SPRINT is IPPF’s humanitarian programme ensuring that lifesaving sexual and reproductive healthcare is available when emergencies strike. Funded by the Australian Government since 2007, it works through IPPF’s locally led network of Member Associations and Collaborative Partners, with a particular focus on the Indo-Pacific region. This includes Pacific Island countries, where geographic isolation, dispersed populations and exposure to climate and natural hazards can make delivering emergency healthcare especially challenging.Because Member Associations are already embedded in the communities they serve, they understand local needs, systems and barriers to care. SPRINT strengthens their capacity to prepare for crises, respond quickly and sustain essential services throughout recovery, enabling responses that are faster, more trusted and more inclusive. PreparednessSPRINT helps communities, health providers and national responders prepare before emergencies occur. This includes training, pre-positioning sexual and reproductive health supplies, strengthening coordination, and integrating sexual and reproductive health into national disaster management policies and plans.The programme also supports advocacy, partnerships and community engagement so that sexual and reproductive health and rights are recognised and protected throughout all phases of the disaster management cycle.ResponseWhen an emergency strikes, Member Associations can apply for funding to deliver lifesaving services through static clinics, mobile health teams and community outreach.  Responses are coordinated with governments, humanitarian clusters and community partners. Services follow the Minimum Initial Service Package and can include contraception, maternal and newborn care, STI and HIV services, safe abortion care to the full extent permitted by law, and support and referrals for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.SPRINT prioritises women, adolescents, displaced people, people with disabilities and other marginalised communities who may face additional barriers to care.RecoverySPRINT helps Member Associations restore and maintain services after an emergency, connecting immediate interventions with longer-term health system strengthening. Post emergency reviews and peer learning ensure lessons from each response inform future preparedness, advocacy and programme planning. SPRINT’s ImpactBetween 2007 and 2025, SPRINT:Reached 2.5 million people with vital health servicesDelivered 11.9 million services to people affected by crisesSupported 133 emergency responses across 33 countriesTrained 26,000 people in emergency preparedness You can read more about IPPF Humanitarian’s work here.    

Under the Evidence project, IPPF is undertaking innovative research on respecting, protecting and promoting human rights in family planning/reproductive health services and ensuring community voices are part of efforts to improve and strengthen family planning programming. The Evidence Project uses implementation science to improve family planning policies, programs, and practices. Led by the Population Council in partnership with INDEPTH Network, International Planned Parenthood Federation, PATH, Population Reference Bureau, and the project’s University Resource Network, the five-year project (2013–2018) is investigating which strategies work best in improving, expanding, and sustaining family planning services. IPPF is leading on two cross-cutting areas of research. Firstly under the Evidence project, we are undertaking research on how the respect and protection of human rights of women and girls can be instituted and operationalised, and how programs can be held accountable for providing high-quality services. http://evidenceproject.popcouncil.org/technical-areas-and-activities/equity-rights-and-accountability. In order to address the need for indicators and tools for rights based family planning, the Evidence Project has partnered with global experts on human rights and family planning, the International Planned Parenthood Federation’s Sustainable Network Project (SIFPO/IPPF) and with colleagues at Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU) to develop and validate the Rights-Based Family Planning (RBFP) Service Delivery Index in Uganda. This is work is being undertaken in close collaboration with the Economic Policy Research Centre Uganda and University College London.  In addition, we are undertaking a variety of activities that aim to contribute to a deeper knowledge of whether and how the implementation of accountability mechanisms in family planning and reproductive health programs improves clients’ access to and quality of services.   For example, a multi-site case study in Uganda uses process evaluation methodology to explore the implementation of two social accountability programs, aiming to determine what hinders and facilitates engagement at the community level and its translation into improved social accountability processes and reproductive health outcomes.   http://evidenceproject.popcouncil.org/accountability-mechanisms-to-improve-family-planning-and-reproductive-health-programs/