BFPA Executive Director Discusses Challenges Faced and New Headquarters Opening Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

The executive director of the BFPA, formerly known as the Barbados Family Planning Association, has disclosed that 2022 to 2023 was one of the hardest periods the organisation has faced in its nearly 70-year existence.

Anderson Langdon said on Monday that the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic saw the organisation having to change how it operated, as resources and funding to the organisation dwindled.

“There is a heavy focus on the economic fallout but the greatest challenge we now face is the negative social mental and physical health fallouts. . . . In 2021 and 2022, we saw significant increases in the rate of STIs [sexually transmitted infections], especially chlamydia and gonorrhoea – not only nationally but based on global trends. Several times I have flagged in the media that this is a great concern for us,” Langdon said.

He was speaking as the association, now rebranded the BFPA, officially opened its new headquarters. The over 8 000 square-foot building sits on over 50 000 square feet of land at Harmony Hall, St Michael, significantly larger than its previous location on Bay Street, St Michael.

Langdon said that between 2018 and 2021, during the COVID-19 lockdown, there was an increase in the number of people served by the association, which was one of the reasons for acquiring the new premises.

“This location was not just a choice, it was a necessity driven by the urgent need for a safe and secure space. The threat of fires and robberies and assaults at our previous location necessitated this move,” he said.

“It is a testament to progress. It symbolises not only a physical relocation but a bold step towards the future of healthcare in Barbados, health care in and from the communities that it serves. The two-storey building stands as a beacon of hope and healing for our communities as we continue to battle our health challenges, especially in sexual and reproductive health. What sets this facility apart is its size and the multitude of unique services we offer under one roof.”

Services provided at the BFPA include fertility and infertility guidance, a male health support clinic and onsite psychological screening.

There are plans to expand the BFPA’s offerings, once funds become available, to include a paediatric clinic, an adolescent and youth clinic, an adolescent young mothers programme and a mental wellness support group.

(RG)