THE Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA) has a reservoir of information on family planning and various issues affecting the public, but has concerns about sharing such with those who are most vulnerable, especially in the hinterland communities.Reaching these areas is definitely possible and the GRPA is hoping for an opening this year, Executive Director, Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth told the Chronicle in an invited comment recently.

Money is the major problem holding back the GRPA from venturing into these communities, but the organisation is nevertheless hoping to form partnerships with other bodies so as to reach them. “These are the most needy communities,” Sheerattan-Bisnauth observed.

Discussions have already begun with some of those organisations, but they cannot be definitively named just yet.

“We hope this year we can do some work there. In terms of us budgeting money, we don’t have that. We really want to look at other ways, but I think it’s possible we can make some connections.”

“It takes so much to travel to these communities, but there are organisations set up with volunteers on the ground. We don’t have money to invest in the logistical costs. In terms of how much we can do is quite dependent on these partnerships,” Sheerattan-Bisnauth explained.

The GRPA’s interest lies in sensitising the public on family planning and on issues surrounding cervical cancer, prostate cancer, HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. In fact, GRPA is developing outlines of programmes to do comprehensive sexuality education.
Programme Director, Renuka Anandjit told the Chronicle in an invited comment that GRPA would be scaling up a lot of its services when it comes to targeting teenage pregnancies. She observed that there are a lot of information gaps that result in unwise life choices.

Mrs. Sheerattan-Bisnauth just recently observed that more ought to be done to address the “unmet” needs of family planning in Guyana.

“Family planning is an important issue for this country. There is still a big gap in family planning education and in having access to contraceptives, so we are rolling out this project (the community-based family planning initiative that was launched last August) with the intention of addressing this unmet need,” she disclosed.

“So far, the CMO gave the contraceptive rate in Guyana at 43, while we should be 75. So there is quite a large gap,” she informed. “It means we still need that kind of community-based programme. Some people, because of poverty and lack of access, don’t go to health centres,” Sheerattan-Bisnauth posited.

“We have the second highest rate of teenage pregnancy for Latin America and the Caribbean. Some people have problems with contraceptives, and instead of sorting it out, they come up with their own ideas. We want to provide the correct kind of information, so they can then make a decision,” she said.

GRPA works closely with the ministries of Health and Education, among others.

(By Telesha Ramnarine)