IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD: 2026

DONOR: Safe Abortion Action Fund (SAAF)

PROJECT GOAL:

To improve access to safe abortion services, post-abortion family planning and reliable sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) information for women and girls in Transnistria and Gagauzia. The project aims to strengthen the capacity of healthcare providers, engage women who are active in their communities in informing and supporting other women, and prepare future nurses and midwives to provide evidence-based information and services that respect the rights and dignity of patients.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES:

• To strengthen the capacity of doctors, nurses and midwives in Transnistria to provide safe abortion care, including medical abortion, telemedicine medical abortion, second trimester abortion care and post-abortion family planning, in line with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations.
• To improve cooperation between healthcare providers and local communities by identifying and training approximately 30 trusted women from Transnistria and Gagauzia who can share accurate SRHR information and guide women towards available healthcare services.
• To increase awareness and strengthen the ability of women in communities to recognize domestic violence and gender-based violence and seek support, through training, information sharing and referral pathways to specialized services.
• To improve the preparation of future nurses and midwives by introducing sexual and reproductive health and rights, safe abortion, contraception, counselling and non-judgmental communication into educational activities at the medical college in Tiraspol.
• To improve access for young people and women to accurate and confidential SRHR information by upgrading the digital platform www.reproducthealth.md and developing accessible, youth-friendly information materials.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES:

• Organizing refresher training for doctors from model centres and other healthcare professionals on medical abortion, telemedicine medical abortion, counselling, post-abortion family planning and the management of more complex cases.
• Training nurses and midwives on their role in abortion care, including counselling, patient preparation, follow-up, referral to specialized services and post-abortion family planning.
• Organizing practical training on first and second trimester abortion care, in line with WHO recommendations.
• Supporting the review and updating of clinical protocols and referral pathways to improve medical abortion services, second trimester abortion care and post-abortion contraception.
• Providing ongoing mentoring and opportunities for experience sharing between RHTC specialists, the Reproductive Health and Family Planning Centre in Tiraspol (RHFPC) and healthcare providers from model centres.
• Identifying and training approximately 30 trusted women from Transnistria and Gagauzia to act as community connectors, sharing information about safe abortion, contraception and available healthcare services.
• Training community connectors to recognize domestic violence and gender-based violence, provide basic support and guide affected women towards specialized services, with the involvement of partner organizations.
• Organizing small group discussions and community meetings, supported by mentors, to share accurate SRHR information and help women access healthcare services.
• Establishing direct cooperation and referral pathways between community connectors, nurses, midwives and model centres, so that women can receive information and practical support in accessing services.
• Organizing educational sessions for students at the medical college in Tiraspol, particularly those preparing to become nurses and midwives. Topics will include contraception, safe abortion, consent, communication, setting personal boundaries and available healthcare services.
• Identifying and supporting a group of students who will act as peer connectors, sharing accurate SRHR information with fellow students and helping them access reliable information resources.
• Improving the digital platform www.reproducthealth.md to make it mobile-friendly and accessible, allowing young people and women to find information, ask questions and receive guidance towards appropriate healthcare services.
• Developing and distributing youth-friendly information materials that students can use themselves and share within their communities.

PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED:

• Reproductive Health Training Center (RHTC)
• Reproductive Health and Family Planning Centre in Tiraspol (RHFPC)
• NGO Interaction (Tiraspol)
• Health Platform
• Medical college in Tiraspol
• Model centres in Transnistria
• Participating doctors, nurses and midwives
• Women involved in community activities and community connectors
• Medical college students