HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF ARFH
Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH) is a national, non-governmental organization established in 1989 and registered in 1991. The organization has its headquarters in Ibadan and 3 other offices in Abuja, Minna and Owerri. Our mission is to initiate promote and implement in partnership with other organizations, developmental, HIV & AIDS, SRH and family planning program and interventions for young people and adult through capacity building, technical assistance, operations research, and evaluation to improve the quality of life in Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa. These programmes focus on mobilizing people for behavioural and attitudinal changes that promote best sexual and reproductive health practices in order to reduce diseases burden particularly STI, HIV & AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis which are currently devastating families and communities globally and Nigeria in particular.
Within its 21 years of existence, the organization has successfully designed, implemented and managed innovative reproductive health and developmental projects in all the states across the Federation and neighbouring countries most of which had gained national recognition and are being replicated nationwide. The transformation of ARFH into a viable and innovative national NGO is the result of the involvement of its renowned and credible founders complemented by skilled and dedicated staff in community- based reproductive health (RH) and family planning activities.
ARFH has a track record that demonstrate her credibility in both programmatic and financial management of grants of varying sizes for project/interventions that bother on youth development, maternal and child health, family planning, HIV&AIDS and other reproductive health interventions. Example of such grants includes the Global fund round 5 and 9 where ARFH is one of its three Principal Recipients in Nigeria. ARFH’s areas of competencies and skills include training, mentoring, provision of technical assistance, women empowerment/skills acquisition, youth programming, institutional capacity development, establishing HCT centres, replicable innovative programming, training and educational material development, service delivery, partnership building, financial management, and operations research.
ARFH has grown under the strong and able leadership of its founder-Prof. O. A. Ladipo and Mrs. G. E. Delano President/CEO and Vice President/Executive Director respectively. The duo are backed by a dedicated work force of 124 staff (65 Professional/Technical staff (53%), 19 Management staff (15%) and 40 support staff (32%) and a core of highly resourceful consultants from different Geo-political zones with wide range of experience in Health programming especially on HIV & AIDS,TB, malaria as well as Sexual and Reproductive Health.
In recognition of the contribution of the organization to development, United Nations committee on NGOs granted ARFH a special Consultative Status with UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 2007. A total of 22 NGOs worldwide were granted this recognition with ARFH as the only one from Nigeria among three chosen from Africa. The special status conferred on the organization gives it eligibility to attend all mandate, governance and financial meetings of ECOSOC as well as the right to circulate statements, speak at meetings and propose items for the council’s agenda.
