Free Choice Saves Lives

IPPF/WHR Member Associations

APROFAM, Guatemala

Guatemala is an ethnically and linguistically diverse country where 56.7 percent of Guatemala the population lives below the poverty line. Guatemala’s maternal mortality rate is amongst the highest in the region. Women will, on average, have 4.4 children each.

APROFAM was founded in 1964 with the objective of offering high quality, gender-equitable services, with a focus on sexual and reproductive health. APROFAM serves Mayan populations and other isolated communities in the rain forest regions, offering maternal and child health care in addition to contraceptives.

To learn more about APROFAM and the work that the do, click here.

CIES, Bolivia

Bolivia is one of the most geographically diverse and culturally rich countries in the region. Located in the center of Latin America, without any access to the sea, its topography ranges from the snow-covered peaks of the Andes to the low lands of the Amazon. Fifty percent of the population is either Quechua or Aymará- the two largest ethnic groups- of this 70 percent live in poverty. Bolivia’s maternal mortality rate is second only to Haiti in the region.

CIES was founded in 1987 by a group of women who felt that need to establish an organization that fought for the sexual and reproductive health and rights of men, women, and young people in Bolivia. CIES staff and volunteers cross rivers and mountains on motor bikes to provide services, counseling, and primary health care to people in these remote regions.

To learn more about CIES and their work in Bolivia, click here.

INPPARES, Peru

Located between the ocean and the Andes Mountains, Peru is an ethnic, historic, and linguistically diverse country. Hailed as an economic success story, half of all Peruvians-and nearly 80 percent of the indigenous peoples and those of African descent- live in poverty. Twenty-five percent of Peruvians lack access to healthcare, the country has the third highest child malnutrition rate and one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the region.

INPPARES, as it is known today, was founded on the 12th of September 1976 and operates throughout Peru. Since 1998 the organization has been working to reach street youth in Lima, through its "friends of street youth" program. A particularly vulnerable population, street youth require specific information to meet their social and economic situation.

To learn more about INPPARES and their work, click here.