The Africa Caring Understanding Partners (CUP) Initiative is a regional initiative designed to involve men in reproductive health issues -- through a variety of strategies, including sports. The CUP Initiative was first proposed at the Africa Regional Conference on Men's Participation in Reproductive Health in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1996, and has been endorsed by 175 policy-makers and program managers from 31 African nations, at two regional conferences on men's participation in reproductive health. Since that time, the CUP Initiative has grown into a continent-wide reproductive health and sports initiative, with cost-sharing interventions in eight countries. The CUP Initiative promotes a range of health behaviors including HIV/AIDS and STD prevention, family planning promotion, and child survival, among others -- to men. A combination of community outreach, national media, and interpersonal communication interventions have been used. Recently in West Africa, the CUP Initiative trained national football coaches in Cameroon as youth counselors in football camps. In East and Central Africa, the CUP Initiative launched an AIDS prevention campaign during the Confederation of East and Central African Countries (CECAFA) Youth Tournament in Kenya. In Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania, the CUP Initiative has worked with National Youth Councils, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and with the Ministry of Health. Funding and implementation of these projects has been made possible through the collaboration of a range of international donors, governmental and non-governmental institutions. This Initiative is seeking to expand partnerships between public and private sector institutions.
Learning Objectives: To identify lessons in the design and implementation of cost-sharing projects designed to reach and influence men
Keywords: Reproductive Health, Family Planning
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.