October 2023 – June 2027
Niger
In Niger, where nearly 70% of the population is under the age of 25, young people represent a strategic challenge when it comes to improving sexual and reproductive health (SRH). Indicators on the sexual and reproductive health and rights of adolescents and young women reveal a worrying situation:
- 76% of girls are married before the age of 18, and 28% before the age of 15 (UNICEF);
- 5% of women aged 15 to 19 use modern methods of contraception (EDSN-MICS, 2017);
- 50% of girls under 19 have already had a child (EDSN-MICS, 2017).
In addition, multiple barriers remain concerning access to SRH services: gender inequalities, low socioeconomic status, low levels of education and literacy, value conflicts experienced by some caregivers, low quality of services, failure to take into account the specific needs of adolescents and young people (AJ) and unfavorable socio-cultural representations about sexuality.
General objective
Support the institutionalization of a Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and HIV tutoring system in Niger.
Beneficiaries
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8 healthcare facilities
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62 healthcare professionals
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20 school and after-school structures
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40 school and extracurricular contact persons
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34 tutors
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2 CSO partners (LM and RENIP+)
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95 CSO members
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6 institutional partners
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10,000 young people aged 10 to 24
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40 community leaders
Results
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30 midwife mentors trained in Niamey and Maradi and deployed to conduct regular on-site mentoring sessions, thereby strengthening the teams’ skills in a sustainable manner.
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An updated and standardized national mentoring program that enables consistent and structured implementation across the healthcare system.
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Improvements in clinical skills and practices, including standardized protocols, higher-quality maternal and neonatal care, and patient-centered care.
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Establishment of a structured mentoring/coaching system to help strengthen the initial and continuing training of health workers.
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Strengthening the overall system through monitoring and evaluation in SRH/HIV, community mobilization, building on existing achievements, and national advocacy for the institutionalization of mentoring.
