World Contraception Day in Ethiopia took place for this first time ever this year, and DSW were right in the thick of the action. On September 26, 2016, a half full day of intensive panel discussion was held at DSW Youth Development Training Center in Debrezeit (Bishoftu), 45 km southeast of Addis. When DSW had initiated to host this year’s World Contraception Day in Ethiopia, it has closely been working, planning and coordinating the occasion well in advance in partnership with Bayer, one of the founders of World Contraception Day. Under the theme of ‘Your Life Your Choice’, Contraception Day was enthusiastically observed in the attendance of young people and other key stakeholders.
A first – World Contraception Day in Ethiopia!
After a brief background description of the event has been summarized by Feyera Assefa, the country director of DSW Ethiopia, keynote speakers from Federal Ministry of Health, Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Family Guidance Association have shared their power-point presentations to disseminate relevant data on the contraception prevalence rate (CPR) in Ethiopia vis-à-vis the benefit associated with its accessibility to the young people. The half day program was split into two halves. The first half was dedicated to power-point presentations that provided generalized information. During the second and last part, a panel discussion motivated mostly those who are young to raise questions and share personal stories. Posters and banners as well as other visibility materials were produced by DSW for dissemination. 
In his opening speech, Feyera Assefa who is the country director of DSW Ethiopia explains that “the need to observe the world contraception day in a way it was, first to create awareness about contraception and also letting people know of the day on which WCD is globally observed. The second one is to provide a platform for major stakeholders to initiate a network of strong partnership and consolidate enough efforts in enhancing accession to youth-friendly services for the provision of contraception.” Lack of youth-friendly services was observed during the panel discussion as one of the most noted challenges in the service provision of contraception need among young people. “Building partnership is about creating more opportunities for more resources to achieve common goals,” said Bernard Mutua Kituku, Bayer’s representative who is head of healthcare programs in the pharmaceuticals division based in Nairobi.
World Contraception Day in Ethiopia – where to next?
As the event came to conclude, Mr. Bernard Kituku praises DSW’s commitment and the ability to organize a successful event for World Contraception Day in Ethiopia in short notice. We chose to partner with DSW knowing that together we can be able to advance what is at high stake in public good. The impression he got already drew a lot of enthusiasm about the fact that the partnership is being built between DSW and Bayer. Every year, World Contraception Day takes event on September 26. The key milestone such occasion as WCD observed worldwide to advance a vision where every pregnancy is wanted. WCD’s mission is to improve awareness of contraception and enabling young people to make informed choice on their sexual and reproductive health. World Contraception Day was launched for the first time in 2007.