IPPF’s Regional Office in Kuala Lumpur, in collaboration with UNFPA, recently concluded three Trainings of Trainers (ToTs) on the MISP for SRH in Crises. The trainings are part of the SPRINT Initiative’s objective to increase regional capacity to implement the MISP during emergencies.

The SPRINT ToTs targeted 29 countries in the East, Southeast Asia and Pacific region. They were held in Kuala Lumpur, Sydney and Fiji to facilitate greater regional participation. The three regional trainings were conducted from 28 April to 11 July 2008.

In total, around 120 participants from 25 different agencies and organizations participated. Core participants were from IPPF Member Associations, UNFPA Reproductive Health Officers, National Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies, and Ministries of Health. UNHCR, UNOCHA and UNIFEM also attended. The vast majority of participants were national staff.

While the IPPF family was keen to take part in the training, countries with no affiliated family planning associations were also represented such as Timor Leste, Tokelau, Federated States of Micronesia and Niue.

Click here[SPRINT1] for a table showing the diversity of the participating organizations by country.

Participants expressed readiness to advocate for the inclusion of SRH into emergency response and preparedness plans. The ToTs have already succeeded in forming collaborative interagency relations in countries like Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, New Zealand, Niue, Cambodia, DPR Korea and China.

As next steps, participants will roll-out trainings· on the MISP for SRH in Crises in their respective countries. The SPRINT secretariat based in IPPF ESEAOR will support the teams as they prepare for the echo-trainings.

A final draft of the Facilitator’s Manual on the MISP for SRH in Crisis will be out by mid October 2008 to guide the roll-out. UNFPA is actively involved in developing the training curriculum. Until the manual is ready for circulation, the training materials are available as follows: