Events

The Exemplars in Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASHER) and the Exemplars in Family Planning projects will host an interministerial workshop on Tuesday, 20th August 2024, at Sunbird Capital Hotel in Lilongwe, Malawi.

The workshop aims to showcase Malawi’s advancements in family planning and adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (ASRHR), while identifying opportunities that can further accelerate this progress. It will bring together key stakeholders from the government, academia, non-governmental organisations, and civil society for a comprehensive discussion on Malawi’s achievements as an exemplar country in increasing the demand and uptake of modern contraceptive methods.

Key areas that will be discussed include: the accessibility of ASRHR services across the country, addressing the availability; quality, and barriers to accessing these services; as well as efforts to improve outreach. Participants will confer about the significant progress Malawi has made in family planning, including the adoption and implementation of modern contraceptive methods; strategies leading to the demand and uptake; and the role of education in reducing adolescent fertility rates and preventing teen pregnancies, highlighting how educational programs raise awareness, change behaviours, and empower adolescents to make informed decisions.

The workshop will explore the social and cultural practices that influence adolescent fertility rates in Malawi, with a focus on how traditional beliefs and norms impact adolescent behaviours and ASRHR initiatives. It will also assess Malawi’s policy environment to determine whether current laws and policies effectively support ASRHR progress, including a detailed review of key policies and programmes and their impact on adolescent health. The role of collaboration among the government, NGOs, civil society, and international partners in advancing ASRHR and family planning will be a significant focus, with discussions on both success stories and challenges in these collaborative efforts. Additionally, insights will be shared on the research design and selection process used to identify Malawi, Nepal, Ghana, and Rwanda as exemplar countries, analysing the criteria for selection, methodologies employed, and comparative analysis.