The Solomon Islands government took a significant step in addressing the family planning service delivery programme in the country by strengthening partnership with the civil society. In its latest move, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services tapped Solomon Islands Planned Parenthood Association (SIPPA), an IPPF member association, to be the CSO focal point to help mobilize the civil society sector towards the achievement of Solomon Islands’ FP2020 target.

The Solomon Islands failed to reach the national target for contraceptive rate set in 2015. The target of 55% CPR is double the current rate of 27% which has stayed at that rate for about a decade. The high unmet need can be attributed to various factors, which include: young people’s lack of information to make the right choices; women, men, and youth’s lack of access to FP services and commodities; lack of skilled staff and health service providers.

By bringing SIPPA into the action, the Government of Solomon Islands will benefit from IPPF’s and SIPPA’s strong youth program, data collection, management, and analysis infrastructure, and technical expertise in comprehensive sexuality education and HIV/STI program.

The commitments made on behalf of the Government of Solomon Islands on July 11, 2012 are (1) to make family planning a priority under the reproductive health program section of the government National Health Strategic Plan for 2006-2015 and (2) to make men partners in all reproductive health issues, including voluntary family planning.