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Over the last decade numerous reproductive health training initiatives have evolved in South Africa, yet there is relatively little communication and co-ordination between these respective initiatives.

This directory aims to provide a comprehensive resource of training initiatives relating to reproductive health that are currently being offered throughout South Africa. The directory will thus serve to:

• Be a reference point for what reproductive health training is available in the country.
• Advertise the services of respective training providers at a government, non-government and academic level and
• Facilitate networking between respective sectors and institutions.

The Health Systems Trust has a commitment to encourage collaboration between respective training providers and minimizing the duplication of work that is available. The production of the directory has been focused on making reproductive health training accessible to as many health care providers and communities as possible by providing the relevant information whilst advertising the wealth of training offered by respective organizations and institutions in the fields of reproductive health.

What is Reproductive Health Training?

In conceptualising the area of Reproductive Health Training, a number of respective stakeholders within the government, academic and non-government sector were consulted. Through the process of the research it became clear that the concept of reproductive health does not have a collective understanding amongst role players in the field. This is because some people do not conceptualise their role within the broad picture of reproductive health. In addition the boundaries of reproductive health are vague and people vary as to what they include and exclude (eg. gender violence).

The production of the directory, which will be updated on an annual basis, will serve to practically refine the countrys understanding of reproductive health training. This will contribute practically to supporting institutions and health care providers in making a shift toward reproductive health and away from the narrow, segmented areas of family planning, antenatal care, STDs/HIV/AIDS treatment etc.

It has been challenging to reach respective role players, who at times did not perceive of their institutions being involved in Reproductive Health Training. As the development of a Reproductive Health Training Directory grows, the directory will reflect more and more service providers and possibly different areas as well. Although information was gathered from NGOs working in the area/s of violence against women, it became clear that they did not see their work linking specifically to reproduce health and the area was thus omitted.

In relation to training, it is clear that the resource disparities that cut across the respective 9 provinces continue to be apparent.   There is a wealth of training opportunities in provinces such as the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. In most other provinces training is often obtained through organisations based in the well-resourced provinces for training.

The National Abortion Care Programme has been an exception, in that it has developed training capacity at a midwifery and physician level in the respective provinces. This is a useful approach as it achieves two objectives simultaneously (1) building capacity for service provision in respective provinces and (2) building capacity for training in respective provinces.

The shift towards Reproductive Health Training is characterised by a holistic approach which involves women and men and understand the importance of gender relations and its impact of health. There is paucity of courses making the links between gender and reproductive health, with NGOs such as the Womens Health Project and the Planned Parenthood Association of South Africa, being notable exceptions.

The information contained in this directory is by no means exhaustive as the idea catches on it is hoped that the directory will become more and more reflective of the wealth of reproductive health training that is available in South Africa.