Recorded presentation

Aurora Perez, PhD¹, Jeff Sine, PhD², Sarah E Alkenbrack, MPH², and Imelda Feranil, MA¹. (1) POLICY Project, 1050 17th Street, NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20036, 202-775-9680, aeptfg@compass.com.ph, (2) The Futures Group International, 1050 17th St. NW, Washington, DC 20036

Devolution of health sector administration to 1496 local government units (LGUs) in the Philippines has threatened the sustainability of public sector family planning (FP) services. As LGUs become responsible for the planning and finance of FP programs, the largest donor is withdrawing support for contraceptive commodities. With very little political support from the central government level, LGUs are ill-equipped to manage or finance FP services, due to competing priorities, reduced efficiencies, fragmentation of contraceptive procurement, and poor targeting of resources – all in an environment in which 40% of the population lives in poverty. To respond to this reform, a pilot project was conducted in ten municipalities of Pangasinan province to create a foundation on which to build local strategies for maintaining FP services and supplies. A multi-sectoral community-based advocacy group, cutting across the ten municipalities, was formed, and its members were trained in advocacy skills, networking, and advocacy plan development. These trained advocates helped place FP on the local political agenda in their respective municipalities and ensured that local budget resources were allocated to family planning. Governments of the LGUs then formulated local strategies to target limited FP resources to the poor. The key implication of this pilot project is that the ten municipalities are now well prepared to sustain their FP program despite the loss of central government and donor support. The experience from Pangasinan province provides a useful model which could be used by other LGUs striving to maintain their FP programs in a new locally self-reliant environment.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to
• describe potential impacts of decentralization of the health system on family planning programs,
• articulate the importance of establishing a multi-level policy advocacy network in gaining local stakeholder commitment for a family planning program in a newly decentralized environment, and
• identify key strategies used and adapted at the local level to target limited family planning resources to the poor,
• identify steps that can be taken to ensure health sector reform has a positive impact on family planning programs.

Keywords: Health Reform, Family Planning

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: POLICY Project, employment

Recorded presentation