On March 12-15, 2018 a regional workshop of FP2020 focal points was held in Yaoundé, Cameroon. More than twenty civil society organizations (CSOs) convened to exchange ideas around key issues related to family planning in Cameroon, while also presenting an opportunity for CSOs to reflect on what they have accomplished. Over 60 people attended from civil society organizations, youth networks and associations, the FP2020 Secretariat, Ministry of Public Health, USAID, and UNFPA.
The meeting created a space for open discussion around several key issues many CSOs face when promoting accountability in family planning: adolescents and youth, high-impact practices, rights-based family planning, and FP2020 commitments. With deeper consideration of these thematic areas several priorities surfaced:
- Strengthen the system for collecting and monitoring logistic data PF, FP service data for implementation of the operational plan
- Increase young people’s access to RH / FP services through the implementation of multisectoral activities
- Increase funding for plan priorities
- Strengthen advocacy communication to create a supportive environment for FP;
- Scale Sayana Press
- Strengthen the PF supply chain
- Harmonize the practice of the PF Quality Service Office
By identifying these key priorities, focal points and civil society can now move forward with an increased dialogue around the advancement of Cameroon’s FP2020 commitments and an entry points for CSO involvement.
