Marie Stopes International Ethiopia launches behavioural change communication campaign

Marie Stopes International explains how Ethiopians can have children by choice, not by chance

ADDIS ABABA, 20 January, 2010: Marie Stopes International Ethiopia (MSI Ethiopia) today launched a campaign to raise awareness of the family planning choices available to Ethiopian families. The Behavioral Change Communication Campaign (BCC) will explain how families can choose convenient methods of contraception that give long-lasting protection from pregnancy.

Launching the campaign, Grethe Petersen, Country Director of Marie Stopes International Ethiopia, said:

“Many people will be surprised to know that MSI Ethiopia is one of the country’s leading providers of family planning, as well as safe abortions. We are proud to save many women’s lives each year by offering safe abortions within the law to women who need them. But we know that most of these women would prefer not to be pregnant in the first place. Family planning prevents unwanted pregnancy. Too many Ethiopian women die in pregnancy or in childbirth, because they have children too young, too old, too many and too soon.”

The Behavioral Change Communication Campaign is in two-phases and will use a variety of media, including fliers, posters, negotiation guides, radio and TV advertisements, stickers, and T-shirts, in two languages Amharic & Oromiffa.

Grethe Petersen continued to say “Family planning enables women to start having children later, to stop when their family is big enough, and to protect their health by leaving a longer gap between children. Families in Ethiopia have a range of different choices for family planning, but many people do not know what they are. Our campaign will help to ensure that the Ethiopian public know much more about their options and will help them to make an informed choice about the best method of family planning for them.”

ENDS

For more information, please contact Abebe Kebebe in the Technical Services Department at MSI Ethiopia by the following addresses:

Tel: 0116634152, 0116634100, 0116634102
Fax: 0116634151
e-mail: info@mariestopes.org.et
Address: African Avenue (Bole Road), In front of Japan Embassy behind Fantu Supermarket new building.

Notes to the Editor

Marie Stopes International Ethiopia
Marie Stopes International Ethiopia is an international non-governmental, not-for profit organisation, a Partner of Marie Stopes International (MSI), with proven programming capacity, has been engaged in the provision of family planning (FP) and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care services through Clinics, Outreach and Social Fransching in the last 20 years.

Marie Stopes International
Marie Stopes International (MSI) is one of the largest sexual and reproductive health providers in the world and cares for millions of people every year. MSI’s services include family planning, safe abortion, post abortion care, maternal and child healthcare such as safe delivery and the diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS.

Founded in 1976, MSI’s Global Partnership spans over 40 countries across Asia, Africa, the Arab world, Latin America and Europe. MSI’s Global Partner network reaches millions of lives, empowering women and men to make safe and informed reproductive choices, so they can have children by choice, not chance.

Categories: Ethiopia; Africa; Family planning

20/01/2010

Marie Stopes International Ethiopia launches behavioural change communication campaign

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