The Director General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, Dr. Alvaro Bermejo, is visiting Ghana on a high-level mission to discuss priorities and challenges regarding sexual and reproductive health and rights.

The visit, announced by the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), will be between February 10 and 13, 2024.

According to a statement from the PPAG, Dr. Alvaro Bermejo will be accompanied by Marie-Evelyne Pétrus-Barry, Regional Director for Africa.

IPPF is the leading global provider of sexual and reproductive health services worldwide and PPAG is a proud affiliate of IPPF.

In Africa, IPPF supports national associations in their field actions for vulnerable populations and runs regional programmes to strengthen sexual and reproductive rights and health on the continent.

"During his visit, the Director General will meet with the PPAG teams in Accra to discuss the Association's priorities and challenges regarding sexual and reproductive health and rights. He will also conduct a field visit to Cape Coast for first-hand experience with PPAG’s frontline work.

"In addition will be media engagements, high level courtesy calls and meetings with top Ghanaian authorities including relevant Cabinet Ministers and private organisations working in the Reproductive Health sector in Ghana. PPAG’s vision is to see a Ghana where young people and vulnerable groups have unhindered access to sexual and reproductive health and rights and has been advocating for years in this regard. The Director General’s visit will provide an opportunity to review progress made and challenges that are left to be surmounted," the statement said.

It added that the visit is in line with the PPAG's work in the health sector, heralding its 60th year.

"This visit demonstrates IPPF’s and PPAG’s continued commitment to defend the rights and health of women, men, young people and vulnerable groups. PPAG and IPPF are determined to strengthen their collaboration to improve universal access to quality sexual and reproductive health services.

"For PPAG, it has been almost 60 fulfilling years of influencing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights policies, service delivery and shifting norms and looking forward to more years of impactful existence," it added.

Dr Alvaro Bermejo, the Director-General, International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), has more than 20 years’ of experience as a senior executive in global federations, working across HIV and AIDS, humanitarian issues, and health policy.

He was previously the Executive Director of the Survive and Thrive portfolio at the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), where he helped build an adolescent sexual and reproductive health portfolio in addition to the more established health, nutrition, and education portfolios.

Dr Bermejo took up his position from March 01 2018 for an initial four-year term.

About IPPF Africa Region (IPPFAR)

The International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa Region (IPPFAR) is one of the leading sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service delivery organization in Africa, and a leading sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) advocacy voice in the region. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, the overarching goal of IPPFAR is to increase access to SRHR services to the most vulnerable youth, men, and women in sub-Saharan Africa.

Supported by thousands of volunteers, IPPFAR tackles the continent’s growing SRHR
challenges through a network of Member Associations (MAs) in 40 countries. We do this by developing our MAs into efficient entities with the capacity to deliver and sustain high-quality, youth-focused, and gender-sensitive services.

We work with governments, the African Union, Regional Economic Commissions, the Pan-African Parliament, and United Nations bodies among others to expand political and financial commitments to sexual and reproductive health and rights in Africa.