June 2009
In September 2008, 4th Sector Health sponsored an exchange between Guatemala’s APROFAM and the Center of Population Studies (CEPEP) in Paraguay. The two family planning service organizations shared experiences on offering sustainable voluntary surgical sterilization services. These services include vasectomy and tubal ligation, methods that are ideal for men and women who no longer want to have children. The unique Guatemalan-Paraguayan exchange enabled 12 health professionals to share experiences on the clinical, financial and administrative management aspects of providing high-quality sterilization services, as well as how to establish the essential referral networks to promote the services sustainably. APROFAM’s voluntary surgical sterilization services, launched more than 25 years ago, are considered a model for effective and sustainable provision of surgical contraception. Through this exchange, Guatemala’s APROFAM developed an integrated training package on sterilization services that can be marketed to broader Latin American audiences. The exchange comes at an opportune time for CEPEP, which is close to graduating from USAID family planning assistance. One remaining barrier to CEPEP’s independence is developing sustainable voluntary sterilization services, particularly in remote and low income areas.