Situational Analysis:

• Unacceptable numbers of women in the country die or suffer maternal morbidity because of shortcomings in access to SRH information, education and services
• In Maldives a high unmet need for family planning still exists – there is a significant gap in contraceptive prevalence rates (CPR) between educated and the poorly informed, and between communities with adequate health infra structure and those without such support,
• Limited information among people living in underserved communities and youth continue to inhibit access to SRH services,
• Lack of a dependable and effective mechanisms for dissemination of print materials for both urban and rural communities fail to achieve desired results out of such materials while contributing to wastage of efforts and resources,
• Public health systems remain inadequate due to logistic reasons and problems associated with dis-economies of scale.
• High prevalence of the inherited blood disorder. Thalassaemia, in Maldives, influence the decision making capacity of youth in planning a healthy married life.
• Significant number of families needs to look after one or more Thalassaemia majors.
• Limited recognition of the importance and value of SRHS offered at service delivery outlets.

Strategic Direction: Integrate gender equity and equality into youth services youth and develop innovative and/or scaling up appropriate models of outreach.

Objectives

• To reduce socio- cultural, religious, political barriers to access SRH information, education and services by women and men.
• To provide access to Thallassaemia screening services for the population in the age group 12-35 and to support couples and families affected by Thalassaemia,

Activities to Achieve Objective 1: To reduce socio- cultural, religious, political barriers to access SRH information, education and services by women and men.

• Gather baseline date by conducting surveys and KABP to identify SRHR needs of women and men.
• Review existing IEC and BCC material and develop gender sensitive material with key messages
• Undertake IEC and BCC activities with key community level gatekeepers including husbands, religious and community leaders
• Identify key potential partners for strategic partnership and collaborative work including NGOs, women’s organisations and civil society groups.
• Increase capacity of other SRH service providers by holding training and/or workshops in such areas as unsafe abortion, clinical contraception and provision of written technical material e.g. regular updates, manuals and guidelines on SRHR for service providers.

 Outcome Indicators:

• Increased number of community members using SRHR information and services
• Increased percentage of women who are aware of their SRH rights

Activities to Achieve Objective 2:To provide access to Thallassaemia screening services for the population in the age group 12-35 and to support couples and families affected by Thalassaemia.

• Sustain on-going thalassaemia screening programme and integrate other SRH services in field activities
• Provision of thalassaemia screening services at the SHE thalassaemia laboratory
• To support iron chelating needs of children by donation of infusion pumps
• Arrangement of transportation services for thalassaemic children Outcome Indicators
• Number of people in the defined age group for whom carrier status had been identified.
• Reduced number of thalassaemics born in Maldives
• Number of infusion pumps and desferal injections donated
• Number of blood transfusions supported
• Number of children to whom transportation arrangements are assisted.