UNFPA and partners to organise learning forum

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in collaboration with its implementing partners would on Monday November 2, organise a Partners’ Learning Forum (PALEF) 2015 to foster shared learning.

The forum, which would be on the theme: “Utilizing Shared Knowledge and Practices for Advancing the ICPD Agenda in Ghana,’’ would also provide a platform for networking among UNFPA Implementing Partners and other stakeholders involved in maternal and adolescent health policy and programme implementation.

Mrs Doris Mawuse Aglobitse, UNFPA’s Communication and Resource Mobilisation Officer at UNFPA, told the Ghana News Agency that objective of the Partners Learning Forum (PALEF) would be to facilitate the process, an exhibition of UNFPA Implementing Partners programme achievements whilst good practices would be the high point of the PALEF.

She explained that the sixth Ghana /UNFPA Country Programme with the aim of supporting the realisation of universal access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRH&R) and reduce maternal mortality in an effort to accelerate progress on the ICPD agenda in Ghana, began its cycle in 2012 and will end in December 2016.

The programme, which she said is its fourth year of implementation has been executed through a constellation of partners at the national, regional and district levels within the government decentralised political and developmental implementation systems.

“This pioneering initiative has been based on UNFPA’s firm conviction in efforts to increase the reach and impact of programme interventions for those most in need at the sub national levels and to foster upstream leadership and ownership of Ghana’s development agenda,” she added.

Mrs Aglobitse noted that the almost four years into implementation, has contributed to laws adopted, policies, guidelines, strategic plans and capacity building/system strengthening among others.

She said UNFPA has directly supported a number of research projects, publications and production of numerous reports and listed the Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health and national population policies, Gender policy, situational analysis on adolescents and young people, census monographs, midwifery and MDG5 fact sheets as some of the reports.

The forum she said would offer the platform for experience sharing in a more systematic way.