SPRINT Initiative completed our first regional Training of Trainers on the Minimum Initial Service
Package (MISP) for Sexual and Reproductive Health in Crisis.
As soon as the training of trainers ended, tropical cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar on 2 and 3 May 2008
affecting millions of people.
The death toll continues to rise by the day, with an estimated 22,500 people at the time of writing. 41,000 persons are still missing. Around one million people are assumed to be displaced.
Shelter, food and water are among the main concerns -but for pregnant women access to sexual and reproductive health is a matter of life or death.
In crisis situations women and girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence.
There is likely to be an increase in the transmission of HIV.
This highlights the importance of the training of trainers, focussing on building capacity, in order to meet the needs of people in a crisis situation.
The training of trainers took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 28 April – 2 May 2008.
Participants were mainly from the East and Southeast region and were grouped into country teams.
Each team had one representative from an IPPF Member Association, National Red Cross and Red Crescent Society and UNFPA national officers.
Some country teams included representatives from their Ministry of Health.
Regional Offices of:
- International Federation of Red Cross
- International Organization for Migration
- United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA)
- Regional Office Asia-Pacific (ROAP)
- UNHCR
also participated in the training.
Each training country team came up with an action plan to integrate sexual and reproductive health into their emergency preparedness plans.
The Myanmar country team were represented by two national officers of UNHCR and UNFPA.
The National Red Cross Society and IPPF Member Association were invited but unfortunately could not
attend.
The training of trainers provided an unprecedented opportunity for SRH focal persons to meet and
interact at the national and regional levels.
In the aftermath of the cyclone, the SPRINT secretariat made contact with its newly established network in order to identify areas of support.
The secretariat has touched based with the Myanmar country team on SRH in crises (UNFPA and
UNHCR) and with UNOCHA ROAP.
IPPF Regional Office has not been able to get through to Member Association (Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association).
Attempts are still being made to identify the existing SRH coordinating channels that have been put in place in Myanmar.
So far, SRH related relief supplies such as condoms, sarongs and sanitary material have been sent
into Myanmar via Thailand.
Given the situation, the SPRINT secretariat will continue at this stage to link concerned people with
the relevant SRH focal staff who participated in the training of trainers and to identify existing
SRH coordination channels.
SPRINT is able to provide technical support to ensure that the MISP is implemented for the displaced populations.
At the same time, SPRINT will work with partners in the post-crisis phase to ensure technical
support, distribution of reproductive health kits and rehabilitation of clinics in the affected areas/in areas of displacement.
For further queries, please contact us at: ippfklro@ippfeseaor.org
or +6034256 6122
SPRINT Secretariat