The SPRINT Initiative delivers one of the most overlooked but life-saving forms of humanitarian assistance: access to essential sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services during emergencies. When disaster or conflict strikes, SPRINT ensures that the reproductive health needs of women, girls, and marginalised groups are not forgotten.Since 2007, the SPRINT programme has supported the provision of lifesaving SRH services in emergencies by IPPF’s Member Associations (MAs) across the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. Drawing on IPPF’s existing local networks and partnerships at the country level, SPRINT covers all stages of the humanitarian programme cycle – from preparedness and response to recovery and post-crisis – while also contributing to long-term system strengthening through mitigation strategies.In 2024, SPRINT IV enabled IPPF MAs to provide essential, life-saving SRH services in crisis situations in Sudan, Thailand, Nepal, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, South Sudan, Ethiopia, the Philippines and Vanuatu.Funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), SPRINT builds the capacity of local and national actors to deliver the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for reproductive health in emergencies. These life-saving services include support for safe childbirth, contraception, prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, and clinical care for survivors of sexual violence.Since its launch, SPRINT has responded to 128 humanitarian crises across 99 countries, reaching over 2.5 million people with essential services. In each priority country, IPPF works through its local Member Associations to lead and coordinate the SRH response. These partnerships help strengthen national systems, build local capacity, and ensure that services are timely, accessible, and rights-based.Australia’s location in the Indo-Pacific gives DFAT a unique regional perspective on humanitarian action. In addition to supporting direct response, Australia is committed to building the capacity of governments and civil society to lead their own crisis response. DFAT also works in collaboration with other donors, the United Nations, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and NGOs to strengthen preparedness and humanitarian coordination.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/