ARROW and her Partners in this Project

Regional  

The Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW) was formally established in 1993 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as a regional non-profit and non-governmental organisation concerned with ensuring that development policies and plans influencing women’s health status included women’s and gender perspectives. Co-founded by Rita Raj and Rashidah Abdullah, ARROW’s vision is for women in Asia and the Pacific to be better able to define and control their lives, particularly in the area of women's health and rights. Since 1993, ARROW has been able to make significant progress towards this vision. For more information, please go to www.arrow.org.my

 

In March 2008, 37 participants from 13 countries met in Kuala Lumpur and formed the Asia Safe Abortion Partnership (ASAP), facilitated by the International Consortium for Medical Abortion (ICMA). This network has members from Turkey, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Mongolia, India, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Cambodia. The goal for ASAP is to promote, protect and advance women’s sexual and reproductive rights and health in Asia by reducing unsafe abortion and its complications and where it is legal, by promoting access to comprehensive safe abortion services. For more information, please visit http://www.asap-asia.org

 

International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW Asia Pacific) is an international organisation based in the South that plays a critical role in filling the gap between the promise of women's human rights embodied in human rights treaties, and their actual realisation at the national level. This involves mobilising women's groups at all levels to draw accountability from governments on the domestic application of human rights standards. This is done primarily through the lens of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and other international human rights treaties. Established in 1993, IWRAW Asia Pacific currently works throughout South and Southeast Asia and over 100 countries globally.  For more information, please visit www.iwraw-ap.org/ 

  

Australia 

Children by Choice is committed to providing unbiased information on all unplanned pregnancy options to Queensland women and their families. Children by Choice offers referrals for abortion, adoption and parenting, recognizing that unintended pregnancy is a reality of women's lives. No contraceptive method is 100% effective and many new contraceptive products are not available in Australia. Children by Choice is actively working towards maaking abortion services accessible to all women, regardless of where they live, age, financial status, cultural and religious background; Removing abortion laws from the Queensland Criminal Code; and the provision of abortion services in public hospitals. For more information, please go to: http://www.childrenbychoice.org.au/

Bangladesh

 

Naripokkho is an activist organisation founded in 1983, working for the advancement of women’s rights and entitlements and building resistance against violence, discrimination and injustice.  One of the thematic areas of Naripokkho’s work is women’s health and reproductive rights. Naripokkho is a membership-based organisation that meets every Tuesday to discuss issues of concern.  These discussions form the basis for Naripokkho’s programmes which include campaigns, cultural events, protest activities, research discussions, lobbying, advocacy, etc

 

Bhutan

Tarayana Foundation is a non-profit organization, wholeheartedly working to uplift and enhance the lives of people in rural communities in Bhutan. The Foundation complements and supplements the efforts of the Royal Government in poverty reduction by espousing the national goal, Bhutan 2020: A Vision for Peace, Prosperity and Happiness. Tarayana Foundation was established in 2003 by Her Majesty the Queen, Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, as a potential solution to the problems of the disadvantaged that she witnessed first hand during her tours to the remote corners of the nation. For more information, please write to: http://www.tarayanafoundation.org/

 

Cambodia

The Reproductive Health Association of Cambodia’s (RHAC) mission is to enable the Cambodian people to exercise their rights to achieve optimal quality of life through model services, gender sensitive health communication, and training, focusing on family health, including sexual and reproductive health, maternal and child health and HIV/AIDS. It was established in April of 1996, as a local non-governmental organization, run by the local staff of Family Planning International Assistance (FPIA). In November of 1996, RHAC was admitted as the Cambodian member of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).  For more information, please go to http://www.rhac.org.kh/

 

China

Yunnan Health and Development Research Association (YHDRA), previously entitled the Yunnan Reproductive Health Research Association (YRHRA), was founded formally in March 7th 1994, as a non-governmental and non-for-profit research organization (NGO and NPO) based on Yunnan Province of China. YHDRA's overall goal is to promote health and development for the people through research, training, programs and other actions. For more information, please visit http://www.yhdra.org/ 

 

