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Locating family planning services and organizing to increase access in Kinshasa, DRC
Research methods: the Kinshasa School of Public Health conducted a baseline study to identify every health facility and pharmacy that provided any type of contraception; the short survey asked about number of contraceptive methods available, persons trained in family planning, the existence of the basic information system, and volume of contraceptives distributed in a recent three-month period. The location of each site was also geocoded.
Results: 226 health facilities were visited, of which 190 reported to offer family planning services. Of these, only 42% received a “three star rating,” measured as having at least three contraceptive methods available, one person trained in family planning in the past three years, and a functional information system. Static maps were created to indicate the spatial distribution of sites, and interactive maps allowed the user to click on the specific site to learn the level of service available at the site.
Utilization of results: the research team worked in collaboration with the National Reproductive Health to create the Kinshasa Family Planning Coalition, consisting of 10 organizations working in FP service delivery and five donor organizations. This group set the goal of increasing the percent of three-star sites from 42% to an ambitious 80% within one year.
Learning Areas:
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practiceProgram planning
Learning Objectives:
Describe a low-cost process for increasing contraceptives availability in a major African city.
Keyword(s): Family Planning, Health Care Delivery
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have conducted research in the DRC since the early 1980s when the country was called Zaire. I have published numerous articles on the topic of FP in developing countries, and I have led various family planning projects funded by USAID, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Packard Foundation, and others.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.