EngenderHealth and Partners Announce New USAID Award to Expand Reproductive Health Equity Globally 

October 3, 2024 (Washington, DC) – EngenderHealth, a leading global organization committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights, has been awarded the Accelerating ChoiCe, Equity, and Sustainability for Services (ACCESS) cooperative agreement. This five-year, $89.8 million initiative, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) aims to transform family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH) services across select low- and middle-income countries. 

ACCESS focuses on expanding equitable access to high-quality healthcare, reducing maternal mortality, and improving health outcomes for marginalized populations, including youth, people with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples, racial and ethnic minorities, and persons living in extreme poverty, among others. EngenderHealth will lead a diverse consortium of global and local partners, including the International Rescue Committee; Matchboxology, based in South Africa; Restless Development; Samasha Medical Foundation, based in Uganda; and YLabs; along with resource partners African Disability Forum, based in Ethiopia; African Population and Health Research Center, based in Kenya and Senegal; Deloitte Consulting Limited, Tanzania; Faith to Action Network, based in Kenya; the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics; and ThinkWell. Together, this partnership is dedicated to creating sustainable, locally led, youth-responsive, gender-equitable solutions that address the systemic barriers that impact peoples’ abilities to make informed RH decisions and access essential services. 

“Ensuring equitable access to quality family planning and reproductive health services is crucial to accelerate progress toward inclusive, locally driven health systems that respond to the unique needs of marginalized individuals and communities,” said Sekai Chikowero, Vice President of Programs at EngenderHealth. “We are honored to lead this collaborative to build sustainable systems that will ensure that local voices and changemakers are at the forefront of designing and delivering innovative solutions to advance universal health coverage.” 

Focused on equity and reproductive agency, ACCESS will co-create sustainable solutions with stakeholders—applying a gender, youth, and social inclusion lens—while combining innovation with proven practices that advance sexual and reproductive health and rights globally. 

 “ACCESS is a large project that will have an even larger impact on the lives of millions of people around the world” said EngenderHealth CEO Traci L. Baird. “EngenderHealth is excited to work with our talented partners and in close collaboration with national ministries of health to move the needle on FP/RH access and quality,”  

For further information, please contact:
Sekai Chikowero 
Vice President of Programs 
EngenderHealth 

info@engenderhealth.org 

+1-202-902-2000 

About EngenderHealth 
EngenderHealth is a global health organization committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender equality. With more than five decades of international experience, we partner with governments, civil society, and communities to promote high-quality healthcare and strengthen health systems worldwide.