Countdown 2015 Europe - Advocacy for Reproductive Health Supplies

Countdown 2015 Europe brings together a group of 18 leading European NGOs experienced in advocacy for reproductive health in development aid. Those civil society organizations work in 15 European countries in a concerted effort to achieve increased support from European donors for reproductive health supplies (RHS). They also aim to improve European coordination and coherence to narrow the gaps between the needs, demand and availability of essential supplies. Building greater political and financial commitment in Europe is key to securing universal access to reproductive health, which is an essential step in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Reproductive Health Supplies
Reproductive Health Supplies range from family planning methods (e.g. female and male condoms and other contraceptives) to HIV testing equipment and safe motherhood equipment. More than 350 million couples worldwide do not have access to modern family planning methods or reproductive services. As a result, they cannot decide on the timing or spacing of their children, women do not have access to adequate supplies to ensure safe deliveries – this putting their lives at risk, and people cannot protect themselves from sexually transmitted infections including HIV.

Awareness Raising Campaign
WPF is part of this campaign for universal access to reproductive health services in which 10 leading European NGOs (consortium members) working in the field of SRHR, are advocating for increased donor support for reproductive health supplies. The activities contribute to raise awareness among European decision makers and increase attention to RHS through decision-making processes at European and global level. Also, they try to build and coordinate a European civil society effort on RHS advocacy.

Factsheets 2009
Countrybrief The Netherlands
Other countrybriefs at www.countdown2015europe.org
Report 2009
The Role of Reproductive Health and Reproductive Health Supplies in Strengthening Health Systems

Countdown 2015 Europe Consortium members
The International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network – IPPF EN (Brussels)
Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevoelkerung – DSW (Germany)
Equilibres et Populations – E&P (France)
The European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development – EPF (Parliamentarians throughout Europe)
Interact Worldwide (UK)
Marie Stopes International Brussels Office– MSI (Brussels)
Sex & Samfund – Danish Family Planning Association (Denmark)
The Swedish Association for Sexuality Education – RFSU (Sweden)
World Population Foundation – WPF (The Netherlands)
Vaestoliitto – Family Federation of Finland (Finland)

Collaborating partners
Osterreichische Gesellschaft für Familienplanung – OGF (Austria)
Sensoa (Belgium)
Irish Family Planning Association – IFPA (Ireland)
Italian Association for Women in Development – AIDOS (Italy)
Norwegian Association for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights – NSRR (Norway)
Associação para o Planeamento da Família – APF (Portugal)
Federación de Planificación Familiar Estatal – FPFE (Spain)
Swiss Foundation for Sexual and Reproductive Health – PLANeS (Switzerland)