Mr Haruo Konagai, a long-time volunteer with Japan Family Planning Association (JFPA) was honoured with the President's Award of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for his contribution in the Tunisian National Youth Sexual & Reproductive Health Programme.

This prestigious award is given every five years to individuals or organisations that contributed towards remarkable accomplishment activities in the various fields. Mr Konagai received the award from the President of JICA, Dr Sadako Ogata in a ceremony which was held at the International Congress Hall of JICA in Tokyo recently.

The efforts of Mr Konagai in the adolescents and  youth reproductive  health programme helped transformed the National Family & Population Organisation of Tunisia from an institution that target mainly married women to disseminating information and offering services to youths. This was evident from the huge increase in the number of youths accessing the services - from approximately 16,000 before the year 2001 to 345,000 in 2006. The success in Tunisia led to the extension of the youth reproductive health programme in other French-speaking countries in Africa with the cooperation of JICA. Mr Konagai continued to be involved as a supervisor for support and development of the programmes.