Ghana

Community And Family Aid Foundation (CAFAF) is a non-profit organization (NGO) founded in January 2007 and exist to facilitate focused youth reproductive health services, communication, provide a common voice at regional and international forums and strengthen forms of social development, and improve the well-being of people and communalities served by the organization. Health is wealth CAFAF programmes and projects are carefully and realistically tailored to promote and enable access to sharing and dissemination of information, ideas, experiences and resources to promote the development sexual reproductive health issues affecting young people. CAFAF hopes to host the largest effort ever launched in the country (Ghana) to positively influence adolescent sexual behavior with the aim of reducing teenage pregnancy, the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases infections, based on informed choice, shared responsibility, and positive sexuality. For more information, please go to www.cafaf.webs.com

 

Evelyn Appiah-Donyina (individual) 

Evelyn Appiah-Donyina has several years experience as an adult educator, involved with programme formulation and implementation in the areas of women's education, community development and HIV and AIDS advocacy. She is passionate about women's access to education and family planning, and about the fact that ownership of the MDGs have not been shared with those to whom it concerns most, women. She can be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

India

Centre for Health, Education, Training and Nutrition Awareness (CHETNA) is a non-governmental support organisation based in Ahmadabad, Gujarat, with a regional unit in Jaipur, Rajasthan.  CHETNA’s mission is to contribute to the empowerment of disadvantaged women, adolescents and children to gain control over their own, their families’ and communities’ health. It is a unique resource agency which provides support to Government and Civil Society organisations; which raises health and nutrition consciousness among women, youth and children from disadvantaged social sections. It strives to bring about comprehensive gender-sensitive policies at the state, national, regional and international levels and networks globally to build strategic partnerships. For more on CHETNA, please visit: http://www.chetnaindia.org/

 

SAHAYOG is an NGO working to promote gender equality and women’s health from a human rights framework. Its key activities include advocacy and strengthening partnerships. SAHAYOG is a value based organization, upholding equity and equality, participation, transparency and effectiveness as its major values. SAHAYOG believes that socially marginalized individuals and groups must participate in decision-making that affects their lives, such as poor rural women, youth, non-literates, Dalits, tribals and minorities. SAHAYOG works at the community level in partnership with local NGOs to build capacities and provide information so that the marginalized can exercise their rights and access services. SAHAYOG has been advocating on various issues of women’s rights at state, national and international level. With SAHAYOG’s regular research, documentation and evidence base, SAHAYOG reaches out to organizations, educational institutions, state actors and the media, as well as anchors campaigns and advocacy efforts in partnership with other organizations and individuals. For more on SAHAYOG, please visit: www.sahayogindia.org

 

Blossom is a non-profit organization working towards the personal, social and economic development of disadvantaged and marginalized members of the community, especially women and children, aiming to improve their quality of life. This is achieved through an increase in health, social, economic and environmental awareness. It was founded in 1993 by Father Vima Amalan and T. Mercy Annapoorni, the director, who sought to improve the well-being of the disadvantaged local women and children. The organization aims to empower marginalized persons, thus the staff consists mostly of women, some of them infected by HIV & TB, and includes also transgender staff.  For more information, please visit www.blossomtrust.org.in, www.educlowns.com or http://www.blossomdayspringhome.com/

 

Global Concerns India is non-profit community based organization, committed to strategically promoting transformative leadership with values.  In striving to fulfill this mission - GCI addresses issues pertaining to human rights, especially of women and children, alleviating poverty by empowering the community to take responsibility towards building better futures by challenging present injustice, promoting the participation of women and children to understand their rights in addressing civic issues.   GCI carries out this mission, by mobilizing community collectives at the grassroots level to challenge exploitation, violence and injustice, empowering women as key change agents, and forging effective partnerships with NGOs and government.  Respond to and intervene any crisis and distress calls from women or children, network with other NGOs in addressing and challenging all forms of human rights violations.   

