CBRH Program

In six years, with support from PPGG, EECMY has successfully expanded the reach of its CBRH program from 300 rural villages in southwest Ethiopia to 1,300. In the wake of the Global Gag Rule, PPGG's technical assistance, medical supplies, and funding filled a critical gap.

Together our partnership increased not only the number of volunteer agents providing health education and services, but also their knowledge base and impact. For example, a substantial PPGG donor grant enabled comprehensive and continuing agent trainings, expanded family planning service delivery, wider distribution of medical supplies, and motorbikes for program supervisors.

This contribution is critical in a country where only 13% of women and 17% of men now use contraceptives. Yet over 45% of adults would choose to use family planning services to space or limit childbearing—if only those services were available.

CBRH Health Education

Agents now provide education to thousands of Ethiopian adults, adolescents, and children about critical health issues:

• Reproductive health, family planning, and sexuality
• HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention, and counseling
• Harmful traditional practices, especially FGM
• Personal and environmental hygiene
• Nutrition
• Water safety and purification

CBRH Health Services

Agents also supply direct medical services to communities with virtually no other support:

• Distribution and administration of hormonal contraception
• Immunizations
• Home-based care to people living with HIV/AIDS

Impact

• Contraceptive usage has skyrocketed to over 6 times the national average in comparable areas. CBRH-serviced villages now have a 25% contraceptive usage rate compared to the national average in rural communities of 4%.
• Over 1.5 million Ethiopians have been educated in basic issues of health and survival.
• Over 1 million adolescents have received sexuality education.
• Over 1,020 community and religious leaders have been trained in advocating for reproductive health and family planning.