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KOHIMA — As part of the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) during emergency humanitarian response situation, the Family Planning Association of India (FPAI) Nagaland Branch, held a ‘media meet’ with media personnel at Kohima Press Club office on Thursday.
Vincent Belho, general manager of FPAI Nagaland Branch-Kohima, said the association is a pioneer organisation in sexual and reproductive health in India, working since 1949 to advance the right to sexual and reproductive health information and services for all.
He informed that FPAI provides services including family planning, HIV prevention, maternal health and adolescent sexual health education. He added that through its implementation of the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for reproductive health, FPA India has provided vital support to vulnerable populations affected by natural disasters, conflicts, and other emergencies.
Under the MISP, he said, the association needs to have medicines and consumables ready and a set of medical teams including doctors, nurses, lab technicians, counselors and volunteers on standby. By using the MISP, they can provide for sexual and reproductive health with their independent resources, he added.
MISP is an internationally recognised set of priority actions designed to address reproductive health needs during the onset of a humanitarian crisis. It focuses on preventing excess maternal and neonatal mortality, managing sexual violence and ensuring access to contraception, among other essential services.
“FPA India has integrated MISP into its emergency response framework, ensuring the continuity of SRH services even in the most challenging situations,” Belho said.
At Nagaland Branch in Kohima, as part of humanitarian response preparedness, the association has started conducting training, meetings and orientations with different stakeholders and observing national and international humanitarian days.
The importance of MISP for SRH during disaster or emergencies has been advocated and lobbied with stakeholders at the district level with the CMO, DDMA and CSOs and partner agencies including media sensitisation for general public awareness, he informed.
He stated that working for sexual reproductive health needs to be incorporated during humanitarian response preparedness. While they might not be the first responder in terms of humanitarian response, he said they are ready to render resources and services during emergencies.
The general manager added that more efforts are needed for the wider population, especially the young population, to be aware and skilled to face any eventuality of disaster, while the FPAI must be prepared with pre-positioned essentials like medicines, equipment and skills to be resilient in the face of any disaster.
Many people think that the association is just limited to family planning. But they also have specific programmes for young people and covers topics like climate change and humanitarian response, Belho clarified.
As of now, there is six staff at the Nagaland branch including doctor, nurses and others. However, they also have youth volunteers actively working with them.
Programme officer of the FPAI Nagaland Branch, Vingosanuo Khatso, observed that emergency preparedness plan is essential because it ensures that individuals, communities and organisations are ready to respond swiftly and effectively when disaster strikes.
She added that preparedness includes identifying potential hazards, creating communication strategies, organising resources and outlining clear roles and responsibilities.
The association promotes awareness and educates people on how to protect themselves and others, fostering a culture of readiness.
SRH services, along with addressing sexual and gender-based violence, are critical in emergencies during disasters because vulnerabilities increase significantly during such crises, she said.