 

Centre for Human Rights & Social Welfare (CHRSW) is a non Governmental, non-profit making secular organization, active among the poor rural, slums community of Rajasthan. Its’ main objectives are to support poor to take up collective responsibilities for their own development. Major activities of CHRSW in Rural and Slums areas are: homeless campaign and housing rights for single women; education and health for all especially for minority issue-family welfare and HIV/AIDS awareness or birth control vocational training for poor youths; promoting of social equality and social justice(Communal Harmony); women empowerment; slums and rural reconstruction. For more information, please go to http://www.chrsw.org/ 

 

Rural Women's Social Education Centre (RUWSEC) is a non-governmental women’s organisation started in the year 1981 by a team of 13 women of whom 12 were dalit women from the local villages of Chengalpattu taluk near Madras (Chennai) in Tamil Nadu. Since its inception, RUWSEC was a grassroots organisation with community-based workers drawn from the local villages. The approach was to motivate, educate and organise women from poor and marginalised communities to stand up for their rights and become agents of change, as they wanted rural poor women to be able to analyse the socio-economic and political factors underlying their lack of good health and control over their sexuality and fertility and to have the knowledge and skills to alter their own situations. Since 2004, the organisation has transformed into a research, training, advocacy and technical support organisation providing inputs to grassroots organisations in Tamil Nadu which are working on gender, reproductive, sexual health and rights. For more information, please visit www.ruwsec.org

 

The Academy for Nursing Studies (ANSWERS) is an organization of professional nurses and individuals committed to improving the quality of life and the quality of health care in communities. It is a non-profit making organization registered as a Society in 1994 in Hyderabad, India. We are engaged in public health, community mobilization, education and training activities to promote health of communities.

  

TK Sundari Ravindran (individual)

TK Sundari Ravindran has a PhD in Applied Economics from the Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum, Kerala, India. She is currently honorary professor at the Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum. Sundari has worked extensively internationally and in India as an activist and researcher on gender and health equity issues with a focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights. She has several publications including books to her credit. Sundari was co-editor of the journal Reproductive Health Matters from 1992-98, and has also worked with the World Health Organization, Geneva and its Regional Offices in New Delhi and Manila in various capacities. She was also a member of the United Nations’ MDG Task Force on Maternal and Child Health. She was also a one of the reviewer's for ARROW's 'Reclaiming & Redefining Rights - ICPD+15: Status of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Asia', published in 2009. Sundari is a founder member of Rural Women’s Social Education Centre (RUWSEC), a grassroots women’s health organization in Tamil Nadu.

 

Ranjani K. Murthy (individual)  

Ranjani K. Murthy is an independent researcher working on issues of gender, poverty and health with a substantial focus on the Asia-Pacific region. She has worked on these themes since 1984, first at the grassroots level with an NGO in South India (MYRADA), then in an intermediary role as the Coordinator of a national level Indian women's organisation (Initiatives: Women in Development). Since 1994, her work has focused on research. Along the way, she completed her M Phil in Development Studies from the Institute of Development Studies, Sussex and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Rural Management, India. She has co-authored a publication on Asian women's health and several on gender, poverty and health accountability. She can be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

Indonesia

Yayasan kesehatan Perempuan (YKP), is a Jakarta-based Women's Health Foundation, working since the 1990s and was formally established in 2001. YKP works with government, health workers, and the public to promote women's health and rights. The vision of YKP is to enable Indonesian women to exercise their reproductive rights and a society free from violence of all forms, and reproductive well being. YKP has been working to build support for a national health law which ensures access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare, including access to safe abortion. YKP partners include, Ford Foundation (FF), International Women Health Coalition (IWHC), United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA), World Health Organization (WHO), Asian Pacific Resource and Research Center for Women (ARROW) and IPAS. For more information, please go to http://ykesehatanperempuan.org/?q=en/node/8 

 

Women’s Health Education Foundation or in Indonesia usually called Yayasan Pendidikan Kesehatan Perempuan (YPKP) was established on June 23, 2003 by health professionals and activists who are concerned with women’s reproductive health issues. The main purpose of its’ establishment was to encourage and empower women, men, and adolescents to be responsible when it comes to sexual and reproductive health,  as well as their families and social role in order to improve women’s health status. For more information, please visit http://www.ypkp.net/  

 

