September 20, 2006.
200 out of the 1,500 IUDs, were used by the UNFPA team to train 6 doctors and midwives on the placement and removal of implants and IUDs at the CEFOREP
centre (Research and Training Centre for Reproductive Health) in Senegal. We await feedback from these activities.
The local personnel, the training requirements which have been requested from HRA Pharma, and districts concerned by the operation must now be defined for the 1,300 IUDs remaining in Niger. We await feedback from the UNFPA team to define these parameters.