THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA’S COMBINED REPORT ON THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN & PEOPLES’ RIGHTS & INITIAL REPORT ON THE PROTOCOL TO THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA component also supported the nurse training institutions and Leeds Metropolitan University in collaboration with UTG to train health workers to certificate and degree levels respectively. Overall, 130 health workers graduated from these training institutions in 2014. However, the biomedical equipment technician training is yet to commence despite efforts being pursued to start the training. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) efforts in the health sector: 1. Both The Gambia Family Planning Association (GFPA) and BAFROW run the MCH and the Well Woman Clinic respectively. The Gambia National Association of AIDS Support Societies (GAMNASS), the umbrella body organization gives support to people living with HIV/Aids (PLWHIV). 2. Home based care services continue to be provided by CSOs such as Hands on Care, GRCS and organisations of PLWHA such as Santa Yalla, Nyanaiyikiling and Mutapola (a network of women and girls living with HIV/AIDS). HIV/AIDS prevention activities are carried out by), Nova Scotia Gambia Association (NSGA), TANGO, Lend A Hand Society (LAHS), Gambia Red Cross Society (GRCS), The Trust Agency for Rural Development (TARUD), NASSO and Soul Talk and Concern Universal. 4.5 Sex education (article 14(1) (g)) According to the 2013 DHS majority of married women have heard of at least one method of family planning however only 9 per cent of married women were using a method of contraception with 8 per cent using a modern method. The report also showed that Government health centres were the most important source of providing family planning methods at 41 per cent. The 2013 DHS report also unveiled that onequarter of married women have an unmet need for family planning mostly for spacing births. Disaggregated data on adolescents affected by early pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections are not available. This topic presents a challenge in a religious society where certain practices are not easily accepted. For instance, the 2003 study on the Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children in The Gambia revealed that the majority of adult community leaders, both male and female, were wary of sex education programmes in schools and children’s right to take responsibility for their own sexual and reproductive health. Many saw this as part of western culture encouraging children to engage in immoral behaviour. 152