Japan

Space allies is a Japan-based NGO, which focuses on women's rights and health issues. Space allies addresses women's rights and health issues not only in Japan, but also in the world and acts both domestically and internationally. Space Allies has wrestled with women's rights and health issues, such as eradication of violence against women and support for the victim of VAW, fulfillment of reproductive health/rights, promotion of women's rights on property and inheritance, advocating minority women's rights, preventing trafficking and preventing feminization of HIV/AIDS. Since 2000 when Space Allies was established, it has collaborated with Allies Law Office. To achieve MDG5 and 3, Space Allies has made some enlightening pamphlets on MDG5 in  Japanese language and negotiated with the Japanese government for MDG5 and 3. For more information on Space Allies, please visit http://www12.ocn.ne.jp/~allies/english/index.html

 

 

Lao PDR

University of Health Sciences, Laos, aims to improve the health status of all Lao people by providing qualified human resources for health to deliver quality of care services for the Lao people. The mission of the university is to work together with organizational counterparts to train qualified human resources for health to improve the health of all people in the Lao P.D.R. The philosophy of the foundation of the University of Health Sciences is to provide the training and education so that future Human Resources for Health will be effective in improving health of communities even at the district level. ARROW is partnersing with the Postgraduate Studies & Research Department, University of Health Sciences, Laos. For more information, please go to http://www,psr.educ.la or to http://uhs.edu.la/index_en.html 

 

Liberia

Bassa Women Development Association (BAWODA) is a women’s organization advocating for the rights of women and girls in Liberia.  It has a seven man advisory board.  The Secretariat is headed by the executive director. Recently, they carried out an awareness raising on women participation in forest management.  This program allows the women to see themselves users of the forest and the importance of the forest to them.  They are conscious to add their voices in the management of their forest because is part of the heritage, source of income, refuge, comfort, work site etc.  What remains is to continue the project so that they can gain more knowledge and be proactive.  BAWODA is located in the post city of Buchanan, Grand Bassa County and a network member of Women Won't Wait, Women NGO Secretariat of Liberia, New African Research Development Agency and Civil Society Organizations of Liberia. Presently they are conducting a series of radio programs on women's rights at their own initiatives and have their offices in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County.  BAWODA also conducts counseling on gender based violence and HIV and Aids.  BAWODA’s vision is to see a country where women can speak freely when their rights are violated and seek justice at all time irrespective of who they are, or where they come from. Their motto is ‘women exercising rights’.

 

Malaysia 

RRAAM (the Reproductive Rights Advocacy Alliance Malaysia), which comprises of NGOs and individuals committed to promoting women´s access to reproductive rights and services, was formed in 2007 to inform, educate and advocate on these reproductive rights issues. For more information, please go to www.rraam.org

 

Nepal

The Beyond Beijing Committee (BBC) is an independent organization of national coalition of leading women's rights and gender-justice organizations working to advance the status of women in Nepal. The BBC was formed soon after the UN Fourth World Conference on Women, which was held in Beijing, in September 1995. It started the trend to consult beyond Kathmandu for the first time in history of this country to be inclusive of its multicultural heritage and minorities and rural population as was set by the parent committee for the preparatory process for the UN Fourth World Conference on Women, NGO National Preparatory Committee/ INHURED International, to consult at five developmental regions and at national level. The main aim of the coalition is to effectively implement the Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA) through a diverse array of activities and programs at grassroots, national and international level. For more information, please visit http://www.beyondbeijing.org/

 

Nigeria

BAOBAB For Women's Human Rights (BAOBAB) is a not for profit, non-governmental women's human rights organization, which focuses on women's legal rights issues under the three (3) systems of law - customary, statutory and religious laws in Nigeria. The organization evolved from an ad hoc group of activists, social scientists, lawyers, and specialists in Muslim laws and Arabic who were responsible for executing the Women and Laws Nigeria project, under the auspices of the International Solidarity Network of Women Living Under Muslim Laws from 1993 to 1996. In 1996, BAOBAB as presently constituted formally came into being. BAOBAB operates from a national office in Lagos and with outreach teams in 14 states across Nigeria . These are: Adamawa, Borno, Edo, Kaduna , Kano , Katsina, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos , Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba and Zamfara. The organization works with women, legal and paralegal professionals, human rights NGOs and members of the general public. http://www.baobabwomen.org/

 

International Women Communication Centre (IWCC) derived it name from the need for a Woman Community Centre (WCC), established in 1993 as a women’s Human, Right NGO (Non Governmental Organization) and cooperate affairs commission. It is a non-Governmental, nor political and non profit making organization, established to serve the interest of Women and Children. Our vision is to see that, the issues of Women’s Human Right become an Integral part of our daily life towards ensuring Gender mainstreaming and Gender balance in socio economic and political development of our nation.

