Education Programs

According to the annual report of the German Foundation for World Population (DSW), 80 million women worldwide unintentionally become pregnant every year, and more than half a million die of complications during pregnancy or childbirth. In addition to health risks, these women and their families often also face a considerable risk of poverty. Apart from access to modern contraceptives, self-determined family planning also requires knowledge. Sex education is therefore an essential cornerstone for sustainably improving people's future opportunities.

As a leading company in the field of hormonal contraception, Bayer HealthCare has been working in a network of public and private partners for over 50 years and supports family-planning programs in over 130 countries.

Together with the DSW, Bayer HealthCare has launched an innovative education program in Uganda. The program – called "Improving the Sexual and Reproductive Health of Young Adolescents in Uganda" (YAP project) – targets teenagers aged between 10 and 14. Comprehensive, age-appropriate sex education in schools and communities teaches the students how to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies and HIV/AIDS infection. An important component of the project is the involvement of the schoolkids' social environment to ensure a sustainable improvement in their living situation.

A methods manual, which was created in the course of the project with support from Bayer HealthCare, makes it possible to transfer the concept to other regions and countries.

Figures:

YEC Nabweru In 2011 alone, the project reached more than 6,000 young adolescents with important information on sexuality, contraception and HIV & AIDS prevention. Moreover, more than 1,000 parents have been addressed during special communication skill workshops in an effort to improve communication between parents and their children. An innovative toolkit for educating ten to fourteen year olds on sexual and reproductive health was launched in September 2011. It contains information on practical methods, planning steps, and experiences from the project’s implementation. An evaluation study shows that the knowledge and behavior of the involved pupils, their parents and teachers has improved markedly as a result of the YAP project. Pupil knowledge of HIV & AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, and family planning has increased significantly. More than 90 percent of pupils were able to name more than two possible forms of HIV transmission. Almost 70 percent of the pupils now have a comprehensive knowledge of family planning. Before the project started, less than 20 percent of pupils were able to name two methods of family planning. The pupils take conscious and informed family planning decisions. Nearly 90 percent of them said they wanted to have four or fewer children. More than 90 percent of the pupils stated that they would like to have their first child at the age of 21 or later