Options for International Health

Options for International Health (OIH) is a registered charity, established by Options in 2015 as a charitable entity that can work alongside Options’ programmes to bring sustainable improvements in the health of women and children.

OIH focuses on those living in poverty, disadvantaged or vulnerable situations. OIH aims to:

• Strengthen and increase access to healthcare services
• Improve the quality of healthcare provision
• Improve maternal and newborn survival through targeted research and analysis, the results of which are packaged to advocate for improved delivery of health services
• Increase public awareness and attention towards ending the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM)

OIH received its first grant from UNICEF to produce data and materials for Countdown to 2015 to contribute to reducing maternal, neonatal, and child mortality in countries where more than 95 per cent of maternal and child deaths occur. The materials helped to raise awareness and encourage use of data for advocacy and decision-making by national policy makers, academics, donors, international and national non-governmental organisations.

OIH is the charitable vehicle through which grants aimed at ending FGM can be channelled to The Girl Generation. The Girl Generation is an African-led movement established in 2014 with funding from the UK government which today has a membership of 854 organisations, 93% from the African continent. Its aim is to end FGM in this generation.  The Girl Generation works with some of the most pioneering organisations that have been tackling FGM over recent years. In coming together as a movement, their actions are gaining considerable momentum and are galvanising to attract widespread support for ending FGM. OIH has leveraged additional funds for the programme from foundations, for the establishment of the End FGM Grassroots Fund, a grants scheme delivering flexible and accessible funds to local organisations who are often too small to be eligible for grants from the majority of donors. Since 2016, the End FGM Grassroots Fund has channelled over $1.6million to over 100 frontline organisations working to end FGM, reaching over 500,000 people across eight countries.

With funding from another foundation, OIH has been able to further extend the work of The Girl Generation through the following projects:

• Face of Defiance. This short-term project used a photography exhibition to showcase and celebrate end FGM activists and survivors. In 2017, it was exhibited in Senegal and then at the Oslo Freedom Forum in New York. In 2018, Face of Defiance was exhibited at three locations in London, including Canada House and the Department for International Development for Zero Tolerance Day and at the Southbank Centre for the Women of the World festival. It has become an effective vehicle for drawing support and attention for ending FGM.
• Turn Up the Volume. This training and grants programme supported The Girl Generation youth networks in Kenya and Nigeria to develop their advocacy skills and train others to do so as well. Both networks developed a 5-year strategy that was launched during the1st Pan-African Youth Summit in April 2018.

OIH also receives funds from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for Options’ E4A-MamaYe programme. The E4A-MamaYe programme is working to improve maternal and newborn survival through use of better evidence and improved advocacy and accountability for reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH) resource allocation in Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia. Activities in these countries have three focus areas:

• Increased use and availability of targeted, packaged evidence which highlights gaps in financial, physical and human resources for health, improving evidence-based decision making for improved quality of care.  This includes strengthening the collection, analysis and use of evidence from the Maternal Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response system.
• Strengthening CSOs (including advocates, media partners, activists, health professionals, community leaders) to perform evidence-based advocacy, including health budget advocacy. E4A is supporting CSOs to understand and communicate evidence to influence health planning and resource allocation and equip civil society with the skills to analyse and use health budget data, participate in the budgeting and planning, and track health budget allocation and spend. A growing area of E4A’s work with CSOs takes place in countries eligible for Global Financing Facility (GFF) funds; E4A supports them to participate in the GFF processes at national and global level so that governments can be held account on their commitments to RMNCAH and nutrition.  
• Facilitating stronger accountability mechanisms which enable civil society, health planners and policy-makers to discuss, monitor and review evidence together as part of a transparent decision making process which strengthens accountability for delivery on RMNCAH commitments.

Options for International Health is a registered company limited by guarantee (Company No. 91374505) and a charity registered in England and Wales (No. 1160066), registered office address is: 2nd Floor, St Magnus House, 3 Lower Thames Street, London, EC3R 6HD.  OIH trustees are Jo Elms, Alison Dembo Rath, Claire Morris, Sally Hughes and Richard Burge.