In 2020, Benin was among eight African countries with very high maternal mortality rates, estimated at 523 deaths per 100 000 live births.[1]  Simultaneously, Benin faced challenges in meeting family planning needs.[2]  Recognizing the profound impact of contraception on maternal and newborn survival through preventing unintended and high-risk pregnancies, especially those that are closely spaced together, Benin, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), embarked on an initiative to strengthen the healthcare workforce's capabilities in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). [3] This initiative materialized through a strategic partnership with the Regional Institute of Public health (IRSP), facilitating the integration of a specialized SRHR curriculum into five major health training institutions.[4]  The new curriculum aims to empower frontline health workers with comprehensive knowledge and skills, fostering proactive healthcare delivery and community engagement. This strategic investment in education marks a pivotal step toward improved maternal health, promising substantial impacts on community health behaviors and contributing to broader societal change. As articulated in WHO Thirteenth General Programme of Work (2019–2025), this intervention contributes to effectively meet women, adolescents and young people’s needs in terms of better access to sexual and reproductive health care and services in Benin.

How did Benin, with the support of WHO, achieve this?

The Benin regional Institute of Public health Institut (IRSP), a WHO collaborative center, partnered with WHO to develop a specialized SRHR training module aligned with WHO’s global guidelines.[5]  In 2022, a total of fifty educators from five prominent health training institutions underwent comprehensive SRHR training facilitated by WHO Benin. The training, delivered online through an IRSP-developed, WHO guideline-aligned program, received additional support from personnel at the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Higher Education. The training of teachers was monitored through supervision missions.

^{Third-year student Doriane Coley participates in a practical sexual and reproductive health and rights exercise.}
Photo credit: WHO Benin

Emphasizing problem-solving, case-based learning, and interactive lectures, the curriculum empowered education professionals to offer comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information and counselling at the five institutions: the Faculty of Health Sciences, the National Institute of Medical and Health Sciences  (INMeS), the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Parakou, the Institute of Nursing and Obstetrical Care (IFISIO) and the Medical-Social Training School (EFMS) of Parakou. It also addressed the prevention and treatment needs of individuals, fostering a deep understanding of the country's legal frameworks and facilitating discussions on previously sensitive topics, particularly beneficial for engaging adolescents and youth. From 2022 to 2023, more than 640 students, medical doctors, nurses and midwives-to be, have received training from these teachers and therefore gone into the healthcare workforce with a new skillset, compared with 185 students in 2021. 

"As teachers, we have come to realize that SRHR extends beyond just the clinical dimensions of sexual and reproductive health. It encapsulates the rights of all individuals in Benin. This awareness has revolutionized our teaching approaches. We have transitioned from traditional lecture-based teaching to more engaging and interactive courses, utilizing practical case studies that encourage learner participation in the knowledge acquisition process."

- Dr. Noma Epse Seteyi Kpotéyina, law teacher at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Parakou

As a result, student-led monitoring committees have emerged in 2022 at the Medical-Social Training School, providing a secure space for students to voice concerns about sexual and reproductive health and report incidents of harassment. Nicole Ourou Guerra, a teacher at the Medical-Social Training School, described how “this has cultivated a culture of trust and openness that has strengthened awareness of rights and created a supportive learning environment. The breakdown of longstanding communication barriers has empowered students, particularly females, to challenge gender biases, and new health professionals are also better equipped to advocate for sexual and reproductive health rights and better serve their communities.” [6]