iCSi patient associations

WHO ARE WE?

The Joyce Fertility Support Centre is a Non Profit Citizen Organization Reg. # S.5914/3444. The founding of the organization in 1998 was a call to address major gaps in Reproductive Health that could not allow full participation of communities. The Communities` are found to be "passive recipients" of health services leading to various unfulfilled expectations.

Joyce Fertility Support Centre was founded by a patient, (Rita Sembuya Namusisi) after along time of going through infertility. Joyce is a name of a dream child who exists in anticipation.
A common expectation of all couples going through infertility.

Our core values are:

• Equality, Human rights and health ethics observance
• Accessibility to quality and affordable reproductive healthcare
• A shared role where communities of patients are partners in health care.

Joyce Fertility Support Centre is a critical mass of advocates, patients, health providers and supportive alliances that are brought together by the Infertility CAUSE.
It's Joyce's role as patients' community to fully understand the disease conditions and their treatments.

Vision

The Joyce Fertility Support Centre Goal is achievement by every citizen to receive affordable, accessible and quality health care services by the year 2015.

Objectives

Bringing patients together in one national voice to address the infertility cause, and other critical reproductive conditions, By Facilitating the exchange of knowledge between patients, health providers and the communities. To develop an understanding between patients and health providers.

Our target group

• Couples with involuntary childlessness
• Couples undergoing infertility treatment
• Rural underserved communities with little access to health services
• Urban underserved communities
• Girls and women potentially vulnerable to abortion, infectious diseases and other conditions like endometriosis.

Membership / Coalitions

• International Consumer Support for Infertility iCSi
• African Infertility Alliance AIA
• International Alliance of Patients' Organizations IAPO
• European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology ESHRE
• Task Force Developing Countries and Infertility
• Voices for Health Rights VHR
• ICON Partners & Leadership program.
• Ashoka the leading organization of social entrepreneurs
• The Fertility Society Of Uganda FSU

Activities

• Member recruitment - invitation of members and friends to the organization
• Build support group networks from village community to national umbrella organization.
• Convening education programs such as, workshops, campaigns and documenting various studies on infertility and reproductive health. We have a library with infertility information accessible to members.
• Building Networks with other organizations in the field of reproductive healthcare and social change.
• Promoting the use of Advanced Reproductive Technologies as a viable treatment for infertility.
• Bringing forward patients' issues for legislator's action.
• Working with media in out reach programs.
• Offer counseling services to infertile couples.
• Training of Trainers (TOTs) in replicating the JFSCU Model to communities
• Communication is facilitated by exchange of information to members, one on one, group and online .

Support activities

• Member meetings and annual conference
• Annual Exhibition week
• Press conferences
• Scientific workshops
• International Annual Symposium; International Consumer Support for Infertility, European Society of Human Reproduction & Embryology (ESHRE).
• Regional Support Networking - Africa Infertility Alliance
• Communities reach out and establishment of patient support groups nationally.

Accomplishments

• In 2002, Joyce fertility Support Centre opened to the international fora and joined iCSi, ESHRE, IFFS, IAPO and Ashoka.
• 2007 The JFSCU model was elected among 12 best transferable models for health for all" an online competition for change maker's community, leading to its show case and presentation in the Skoll World Forum of social entrepreneurs in March 2007.
• In 2007, Ms Rita Sembuya the JFSCU Leader was a winner of the global patient's leader's award by iCSi patients Leaders community, and the Ashoka fellowship award for causing the large scale social Change in the area of infertility.
• Convened the First workshop of endometriosis, in 2006.
• Working on the low cost infertility treatment in the public Hospital to achieve access affordability and quality of care in 2010.
• In Uganda, JFSCU has held over 60 radio awareness programs, several media programs ,articles in the news papers in the period of 2003 - 2010 raising strong patient's voice for human reproduction and treatment for infertility.
• The JFSCU convened a historical workshop-
  Infertility in developing counties: The call for low cost assisted reproductive technologies in Uganda. A program that gives hope for poor patients to access Assisted Reproductive Treatment.
• JFSCU founded the founding of the Fertility Society of Uganda; it was launched on the 25th - 26th January 2010.