25th September 2024 – MSI Reproductive Choices and its partners announce a critical new health project, WISH 2 Lot 1, which will bring quality sexual and reproductive healthcare services to millions of women and girls across six countries in West and Central Africa.
The programme, known as Women’s Integrated Sexual Health 2 (WISH 2) Lot 1, is funded by the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and will benefit millions of women in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Mauritania and Chad. The £60.8m programme is the second phase of FCDO’s flagship WISH programme, which originally ran from 2018 to 2024, spanning 27 countries across Africa and Asia, and providing an estimated 16.9 million women and adolescent girls with access to modern methods of contraception.
Alongside MSI, the consortium includes three other organisations who helped deliver the first WISH programme: Ipas, Options Consultancy Services and Sightsavers, as well as two African organisations with deep-rooted networks and a proven track record of delivering social change: RAES, and Women in Law and Development in Africa (WILDAF-AO).
With a focus on leaving no-one behind and expanding choice for the most disadvantaged and underserved groups, the programme, which is part of FCDO’s WISH Dividend, will focus on strengthening public sector provision of reproductive healthcare, so that choice is available for the long-term. It is estimated that by the end of WISH 2, the MSI consortium will reach 2.6 million women, adolescent girls, men and boys with high-quality services, and avert over 600,000 unsafe abortions and over 6,000 maternal deaths.
To support this new programme, The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) has announced a $100 million USD co-funding commitment to the WISH platform, which will focus on communities with the greatest need in West and Central Africa.
Sanou Gning, WISH Director at MSI Reproductive Choices, commented:
“I want to thank the UK Government for their longstanding partnership and support. Speaking to the women we serve, I hear powerful stories about the difference it makes to their lives, expanding choice, saving lives and bringing hope.
“Building on the first ‘Women’s Integrated Sexual Health’ (WISH) programme and our longstanding collaboration with IPAS, Options and Sightsavers, this project also brings vital knowledge, connections and expertise from African organisations like RAES and Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF), who specialise in advancing women’s rights, tackling sexual and gender-based violence and harnessing digital technology to reach young people.
“Through this programme, we and our partners will be able to expand access to lifesaving sexual and reproductive health services that will support governments to reach their ambitious targets and give women and girls from the poorest and most vulnerable communities the opportunity to follow their dreams and become the next generation of African leaders.”
Chris Carter, Head of Human Development at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, said:
“Increased access to sexual and reproductive health services saves the lives of women and girls. It increases choices, supports education, and transforms lives and livelihoods. This programme will play a critical role in increasing women’s voice, choice and control across countries in Africa.
Sir Chris Hohn, Founder and Chair of the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation said:
“There is no escaping the reality: even with the important pledges today, we still need to do more to ensure all women and girls have access to life-saving family planning when they want it.
“CIFF’s US$100 million investment in the WISH platform, on top of our US$100 million investment last year to end the commodity financing gap, is a demonstration of our commitment to prioritizing country-led solutions to ensure more women and girls can choose their futures.”
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Notes to Editor
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About MSI Reproductive Choices
MSI Reproductive Choices is a global reproductive healthcare provider serving over 93,000 women and girls every day with contraception, abortion and post-abortion care.
