The Asia-Pacific Digital Sexuality Education Bootcamp for Content Creators (DESIRE Bootcamp 2023) brought together 96 participants from the region, including educators and advocates. Organised by UNFPA Asia-Pacific Regional Office and UNFPA Indonesia, the event aimed to foster partnerships and promote collective learning.  The bootcamp provided content creators with the tools needed to positively impact Adolescent and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health (AYSRH) in the region through sessions held on November 4th, 5th, and 11th. The first session, led by IPPF ESEAOR, addressed challenges faced by marginalised youth and underscored community-driven solutions.  In his opening remarks, Pio Smith, Regional Director, UNFPA Asia and the Pacific Office, emphasised the importance of harnessing the ever-evolving digital landscape. “In today's world, where youth are gaining unprecedented access to technology, we must leverage digital spaces to deliver accurate, non-discriminatory, age-appropriate information. Our goal transcends borders, demographics and backgrounds,” he said. Navigating the Challenges Malarvili Meganathan, Regional Communications, Voice, and Media Advisor at IPPF ESEAOR, highlighted the critical nature of addressing vital issues in low-resource settings. One key takeaway from the talk revolved around recognising the challenges faced by marginalised and underserved youths, particularly concerning access to adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health information and services. Understanding these challenges deeply emerged as a crucial step toward developing effective strategies for their resolution or mitigation, emphasising adopting a community-driven approach. Transitioning to access to education and information in the region, a report by UNFPA, UNESCO, and IPPF revealed that many young people prefer to obtain information from the internet and peers rather than relying solely on school-based education. This shift in information sources highlights the need for inclusive digital education to ensure marginalised populations, such as LGBTQIA+ individuals, refugees, migrants, people with disabilities, and indigenous communities, are not left behind in the educational framework of numerous countries. Innovative Approaches to Bridging Gaps: Community-Driven Strategies The session proposed actionable strategies to address the challenges collaboratively, including peer education programs, stakeholder collaborations, and policymakers' engagement to prioritise sexual education and digital access in low-resource settings.  Best practices encompassed those implemented by IPPF Member Associations and implementing partners, which involved collaboration with community members, consultation with village representatives in hard-to-reach areas, communication materials in local languages, utilisation of community radios, establishment of public-private partnerships, hands-on training in content editing, and outreach sessions with young people in Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, Fiji and the Solomon Islands. Zaira Mendez, Social Media Manager at the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP), led a hands-on session to develop innovative methods for creating digital sexuality education content in low-resource settings, drawing inspiration from FPOP's success in engaging young people, especially in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) supported by the Australian government-funded RESPOND project. These areas include hard-to-reach communities, both geographically and socially, due to uneven socio-economic development. In the interactive session, participants explored various content creation strategies tailored to the unique needs and challenges of these communities. They brainstormed ideas for informative videos, infographics, and quizzes, effectively conveying essential sexual education information. These efforts aim to empower young people with accurate knowledge, enabling them to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health.   The session concluded on a high note, with participants demonstrating their strong commitment to positively impacting digital sexuality education. This commitment sets the stage for future partnerships and collaborations to strengthen content creation in the Asia-Pacific region, ensuring equitable access to essential sexual and reproductive health information for all.

Planned Parenthood Association Thailand (PPAT) has a new Executive Director! Please join us in welcoming Dr. Nanthakan Sungsuman Woodham into the IPPF and PPAT families. Dr. Woodham has been associated with PPAT since 2019, in multiple capacities, including Deputy Executive Director. Dr. Woodham will continue to promote the values and principles of PPAT and continue to strengthen relationships with the government, partners, non-government organisations, and the public and private sectors. We are excited and we look forward to continuously work with Dr. Woodham in advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights in Thailand!

The Vietnam Family Planning Association (VINAFPA) commemorated its 30th anniversary with a ceremony on January 11, 2023, in Hanoi. More than 250 delegates from different Ministries, students and faculty members from academic institutions, CSOs, factory representatives, print and social media, social activists and volunteers and staff of the Association participated. The association's pivotal role in shaping policy changes in Vietnam on family planning, reproductive health, women's development and rights, and other social issues was emphasised by Dr. Pham Ba Nhat, President of VINAFPA. Through a diverse range of delivery channels, including clinics, mobile units, associated health facilities, and CBDs in 37 branches throughout Vietnam, VINAFPA has made impressive strides in improving access to SRH information, education, and clinical services over the years. A documentary film on 30 years of VINAFPA was also screened during the event. Ms. Tomoko Fukuda, Regional Director, IPPF ESEAOR, commended VINAFPA for its noteworthy efforts in addressing the SRHR of women, men, and young people in Vietnam, especially those from marginalised and underrepresented communities. She emphasised the importance of putting young people at the centre of SRHR programming and extending access to vulnerable groups like LGBTQI people, people with disabilities, indigenous people, and migrants and internally displaced people as well as highlighting the key elements of the IPPF Strategic Framework (2023-28). She continued by explaining that given Vietnam's declining fertility rates and reduced rates of maternal and infant mortality, it is critical that VINAFPA step up its advocacy for SRHR, particularly by ensuring access to contraceptive options and expanding fertility services (including infertility) in accordance with the life cycle approach. The event reached its end with short speeches from partner organisations and representatives of government agencies followed by a photography session to commemorate this day.