The reality of informed choice in reproductive healthcare falls short of the ideal for many clients in much of the world. Recognizing that many stakeholders within and beyond the healthcare community have an interest and role to play in ensuring reproductive rights and informed choice, AVSC International is testing a coalition-building strategy for strengthening informed choice, using a community-based framework rather than a narrow service delivery model.
The strategy is based on AVSC's expanded informed choice framework, which addresses informed choice in the broad social and rights context for the full array of sexual and reproductive health services. The framework identifies key elements of informed choice and factors at the policy, service delivery, and community levels that either support or challenge each element.
The pilot-test is currently being conducted in two countries in Africa, with two more countries in Asia to be added in summer 2001. The coalition-building strategy uses four key approaches: 1. A rights-based approach 2. An integrated reproductive health approach 3. Participatory approaches to guide coalition members in developing, implementing, and evaluating an informed choice strategy 4. Involving the community and addressing cultural factors that affect informed choice
This presentation will cover lessons learned from introducing the new conceptual framework, coalition-building, and baseline studies.
Learning Objectives: By the end of the presentation, participants will be able to identify community, policy, and service delivery factors that influence informed choice in reproductive healthcare, and describe a coalition-building strategy for strengthening informed choice.
Keywords: Community Collaboration, Decision-Making
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: AVSC International
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Employee: Program Specialist for Advances in Informed Choice Team