30 May 2012 – The WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean is planning a second intercountry training workshop on reproductive health counselling in June 2012. The purpose of the workshop is to build regional and national teams of trainers in reproductive health counselling, with a focus on maternal and neonatal health and family planning services. This will improve the quality and outcome of these services in countries of the Region.

The first intercountry training workshop on reproductive health counselling was held in Beirut, Lebanon, in December 2011. It was attended by eight priority countries and successfully concluded with the following results:

participants were acquainted with the concept of the integrated curriculum on reproductive health counselling

participants developed their counselling skills and knowledge in maternal and newborn health and family planning

country plans for reproductive health counselling training package adaptation and competency-based training were developed by country teams 

a regional team for reproductive health counselling was formed to support and sustain the quality of reproductive health counselling services in Member States

future steps were identified to maintain follow up and technical support of relevant activities in countries of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region.

The second workshop is vital to expanding the initiative to all Member States in the Region.