FAMS: Launch of Activities in the DRC to Improve the Health of Women and Adolescent Girls

11 June 2025

After months of careful planning, the Santé Monde team was thrilled to officially launch field activities of the “Women and Adolescent Girls Mobilized for their Health (FAMS)” project on June 5, 2025, in collaboration with the Unité de santé internationale (USI) de l’Université de Montréal.

This ambitious six-year project aims to transform access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in three provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): Kinshasa, Kasaï, and Kasaï Central. It is being implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Welfare (MSPHPS) and is financially supported by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada.

A Transformative Project for Over One Million Congolese Women

The FAMS project tackles key SRHR challenges faced by women and adolescent girls in the targeted regions by addressing the root causes of inequalities embedded in gendered social norms.

Its actions are expected to benefit 814,131 women and 454,011 adolescent girls, with a particular focus on those in vulnerable situations: young adolescents (ages 10–14), women living with disabilities, involved in prostitution, living in mining and border areas, or survivors of violence.

Guided by Santé Monde’s integrated action model, FAMS operates across three interconnected levels:

Strong and resilient health systems – Better-equipped healthcare facilities to deliver rights-based services that are environmentally sensitive and adapted to the fragility of local contexts, particularly in cases of gender-based violence.
Mobilized Communities – Partnerships with local actors to raise awareness about sexual and reproductive rights and to strengthen the agency of women and adolescent girls.
Inclusive Governance – Support across all levels of the health system, with increased participation from women’s rights organizations to drive lasting change.

Solid Foundations for Lasting Impact

With a budget of CAD 25.6 million, the FAMS project builds on in-depth analyses conducted during its start-up phase to tailor its actions to the specific needs and contexts of each region.

Concrete actions are already underway – for example, the delivery of medical equipment and transportation to two health zones in Kinshasa affected by the Teke-Yaka conflict, aimed at strengthening the capacity of local health services. This first symbolic and operational step illustrates the project’s commitment to improving access to care from the earliest stages of implementation.

Activities will now intensify in Kinshasa and begin in Tshikapa (Kasaï) and Kananga (Kasaï Central), with clear objectives:

Strengthen access to quality SRHR services
Promote education and awareness of women’s health rights
Support efforts to provide an integrated continuum of prevention and holistic care for survivors of gender-based violence
Foster the empowerment and socio-economic leadership of women and adolescent girls

“Our local partners are showing genuine enthusiasm for this initiative, which builds on the strong foundations of the ASSK project while expanding our reach to two additional provinces. With FAMS, we are taking a meaningful step toward a more equitable and inclusive health system – one that responds to the realities of women and adolescent girls, even in the most fragile settings,” said Gilles Boleku Kiki, Santé Monde’s Country Director in the DRC.

Members of the Santé Monde and USI teams, during a workshop to finalize the implementation plan of the FAMS project in the DRC.

A Commitment to Systemic Change

Aligned with the DRC’s national health priorities, FAMS relies on both local and international expertise and dynamic partnerships to generate lasting impact – for both women and adolescent girls, and for the health system.

“It is an honor to continue more than 20 years of collaboration with the DRC through this structuring project, which places women and adolescent girls at the heart of the decisions that affect them,” said Virginie Levasseur, Chief Executive Officer of Santé Monde.

Learn more about the FAMS project, which is financially supported by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada.

Main photo : C. Smets / La boîte à images, for Santé Monde – Projet ASSK, DRC (2023)