New Delhi: Reaffirming its continued and long-term support towards working with the Government of India, partners and all stakeholders for sexual and reproductive rights (SRHR), Dr. Alvaro Bermajo, Director General, International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), is visiting India next week.

The objective of this visit is to meet government agencies, leaders of vulnerable communities (women in sex work, migrant workers and people living with HIV), women’s agencies, academia, public health advocates and other partners to support country-specific strategies in partnership with Family Planning Association of India, Member Association of IPPF,  tailored to serve the most marginalised groups in India.

India continues to be the second most populous country in the world with a population of 1210 million.

19 percent of India’s population is in the 15-24 age group and over half a billion are under 25 years of age. With this high young population in the reproductive age groups there is an increased need for SRHR (Sexual reproductive health and rights) services through youth-friendly approaches and comprehensive sexuality education and information. Through its member association in India – Family Planning Association of India (FPAI), IPPF has been actively supporting comprehensive quality sexual reproductive health care (including safe abortion and HIV& AIDS services), increased access to quality outreach based services for the poor and vulnerable groups, enabling service delivery through partnerships in states of high unmet needs like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.

This will be Dr. Alvaro’s first visit to India since his appointment as Director General in March 2018. During his four-day visit, Dr. Bermajo will be visiting Delhi and Mumbai to assess and deliberate ways to address unmet needs in the area of family planning and SRHR services in India. Dr. Alvaro Bermajo has more than 20 years’ of experience in issues like adolescent SRHR, health & nutrition, HIV & AIDS, humanitarian issues and health policy. He has been associated with organisations like CIFF, International HIV/AIDS Alliance, International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).