 

FIDA is the abbreviation of the Spanish appellation of the association, which is Federation International De Abogadas. FIDA was formed in Mexico in 1944.FIDA Nigeria is a branch of FIDA interntaional. FIDA Enugu was carved out of FIDA Anambra and inaugurated on 27 May 1996 following the creation of Enugu State. The primary objective of the organization is to enhance and promote the welfare of women and children. In furtherance of this, FIDA Enugu has a Family Law Center to carter for the legal needs of our destitute public. FIDA is a voluntary organization and runs free legal education programmes, advocates for law reforms and legislation for protecting human rights of individuals.

 

 

Pakistan

Shirkat Gah-Women’s Resource Centre was formed in 1975 to promote gender equality through: integrating consciousness-raising with a development perspective and initiating projects that translated advocacy into action. Shirkat Gah’s vision is for fully empowered women in a just and vibrant, democratic and tolerant and environmentally sound society, where equity and opportunity are ensured for all, resources sustainably used, where peace prevails and where the state is responsive. To find out more about Shirkat Gah, please go to http://www.shirkatgah.org/

 

Youth Dividend is a dynamic youth led organization formed in Pakistan working to develop, inform, inspire and mobilize young people through leadership trainings, peer education, awareness raising, skill building, policy and advocacy.  Youth Dividend is a team of four young girls who are young professionals, entrepreneurs , peer educators, trainers, photographers and skilled media personnel, who work with the aim of empowering youth and making a change in the field of development. For more information, please visit http://www.youthdividend.org/

 

Philippines

Likhaan is a collective of grassroots women and men, health advocates and professionals dedicated to promoting and pushing for the health and rights of disadvantaged women and their communities. Likhaan works thematic issues, which are: women's empowerment, universal access to the highest attainable standard of health care, primary health care, maternal mortality, contraception, unsafe abortion, and patient’s rights. For more information, please visit http://likhaan.net/

 

ReproCen campaigns for the ethical analyses of medical and legal cases on reproductive health and rights, which may then be used as references in academic teaching and in other educational activities and is in the process of creating a module for the teaching of adolescent reproductive health. In the area of research, ReproCen is involved in the formulation of an ethical framework to be used in the coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of identified research projects. Some of their projects include: a study of Supreme Court cases prior to and after the passage of the Anti-VAWC (violence against women and children) Bill; sexual harassment cases throughout the UP System, etc.

 

United Kingdom

Shevolution is a small consultancy specialising in the advance of women in politics/public life everywhere, and also we are specialists in Gender/post-conflict reconstruction.  The latter often brings senior partner Ms Lesley Abdela into women’s health matters. For more information, please visit http://www.shevolution.qbfox.com/

 

United States of America

The International Women's Rights Action Watch (IWRAW) was organized in 1985 at the Third World Conference on Women in Nairobi, Kenya, to promote recognition of women’s human rights under the United Nation’s Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (the CEDAW Convention), an international human rights treaty. IWRAW was founded on the belief that the human rights of women and girls are essential to development and that equality between women and men will only be achieved through use of international human rights principles and processes. Since its inception, IWRAW’s program has expanded to encompass advocacy for women’s human rights under all the international human rights treaties.

