AFRO-NETS> USAID Award to FHI Promotes Youth Reproductive Health (2)

[A Odutola <chpss_abo@yahoo.com>]

USAID Award to FHI Promotes Youth Reproductive Health (2)
---------------------------------------------------------

Congratulations to Family Health International, Research Triangle, 
USA (FHI) for the USAID award of US$85 million to lead a five-year 
program to promote the reproductive health of youth in selected de-
veloping countries (AFRO-NETS, Tuesday: 2 October 2001). I hope Nige-
ria is included.

As I read through David Hock's announcement of the award, I couldn't 
help but feel a sense of 'déjà vu'. The project name - YouthNet, the 
goals, strategies, monitoring and evaluation process all seemed so 
thoroughly familiar. It was as if I was reading the announcement of a 
project I had led in preparing.

Then of course a flashback!

Late in 1999, I put out a solicitation on AFRO-NETS on behalf of the 
Centre for Health Policy & Strategic Studies (CHPSS) in Lagos, Nige-
ria inviting funding and technical support consideration for a 5-year 
multi-media, multi-component proposal targeted at promoting the re-
productive health of youths in Nigeria. 

The CHPSS proposal was titled: "YOUNG 2000" - a suitable acronym for: 
"YOUth Network for Good Knowledge and Practice in Reproductive Health 
in Nigeria" in the year 2000 and beyond. 

The core goals of "YOUNG 2000" were to: 
1. Reduce the occurrence of unwanted pregnancy, STI and HIV/AIDS in 
  Nigerian youths of the target population by at least 20% by the end 
  of project life.

2. Empower youths with better life-skills for improved knowledge 
   and responsible reproductive health attitudes and practices. (iii) 
   Promote measurable access (by as much as 20% each year) to non-
   clinical materials and services through multi-level peer networks of 
   youths for purposes of improved and healthy reproductive health prac-
   tices. 

Among the international organisations that responded to the solicita-
tion at the time, were: 
a) Family Health International, Research Triangle, USA 
b) Pathfinder International, East Africa through Pathfinder, Lagos,
   Nigeria 
c) PATH Canada 
d) Radio for Development (Rfd), U.K. 

All requested for and were each sent a copy of the detailed proposal. 
USAID Lagos was also forwarded an unsolicited copy with a request for 
funding and technical support.

FHI acknowledged receipt of the proposal and nothing more was heard 
from them. Discussions were held with Pathfinder, Lagos and Rfd but 
no collaboration materialized. In view of lack of funding support, 
CHPSS's "YOUNG 2000" has not taken-off to-date in Nigeria as de-
signed. 

CHPSS is tickled about the likely possibility that FHI, USA found in 
"YOUNG 2000" detailed proposal, great materials that "significantly 
informed" their USAID-funded 5 year reproductive health project in 
selected developing countries - not withstanding probable infringe-
ment of CHPSS's intellectual property rights! 

May be after all FHI may eventually collaborate with CHPSS at the im-
plementation phase of their youth directed reproductive health promo-
tion program in Nigeria.

Just some "Food for thought!"

A. Odutola 
mailto: chpss_abo@yahoo.com

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