The Gambia Family Planning Association (GFPA) with funding support from UNFPA have commenced the training of 130 Community Based Distributors from Central River Region, Upper River Region, North Bank Region, Lower River Region and West Coast Region at the Friendship Hostel in Bakau on Wednesday 31st July 2013.

According to the organizers, the overall objective of the training is to increase the availability of and access to family planning contraceptive services to couples and individuals within the reproductive age group and that the Goal of the Project is to promote quality and affordable contraceptive services that will serve the needs of the people of the Gambia for effective Family Planning prevention of HIVIAIDS and sexually transmitted infections.

The Organisers noted that the specific objectives of the training is to:

- increase capacity of CBs in the provision of FP services and information in the CBD in CRR, URR, NBR, LRR and WCR by end 2013.

- To reach 50,000 persons within the reproductive age group with information on birth spacing prevention and treatment of STIs infertility! sexual dysfunction in the rural areas by end 2013.

- To increase FP acceptor rate in CRR, URR, NBR, LRR and WCR by 50% over the previous year's figures 2227 by end of 2013

- To increase knowledge of FP among couples and individuals in the targeted project sites. This project aims to strengthen the CBD efforts by retraining some of the existing CBDs and recounting new CBD to increase update and generate more grassroots support for family planning in regions of Gambia. The recruited agents will be provided with cycles to enhance their mobility in reaching the nearby villages for educational talks.

The associations will work with the CBDs to intensify IEC at the community base to enhance behavioral change by conducting sensitization meetings, home visits, one and one contact, radio talk shows and spots drama shows and future shows in the targeted communities, regular supervision and monitoring by the field staff, including the regional programme office and the UNFPA staff.