“The International Women's Rights Action Watch Global (Minnesota, USA) has supported implementation of the CEDAW Convention since 1986 and pioneered the shadow reporting process to CEDAW as well as to CESCR on gender issues. We have been dismayed from the inception of the MDG process at the lack of a rights-based approach and the lack of accountability mechanisms. We fully support the Campaign to Make MDGs Meaningful for Women.”  -- Marsha A. Freeman, Senior Fellow and Director, International Women's Rights Action Watch

 

Nelly P. Stromquist (individual)

Nelly P. Stromquist works in the field of education, teaching and research, covering all levels, from primary school to higher education, including adult education. She examines issues related to educational access and completion, women's empowerment, citizenship rights, public pollicies in education, and the impact of globalization on education, always keeping a focus on gender issues. She has been affiliated with two professional organizations in her field: AERA and CIES where she has been a member for over 20 years. To contact Nelly, please write to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

Swaziland

Swaziland Positive Living (SWAPOL) was formed in 2001 as a coping strategy for five HIV positive women who were encountering stigma and discrimination from their families and community members. It was initially established as a support group to empower families of HIV positive people to cope, accept and deal with HIV. However, the group gradually evolved into a professional organization and was registered and incorporated in 2003, and transformed into a non-governmental organization (NGO) in 2008. With its headquarters in Manzini, SWAPOL currently serves 9,989 members in support groups in 54 rural communities. This target group includes PLHIV, OVC and their families. The mission of SWAPOL is to provide support and improve the quality of life for PLHIV, OVC and affected families in an effective and efficient manner. Its main objectives are to build capacity of support groups of PLHIV, and advocate and lobby for their universal treatment in respect of their human rights, particularly women’s rights. It also seeks to promote food security and good nutrition, provide health services to rural communities via the mobile clinic, catalyze advocacy debate at all levels on the plight of women, stop propert y grabbing from widows by in-laws, and provide psychological support and counseling services to individuals and bereaved families.

 

Thailand

The Institute for Population and Social Research (IPSR) in Mahidol University is one of the premier population research and training institutes in  Asia. Its internationally distinguished faculty has demonstrated excellence in academic research, including applied research, aiming at improving the quality of life of people in Thailand and Asia. IPSR's major areas of expertise include demographic transition and the family, reproductive health, sexuality, and HIV/AIDS, population and health, migration/urbanization and labor studies, gender and development, population and environment, demographic studies in Southeast Asia, and policy Research. 

 

The Southeast Asian Consortium on Gender, Sexuality, and Health was established in February 2003 and formally launched at the 2nd Asia-Pacific Conference on Sexual and Reproductive Health in October 2003 in Bangkok, in recognition of the values of regional partnerships in understanding and addressing sexual health needs in the region. Through a series of regional training, research, and publication the Consortium aims to promote a context-specific and gender-sensitive approach to sexuality and health in research, policy advocacy, and intervention in order to contribute to better sexual and reproductive health in Southeast Asia and China. Activities are jointly undertaken by the Consortium members and rotate among various locations with a central secretariat based in Bangkok.

Vietnam

The four main functions/activities of the Research Centre for Gender, Family, and Development (CGFED) are: conducting baseline research on Gender, Family and Environment issues (including natural and social environment) in development perspective and interaction of these issues, applying research inter-disciplinary approach; carrying out intervention model based on research results to solve specific problems related to Gender, Family and Environment in order to contribute to the implementation of national strategies on socio-economic and cultural development, health and environment, organising workshops, seminars, training courses at different levels for various groups, especially for people at community level; and disseminating research and intervention results and information related to Gender, Family and Environment through publications and activities of its Documentation Centre. For more information, please visit http://cgfed.org.vn/

 

In 1999, a group of young doctors from Hanoi Medical University made a critical decision when moving from the academic and clinical based environment at the Medical University and establishing their own self-financing organization which is the Consultation of Investment in Health Promotion (CIHP) to pursue their mission in community health and development. However, due to the specific social and political context at that moment, they had to register CIHP as private company though it has worked as a not-for-profit local NGO from the beginning. After almost ten years working in the fields of gender, community health, reproductive and sexual health, sexuality and development, CIHP has been recognized among leading NGOs in Vietnam with its strong commitment and capacity. CIHP has provided technical support to staff and programs of different local and international organizations in Vietnam and in the region. However, with legal status as private company, it was very challenging for CIHP to function effectively in the context of Vietnam. Thus, in late 2008, we established a new organization, which is Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population (CCIHP). CCIHP is registered under the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Association (VUSTA). CCIHP will continue CIHP vision and mission and aim to develop them further as it is now in a better political position.   For more information, please go to http://www.cihp.org.vn/Desktop.aspx/English/