The Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA) will soon lobby the government to adopt the Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) policy in the new year, as part of the organisation’s mandate to advance SRH in Guyana.

In 2015, it was reported that the GRPA in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health and the United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA), was working on a Sexual and Reproductive Health policy. Looking forward at the agenda of the GRPA for 2019, Executive Director, Renata Chuck-A-Sang highlighted: “We’re going to try to get the Sexual and Reproductive health policy – that’s been in the parking lot for the last four years – adopted.”

She said that this policy is of key importance, particularly in the context of the work the GRPA does. According to her, “It will open up a lot of services for persons to access, particularly in underserved areas, and it will give clarity to how the government and its agencies should behave with regards to SRH services.”

The GRPA is a sexual health and reproductive health service provider in Guyana. The non-governmental organisation also tackles various societal ills: including gender-based violence, bullying and the stigma attached to SRH and mental health.

The organisation also does advocacy work and strives to make people aware that comprehensive sexuality work exists and should be delivered. The body also interacts with the government to improve the sexual and reproductive health environment in the country.

In addition to lobbying for the adoption of the policy, in the coming year, Renata related that the body aims to improve access to abortions, by getting more physicians trained and certified to deliver the service, to get more clinics licensed to provide the service and to basically raise the awareness in the general sphere that abortion is legal and persons have a right to access it.
The GRPA will also continue to offer all of its usual services. The GRPA recorded one of its highest levels of service volume in 2017, registering a 78 per cent increase in total services (261,423) and a 61 per cent increase in S&RH services (188,542) relative to 2016 (117,351). This is a continued upward trend in the last five years – from 2013 to 2018 with an increase of total services of 176,361.

In continuing its work however, Renata noted that culture continues to be a challenge. “This is because SRH is a bit of a taboo people are unwilling to discuss this openly,” she noted. This problem is exacerbated when within the health system there are those who are unwilling to provide information and services on SRH. To this end she said, “So we have to work on two fronts: within the system and outside of the system.”

Speaking at the 45th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the GRPA, Chuck-A-Sang said: “Future looks bright for GRPA. We continue to have good relationships with our partners. We have a dynamic team working at GRPA. We have a renewed Youth Advocacy Movement. Financially we are solvent.” At the AGM too, a new board for the GRPA was elected to serve the period 2018-2020. Ramsay Ali returned as President, while the other board members are: Dr. Tariq Jagnarine, Gaietri Shivsankar, Valini Leitch, Nalini Veira, Aisha Fraites, Alvina Rambarran, Sharon Jordan, Kobe Smith, and Jason Shepherd.