ECafrique: Meeting an Unmet Need Emergency contraception (EC) fills an important niche in the range of contraceptive options available to women and couples. EC refers to several contraceptive methods that can be used to prevent pregnancy after rape, failure of a contraceptive method, and/or other acts of unprotected sex. Established in 2003 under the auspices of the Population Council, the African Forum on Emergency Contraception, or ECafrique, is a bilingual, international network of health care and business professionals seeking to expand the availability of EC services in Africa. Almost every country in sub-Saharan Africa is represented among ECafrique’s over 200 institutional and individual members. ECafrique supports two broad sets of activities. It undertakes research, advocacy, and service-delivery interventions at the country level; and it disseminates information on improving access to quality EC services regionally. The network informs the media and links national regulatory agencies and service providers with local pharmaceutical companies to encourage registration and production of high-quality EC products in Africa. It publishes a quarterly bulletin in French and English covering critical issues in EC. Circulation exceeds 2,000 electronic and hard copies. The Secretariat of ECafrique is headquartered at the Council’s Nairobi office, with program associate John Skibiak serving as network coordinator. Skibiak was elected last year to the steering committee of the International Consortium on Emergency Contraception (ICEC), of which the Council is a founding member. ECafrique facilitates communication between its members and those of the ICEC and other regional EC networks, particularly those in Latin America and the Arab-speaking world. ECafrique is funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Compton Foundation. (Return to issue contents)
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