March 2022 – March 2025
Côte d'Ivoire
In Ivory Coast, where the median age is 19, young people’s access to sexual and reproductive health services is limited. This particularly affects young girls who are exposed to early and/or unwanted pregnancies (fertility rate of 124% for 15-19 year olds and 193% for 20-24 year olds), an over-representation of maternal mortality and morbidity, as well as gender-based violence (including female genital mutilation which affects more than a third of the adult female population and 11% of girls under 14). Women are also twice as affected as men by the HIV epidemic in Ivory Coast and the majority of new infections are among young girls. However, knowledge of HIV prevention remains low, particularly among young people: only 20% of them have a real understanding of it and their use of condoms is still limited. The stakes are high considering that Ivory Coast is one of the countries most affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic in West Africa, with a prevalence rate of 2.4%. In this context, the project makes it possible to capitalise on the partnership established with the association Espace Confiance to reach key populations, and to broaden Solthis’ action beyond the fight against HIV/AIDS to the wider issue of SRHR by integrating a differentiated approach.
General objective
Empowerment and access to quality SRHR services and interventions adapted to the needs of adolescents and young people (A&Y), particularly those in vulnerable situations Act on 3 action levers through a multi-channel approach:
- On demand: information and empowerment of A&Y, especially vulnerable A&J in Ivory Coast.
- Supply: strengthening health structures to adapt their SRH services to A&Y, particularly those in vulnerable situations (public primary care centres and community centres).
- The enabling environment: communities, national authorities, civil society organisations…
Beneficiaries
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20,000 young and adolescent users of SRH services in the health areas targeted by the programme
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The teams of the targeted structures
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The members and employees of the local partner associations
Results
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Empowerment of Adolescents and Youth (AJ)
-Organization of 14 film-debate sessions in schools, reaching 1,463 young people (64% girls).
-Implementation of empowerment workshops:
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- 85% of participants strengthened their ability to act.
- 61% improved their ability to express themselves.
- 73% enhanced their knowledge of SRHR.
- 298 young people participated (53% girls, 47% boys).
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Strengthening the SRH Service Offer
-11 health facilities supported (6 public, 5 community-based).
-Improvement in SRH quality score: average increased from 51% to 89% between 2022 and 2024.
-5,737 new users of contraceptive methods registered (+6% between 2023 and 2024).
-SRH consultations increased by 23% between 2023 and 2024.
-Introduction of self-injectable DMPA-SC:
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- Accounts for 47% of new contraceptive users.
- Usage rate increased from 7% to 64% in 2024.
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Improving the National Environment
-Capacity building for 18 parliamentarians on SRHR issues.
-Development of a roadmap for safe abortion.
-Drafting of a resource mobilization plan for the National Costed Action Plan for Family Planning (PANB-PF).
-Organization of values clarification workshops on abortion.
-Holding of a national workshop on the operationalization of the new Penal Code.
