GRPA keen on expanding reproductive health services

Advancing reproductive healthcare in Guyana is a priority of the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA), and the body is expanding its reach across the country through strategic partnerships.

Director of GRPA, Kobe Smith, recently said GRPA is accessible in every region through mobile outreaches, an effort made to target far-reaching communities.

“We’ve been fortunate to have the support of the Greater Guyana Initiative through Exxon Mobil to go into indigenous communities as well because we recognise that we are based on Georgetown and there is a challenge related to transportation, a challenge related to having a permanent fixture let’s say in the Rupununi related to these challenges,” Smith said.

In 2025, the Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI) played a key role in providing access to free HPV testing, pap smears and Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) screenings for women living in Regions 1, 4, 7, 8 and 9.  Smith said the GRPA through its partners at UNFPA, have for years been working to expand services beyond the coastland and into hinterland communities, where access to healthcare remains a challenge.

“Indigenous women in particular are disproportionally affected by the unmet needs related to sexual reproductive health including reproductive cancer,” Smith said.

The collaboration underscores a growing multi-stakeholder approach to healthcare. It is aligned with national efforts led by the Ministry of Health Guyana to improve access to screening and reduce the burden of reproductive cancers, particularly among vulnerable populations. GRPA has already conducted approximately 2,000 cancer screenings, though disparities remain, particularly among men. Regional data from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) from 2021 shows that only one in three women are screened, highlighting the need for continued outreach and education.

Smith said that support from GGI has been critical in overcoming logistical barriers such as transportation and the lack of permanent healthcare facilities in remote regions. As a result, GRPA has been able to conduct periodic mobile outreaches, bringing essential services directly to communities.