Madagascar PHE Network newsletter featuring updates from the past few months and introducing our new network outreach officer!

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The Madagascar PHE Network connects, inspires and supports practitioners, donors and policy makers to address Madagascar’s social and environmental challenges in a holistic way.

Working across sectors to combat malaria and safeguard coastal food security

In response to concerns that the upcoming distribution of 10 million mosquito nets in Madagascar might inadvertently contribute to an increase in destructive fishing practices that threaten marine ecosystems and coastal food security, we're collaborating with the MIHARI Locally Managed Marine Area Network to pioneer joined-up efforts by health and conservation actors in order to make this distribution a success for all!

MIHARI / Madagascar PHE Network members WWF, Blue Ventures and WCS have held focus groups with coastal communities in the southwest, west, northwest and northeast of the country to better understand their perceptions and use of mosquito nets. Population Services International has agreed to help analyse these to inform their behaviour change communication, and the JSI/MAHEFA health project is linking their malaria prevention messages with the promotion of sustainable fishing practices in order to ensure that mosquito nets are used for their intended purpose.

This positive intersectoral collaboration demonstrates the broad relevance of our holistic PHE approach in Madagascar beyond simply integrating reproductive health services with natural resource management efforts, and has garnered attention from researchers seeking effective solutions to the twin challenges of combating malaria and safeguarding coastal food security.

Download our briefing paper to find out more about this initiative

Family planning partnerships continue apace

Duke Lemur Center SAVA Conservation update: we're still working regularly with several Marie Stopes "Ladies" to serve remote villages in and around Marojejy National Park in northeast Madagascar, and most recently we've been travelling several hours by 4x4 to reach communities in rosewood logging hotspots as we feel that it's important to combine access to family planning services with our environmental initiatives.

Madagascar Fauna and Flora Group (MFG) update: we started partnering with Marie Stopes earlier this year in order to secure access to family planning services for communities around Betampona Natural Reserve in east Madagascar, which is one of MFG's primary sites of intervention. So far we've completed two rounds of outreach clinics offering long-acting contraceptives methods, and the next round is planned for October to coincide with World Lemur Day celebrations.

Blue Ventures update: we've just established a new partnership with JSI/MAHEFA and the Ministry of Health to provide family planning options and basic healthcare to remote fishing camp communities in the Barren Isles archipelago on Madagascar's west coast, which is the Indian Ocean’s largest locally managed marine area. This photo essay tells the full story.

Visit phemadagascar.org for resources and more

Introducing our new network outreach officer

As the Madagascar PHE Network grows and new partnerships between members develop, we're delighted to welcome Nantenaina Andriamalala as our new network outreach officer! Nantenaina has a strong background in environmental education, an excellent understanding of PHE, and experience organising events with a range of stakeholders.

Nantenaina's initial focus will be meeting one-to-one with each network member organisation to understand their individual PHE aspirations and needs, and what more the network can do to support them and/or to share their expertise with others. This is likely to include identifying future training topics and opportunities for collaborating on the development of shared PHE community outreach resources, and in the long-term he'll also be responsible for organising site-based learning exchanges between network members in different parts of the country.

This week Nantenaina is representing the Madagascar PHE Network at a regional PHE conference in Kisumu, Kenya, alongside representatives of Blue Ventures and MFG. He'll be doing a presentation about progress achieved during the Madagascar PHE Network's first year, and connecting with key PHE actors from east Africa and the USA.

Policy meeting highlights how PHE contributes to Madagascar's National Development Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals

The Madagascar PHE Network co-organised a high-level policy meeting with the British Ambassador and USAID/Madagascar Mission Director in April, which was attended by Madagascar's Minister of Health, Special Advisors to the President and the Prime Minister, Cabinet Directors of Fisheries and the Environment, Voahary Salama, Blue Ventures and WCS for information exchange on PHE and the National Development Plan, and the Sustainable Development Goals more generally.

Looking ahead...

We intend to convene the next big Madagascar PHE Network gathering next year, with the exact format and content to be decided in close consultation with all network member organisations through Nantenaina's one-to-one meetings.

Forward

© Madagascar PHE Network | September 2015
Contact: nantenaina@phemadagascar.org

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