Summary

Program goals

The main objective is to facilitate access to educational services regarding sexual and reproductive health awareness and prevention to the poorest populations in the country, and especially to women and youth.

Key program components

CEMOPLAF’s interventions are tested and modified so that they are able to reach the population most in need of them. Although CEMOPLAF currently has little financing, they provide their services at the lowest possible cost. They have a booklet of different cost-structures and, in some cases, if the client truly cannot pay, services are provided free-of-charge. They have been able to achieve financial sustainability through the use of cross subsidies between services. For example, laboratory services, colposcopies, and ultrasounds provide higher levels of income, and with these funds clinical and preventative services can be provided at low-cost.

In addition to these programs, CEMOPLAF is carrying out 18 projects for youth. Adolescents under the age of 19 are educated in sexual and reproductive health and trained to be health promoters in order to better educate their partners. They are also provided with free contraceptive products and condoms in order to distribute them or sell them at very low prices. Similar projects have been implemented with Indigenous and Afro-Ecuadorian youth, who, through the use of theater, spread messages related to healthcare and prevention.

Together with World Vision and Plan International mobile teams visit several communities where pediatric services, PAP smears, etc. are offered in campaigns. These services are generally offered at very low cost (50 cents or $1) or for free. Along with the Ministry of Health and CARE, CEMOPLAF forms part of the UNIVIDA Project, which works to diagnose HIV.

Thanks to their well known reputation, CEMOPLAF is one of the primary institutions providing education regarding sexual and reproductive health to ministry and medical personnel in health centers. They also form part of the consulting team for resolutions reached by the Ministry of Health and the Metropolitan District of Health in Quito.

Finally, CEMOPLAF was honored in 2005 with a Mayori C. Horn award for operational investigation, which is given yearly by the Population and Sexual and Reproductive Health Office of USAID in Washington. They were nominated for the Gates Award for Global Health in 2008.

In 1974 a group of professional women founded CEMOPLAF (The Center for Family Planning), who's goal it was to do whatever necessary to provide the local population with education regarding family planning.

During 2010: 219.894 health attentions in clinics; 450.898 lab works; 876 surgeries; 11.674 VIH tests; 156.769 people informed about VIH. Programs for youth since 1997: 6.215 teachers trained; 1.895 young promoters, 124.206 young trained, 13.996 parents trained; and 252.600 students trained.