Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #114673

Diana DuBois, MPH/MIA¹, Jolene Mullins, MPH², Kelley MacTavish-Mungar³, Mary Bukenya¹, Mary Ssewamuwe, RN³, and Elijah Talemwa¹. (1) Minnesota International Health Volunteers (MIHV), 122 West Franklin Avenue, Suite # 522, Minneapolis, MN 55404-2480, 612 871 3759, ddubois@mihv.org, (2) HIV/AIDS Program Office, Broward County Health Department, 780 SW 24th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315, (3) Minnesota International Health Volunteers, #2 Impala House, Kampala, Uganda

Most Ugandan women are aware of family planning options and there is a high demand for services, yet only 5-8% of married women use modern contraceptive methods. Numerous barriers exist to providing comprehensive family planning services in resource scarce environments.

From 1993-2000, Minnesota International Health Volunteers (MIHV) implemented a child survival project in Ssembabule District (in rural southwestern Uganda), which included a large family planning component. The project addressed family planning within the larger context of reproductive and maternal health using a multi-sectoral community-based participatory approach. To increase the use of family planning methods, the project implemented five key strategies: expanded service delivery, mobilization of communities, capacity building of health unit staff, collaboration with key stakeholders, and the development of innovative information, education, and communication strategies. Results were evaluated through a baseline and final Knowledge, Practice, Coverage (KPC) survey with 300 respondents.

In this session, MIHV will share the results of their evidence-based family planning project which included an increase in modern contraceptive use among women of reproductive age from 6% to 14%; an increase in condom use by male partners from 0% to 11%; a doubling of contraceptive use among women who did not want a child in the next two years from 24% - 47%; and a decline in reported pregnancies from 16% to 10%.

MIHV will describe the many lessons learned from this project that could be used by other public health practitioners working in resource poor areas in Africa or other developing countries.

Learning Objectives: LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the completion of this session, participants attending this session will be able to
• Describe five components of a project to improve family planning uptake in Uganda.
• List the series of steps involved in conducting a family planning survey in resource poor areas of Africa.
• Explain why the involvement of community members such as traditional birth attendants are essential to increasing modern contraceptive use in rural Africa.
• Describe 3 key steps to creating innovative information, education, and communication strategies for low literate African populations.

Keywords: Family Planning, Evaluation

Presenting author's disclosure statement:


I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Monitoring and Evaluation: Improving Family Planning and Reproductive Health Services

The 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition (December 10-14, 2005) of APHA