Julie Tinker

International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere Region

Grant Awarded: $50,000

The International Planned Parenthood Federation strives to ensure every individual’s access to quality health services, in particular the poor and under served. The IPPF is strategically structured to work around five programmatic areas: Abortion, Access, Adolescents, Advocacy and AIDS/HIV/STI.

It is estimated that nearly half a million women develop cervical cancer each year. Over 80% of these cases occur in developing countries where poverty persists and access to adequate information and services, including routine screening and optimal treatment, are widely unavailable. Caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women in Latin America, and Bolivia has the second-highest cervical caner mortality rate in the region. Cervical cancer is a growing threat to women all over the world, especially in poor countries where health information and services is extremely limited. The objective of the project is to help prevent cervical cancer by targeting parents, teachers, and adolescents with key messages about the HPV vaccine.

The Coming of Age campaign will complement the initiative currently being implemented on the ground by the IPPF/WHR in Bolivia in partnership with the Ministry of Health. The initiative is designed to increase access to the vaccine by making it free and available in schools, health clinics and mobile health units reaching both urban and rural women across the country. Specifically, the vaccine will be available in 34 clinics, 3 mobile health clinics and nearly 300 schools where more than 30,000 girls will get the vaccine. Currently the initiative does not have a communications strategy, therefore, the Coming of Age campaign will make an extremely valuable contribution to the initiative nationwide. IPPF/WHR will oversee the campaign not only because of its expertise, but also because of its ability to replicate the campaign throughout its network and matching funds.