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American Public Health Association
133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition
December 10-14, 2005
Philadelphia, PA
APHA 2005
 
3128.0: Monday, December 12, 2005 - 11:00 AM

Abstract #117981

Taking family planning to scale in Turkey

Nancy Pendarvis Harris, MPH and Diane Hedgecock, MPH. John Snow Inc., 1616 N. Fort Myer Drive, Arlington, VA 22209, (703) 528-7474, Nancy_Harris@jsi.com

Turkey is a large middle-income country whose Social Security Administration (SSK) covers about 40% of the population and provides comprehensive medical services through a large network of hospitals and clinics throughout the country. Using the conceptual model on scaling up developed by MSI, this paper describes how the JSI/SEATS Project worked with SSK officials to scale up family planning services in a sustainable manner throughout its entire network. From minimal, ad-hoc services provided by individual doctors, SSK progressively integrated family planning into all its maternity hospitals and clinics and developed five regional training centers for in-service training of SSK doctors and nurses. It also made the decision to purchase contraceptives (rather than rely on contraceptives supplied by external donors via the Ministry of Health). This made the program self-sufficient and financially sustainable, and provides a lesson for other projects as to how to face this key challenge to scaling up. The process of provision of technical assistance by JSI will be described, particularly important policy and constituency-building activities, such as a national “launch” of the program, introduction of continuous quality improvement techniques and other state-of-the-art health technologies, cost benefit analysis and an observation visit to Mexico.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Management and Sustainability, Community Health

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 commertial supporters WITH THE EXCEPTION OF I am a vice president of John Snow Inc. a health care services consulting firm, and a principal in our international practice..

[ Recorded presentation ] Recorded presentation

Scaling-up of Reproductive Health Programs: Lessons Learned around the World

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