As colleagues around the world prepared to mark MSI’s 50th anniversary, Australia had the honour of celebrating first. Thanks to the time difference, MSI Australia and MSI Asia Pacific were among the first teams across the global partnership to come together and recognise five decades of expanding reproductive choice. Colleagues from both organisations gathered in the Melbourne MSI Australia office to reflect on MSI’s history, its global impact, and the work still ahead.
The celebration was opened by Clare O’Neill, Director People & Culture, MSI Australia, who welcomed colleagues and acknowledged the significance of the milestone, on behalf of MSI Australia CEO Adurty Rao who also joined the celebration.
Global impact in 2025: 27.8 million women and girls served in 36 countries
Grishma Bista, CEO of MSI Asia Pacific, reflected on MSI’s role in a rapidly changing global context. She spoke about the organisation’s extraordinary reach across 36 countries and its 2025 impact, including 27.8 million women and girls served, 9.7 million safe abortion services provided, and an estimated AUD $1.9 billion saved in health costs.
MSI’s work in the Asia Pacific region
Grishma also highlighted what makes the Asia Pacific region distinct. MSI works with country programmes across a region of enormous diversity – from fast-growing middle-income countries to small Pacific nations, and from urban centres to remote rural communities where access to quality care remains a major challenge.
(From left: Grishma Bista, Adurty Rao and Clare O’Neill)
Teams providing healthcare in some of the most complex environments
She also reflected on MSI’s humanitarian work in countries including Afghanistan, Myanmar and Yemen, where teams continue to provide essential reproductive healthcare in some of the most complex environments. As Grishma put it, MSI teams “show up in places where it’s hard to conceive that we are able to show up.”
“Fifty years on, MSI’ work remains as urgent as ever. Our teams continue to show up in some of the most complex contexts – from humanitarian settings to remote communities – ensuring women and girls can access the care and choices they need. That ability to adapt, while staying focused on the people we serve, is one of MSI’s greatest strengths.” Grishma Bista, CEO, MSI Asia Pacific
MSI’s strength: adapting to changing contexts while staying focused on people
Drawing on her own experience as Country Director in Timor-Leste, Grishma shared the realities faced by many women in the region. She noted that while Australia’s contraceptive prevalence rate is roughly 67%, Timor-Leste’s is 26%, and even lower in some rural areas. For Grishma, those figures speak to the ongoing need for reproductive choice, equity and access across the region.
While the celebration marked 50 years of impact, it was also a moment to look ahead. Grishma spoke about MSI’s ability to adapt to changing contexts while staying focused on the people it serves – a strength that continues to shape the organisation’s work around the world.
United by the same commitment
“Celebrating MSI’s 50th anniversary together in Melbourne was a powerful reminder that our work in Australia is part of the global story. Across MSI, we are united by the same commitment: ensuring people can access reproductive healthcare and make choices about their own lives.” Adurty Rao, CEO, MSI Australia
The Melbourne celebration was a proud and fitting start to MSI’s global anniversary, recognising not only the organisation’s history, but the thousands of people across the partnership who continue to make reproductive choice possible every day.
