Dear colleague,

Last week, we released a statement from the full FP2020 Secretariat to acknowledge and affirm the pain and anguish of the Black community during this moment in the United States. We continue to reflect on our own work and how we can support our Black colleagues, and unpack the history of racism in our field. We undergo this process alongside the UN Foundation, which hosts the FP2020 Secretariat. If you missed the statement from the Secretariat, you can see it on our website.

Reflecting on our own work, we feel more strongly than ever that our partnership must be shaped by the partners themselves. To that end, in the next phase of the partnership, FP2020 will function through regional hubs, in order to ensure countries lead the way in setting and accomplishing their own goals. We will continue to keep you updated as this process moves forward.

It remains as important as ever to share with one another how we are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, including our successes and challenges. We hope you’ll enjoy hearing from our colleague Dr. Ghanshyam Bhatta in Nepal, and how his team and country is responding to the pandemic. Next week, please join us for our webinar discussing emergency contraception and young people, in the context of COVID-19 – you can find the details below.

As different parts of the world begin to find their “new normal,” and other countries are only at the beginning of this process, we hope this partnership remains a vital tool to connect and collaborate. As always, we continue to collect and curate resources for protecting access to family planning during this crisis; if you’d like to submit material, please do so here. 

Sincerely,

Beth Schlachter

COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT: NEPAL

RESOURCES FROM THE FIELD

COVID-19 LIBRARY: Collection of COVID-19 Resources

COVID-19 Library offers community-based health workers and trainers access to quality assured openly licensed content that can be used on mobile devices and shared with local communities globally.

THE ATLANTIC: The Sexual-Health Supply Chain Is Broken

Condoms, hormonal birth control, and other items are harder to get in the developing world because of the pandemic, and it’s putting lives at risk. 

SURVEY: Shaping the future of contraceptives

This survey is designed to learn about preferences on contraception, including the various ways or methods that a couple can use it to delay or avoid pregnancy. Responses to this survey will help inform the creation of new contraceptive methods.

PODCAST: Upholding reproductive health rights in a pandemic

Like in many other countries, the health system in the Philippines is focused on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. This podcast episode examines how that will impact access to reproductive health systems.

LOOKING AHEAD