Plan UK merges with Interact Worldwide

Sexual and reproductive health charity Interact Worldwide and Plan UK have agreed to merge.

For more than 30 years Interact has worked in Africa, Asia and Latin America to reduce poverty by supporting better sexual and reproductive health work.

Interact’s work in family planning and maternal health, as well as other sexual and reproductive health work, and responses to HIV and AIDS has benefited thousands of girls, young women and other vulnerable groups.

This merger will allow Interact access to a greater number of communities in some of the poorest regions, while Plan UK will add a new expertise to its growing portfolio of programmatic work.

Plan has been working with children, their families and communities for over 70 years.

Breaking the cycle of poverty

Plan UK CEO Marie Staunton says: “This merger will benefit our work with young people at risk of early pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.

“Pregnancy is a leading cause of death of girls from 15 -19. Years of experience has shown Plan that enabling girls to marry later and have smaller families is essential to breaking the cycle of poverty.

“The spread of HIV and AIDS has placed great strain on many of the communities we work with. The answer is enabling poor people to have access to the sexual and reproductive services they need.”

Aside from the work on the frontline Plan UK and Interact will also work together to lobby governments and policy makers in the UK and abroad so that more of the world's poorest people get access to the supplies and advice they need to stay healthy.

Jenny Borden, CEO of Interact Worldwide, said: “This merger will mean that we can continue to do our vital work in the field of sexual and reproductive health and HIV and AIDS work.

“We often work with people and communities right on the margins of society who cannot get the help they so desperately need from anywhere else."