IPPF’s humanitarian program; the SPRINT Initiative is providing crucial medical and sexual
and reproductive (SRH) health services to #TyphoonKOPPU affected areas in Philippines
November 16, 2015: New Delhi|Kuala Lumpur: Typhoon Koppu which is being referred to by its
local name Lando, made a landfall on the island of Luzon in the Philippines, on the 18th of
October, inundating several parts of the Luzon area. The typhoon has wreaked havoc, causing
floods, power outages, road blockages and has totally disrupted people’s lives. To address the
crucial medical and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) vulnerabilities of the population, The
International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), through its humanitarian program, the
SPRINT Initiative, is providing assistance to affected populations.
Medical and SRH assistance is being provided through the Family Planning Organisation of
Philippines (FPOP), a member association of IPPF East & South East Asia and Oceania Region
(IPPF ESEAOR), with funding provided by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and
Trade (DFAT).
“Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) is a significant public health need in all communities,
especially those facing emergencies. In emergency situations, there is often a lack of access to
SRH services,” said Nora Murat, Regional Director, IPPF ESEAOR.
“IPPF-SPRINT implements The Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for Reproductive
Health, a standard for essential health service, in flood affected areas of Echaque Municipality
in Isabela Province of Region II – Cagayan Valley, Philippines. MISP is a coordinated set of
priority activities for reducing SRH-related illnesses and deaths in times of emergency” she
added.
According to UN OCHA and the updates of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Council (NDRRMC), dated 3rdNovember, 2015, more than 3,126,130 people
(733,152 families) have been affected. It is estimated that at the peak of the disaster, over
70,500 people (15,604families) were in 376 evacuation centres managed by local authorities.
Of the affected population, more than 780,000 are women and girls of reproductive age (15-49
years old) and an estimated 31,000 are pregnant women who require special care.
In crisis situations such as these, there is an increase in gender based violence (GBV) and access
to health care becomes more difficult. Whilst the restoration of government services is in full
swing, IPPF-SPRINT’s response is to prevent and manage the consequences of sexual violence,
reduce the incidence of STI, including HIV, transmission and to prevent excess maternal and
neonatal mortality and morbidity. “IPPF-SPRINT will work in close co-ordination with
Reproductive Health-Maternal Child Health Working Group, United Nations Population Fund
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(UNFPA), Department of Health (DOH) and Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) and FPOP. An
amount of USD 35,000 has been mobilised by IPPF-SPRINT to reach out to more than 4000
people’’ said Aditi Ghosh, Director, IPPF-SPRINT. “We shall also provide clean delivery kits,
emergency obstetric care services and referral, and reproductive health medical teams to
attend to the poorest of poor and the most vulnerable.” The efforts are complimented by incounty prepositioned stores, released by UNFPA and funded by the Australian Government,
which include reproductive health kits and dignity kits for pregnant and lactating women, and
awareness raising information-education-communication (IEC) activities for the affected
population.
Focal Point Contact:
Dr. Subatra Jayaraj, Regional Manager, ESEAOR, IPPF-SPRINT: subatra@ippfeseaor.org
Murali Kunduru, Emergency Response Manager, IPPF-SPRINT Global Hub: mkunduru@ippfsar.org
Media Contact:
Debanjana Choudhuri, Communications Manager, IPPF-SPRINT Global Hub: dchoudhuri@ippfsar.org
www.ippf-sprint.org
@2014Sprint
IPPF Global-SPRINT
The SPRINT Initiative is a Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) PRogrammeIN crisis and postcrisis siTuations. SPRINT ensures access to essential lifesaving SRH services for women, men
and children in times of crises, a time when services are most needed yet are not prioritised or
recognised by key humanitarian responders.
The SPRINT Initiative saves lives and delivers on behalf of the Australian Government aid
program (DFAT: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), which aims to provide more
effective preparedness for and response to disasters and crises.
The Initiative is managed by the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and
represents its commitment to increasing access to SRH services for crisis-affected populations.
The International Planned Parenthood Federation is a global service provider and a leading
advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights for all. It is a worldwide movement of
national organisations working with and for communities and individuals.