Male involvement through reproductive health awareness in Bukidnon Province, the Philippines: An intervention study

Recent years have been characterized by an increasing consensus that, in order to support women\u27s goals and aspirations, health programs directed to the improvement of women\u27s and children\u27s health must consider men\u27s perspectives. Although family planning (FP) is often viewed as the woman\u27s responsibility, men have an important role in decisions of whether FP will be practiced and which method will be used. Even though gender relations in the Philippines are often characterized as being relatively egalitarian, there are several reasons for believing that male involvement in FP is highly relevant for this country. Studies indicate that not only are Filipino husbands accorded a disproportionate share of power in conjugal decision-making about matters pertaining to sexuality, fertility, and FP, but also that their reluctance to use FP is a contributory factor underlying the country’s significant unmet need. As stated in this report, the long-term goal of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of involving men as partners in the Reproductive Health Awareness intervention on the basis of degree of support for FP use, use of male-oriented methods, and more couple communication on family formation matters

Integrating RTI case management within LGU Health Centers: An intervention study

In 1994, the Philippines’ Department of Health began assessing the feasibility of syndromic management—utilizing flowcharts and algorithms—for reproductive tract infections (RTIs) in the country’s public health facilities. This intervention, in seven primary health care clinics, trained service providers on RTI case management, improved clinical facilities and laboratories, provided supportive supervision and TA, along with developing training materials. Clinical case management was observed for a six month period. The project also included a cost analysis

Situation analysis of LGU Health Centers for integrating RTI management within the Philippines FP/MCH Program

A Situation Analysis (SA) was conducted in seven local government health centers as part of a larger project studying the feasibility of integrating RTI services within the existing Family Planning/Reproductive Health Program of the Department of Health (DOH). The SA was part of a series of baseline activities conducted by the Family Planning Operations Research and Training Project as part of its study on Integrating RTI Management in Local Government Unit Health Centers. It was conducted by Population Council, Manila, for the DOH. Participating health centers were located in a large and highly urbanized community, a medium-sized city, and two semi-urban municipalities. The research team visited these centers to examine existing facilities and equipment, staff capabilities, and client-provider interactions. Clients related their perceptions about quality of service. SA results showed that FP/MCH and other services offered in the clinics were generally satisfactory. In the clinics that had a laboratory, capacity was limited due to inadequate supplies. None of the centers could conduct basic lab tests for RTIs. As this report indicates, clinic facilities, client-provider interaction, and staff capability, though satisfactory, can still be improved. However, RTI services are either lacking or only addressed inadequately

Beliefs and practices about reproductive tract infections: Findings from a series of Philippine FGDs

The past decade has been characterized by increasing concern about the medical, social, and economic problems associated with reproductive tract infections (RTIs). The goal of preventing and curing RTIs is now being prioritized by public health agencies in the developing world. Very little research has been conducted on the problem of RTIs in the local context, and it would be helpful for program managers if the knowledge and beliefs now being held about RTIs were more clearly delineated. Knowing more about the way in which these illnesses are viewed by the community, about traditional practices for preventing and curing RTIs, and about the results of ongoing public health initiatives designed to deal with these conditions is also needed. The present study, as this report states, utilizes a qualitative research technique known as focus group discussions as a means of stimulating people to speak up on this subject. While the study won’t provide precise statistical profiles of study respondents, it should allow a first-hand glimpse of the ways in which RTIs are perceived and responded to by a group of typical Filipinos

Improving quality of care in FP/RH of selected communities of Pangasinan Province: An intervention study

This intervention study was designed to improve the quality of family planning (FP) services within the Integrated Family Planning and Maternal Health Program of the Pangasinan Population and Family Planning Program in the Philippines. It addresses high unmet need and studies the feasibility of enhancing quality of services by training service providers in fixed clinics and orienting outreach workers on the method of identifying women who have unmet need for FP. Four municipalities were chosen from the 47 municipalities comprising the province of Pangasinan and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Four indicators were used to match the chosen municipalities: population size, ratio of married women to population, ratio of FP service providers to population, and ratio of outreach workers to population. As noted in this report, the intervention consisted of training health service providers on counseling to enhance their information-giving capabilities, introducing outreach workers to the unmet need algorithm to identify women with unmet need for FP services, and training supervisors in supportive supervision

Are agriculture and nutrition policies and practice coherent? Stakeholder evidence from Afghanistan

Despite recent improvements in the national average, stunting levels in Afghanistan exceed 70% in some Provinces. Agriculture serves as the main source of livelihood for over half of the population and has the potential to be a strong driver of a reduction in under-nutrition. This article reports research conducted through interviews with stakeholders in agriculture and nutrition in the capital, Kabul, and four provinces of Afghanistan, to gain a better understanding of the institutional and political factors surrounding policy making and the nutrition-sensitivity of agriculture. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of 46 stakeholders from central government and four provinces, including staff from international organizations, NGOs and universities. We found evidence of interdisciplinary communication at the central level and within Provinces, but little evidence of vertical coordination in policy formulation and implementation between the centre and Provinces. Policy formulation and decision making were largely sectoral, top-down, and poorly contextualised. The weaknesses identified in policy formulation, focus, knowledge management, and human and financial resources inhibit the orientation of national agricultural development strategies towards nutrition-sensitivity. Integrating agriculture and nutrition policies requires explicit leadership from the centre. However, effectiveness of a food-based approach to reducing nutrition insecurity will depend on decentralising policy ownership to the regions and provinces through stronger subnational governance. Security and humanitarian considerations point to the need to manage and integrate in a deliberate way the acute humanitarian care and long-term development needs, of which malnutrition is just one element

Does women's participation in the national solidarity programme make a difference in their lives? : a case study in Parwan province

Chona Echave

Does women's participation in the national solidarity programme make a difference in their lives? A case study in Balkh province

Chona Echave

Does women's participation in the national solidarity programme make a difference in their lives? A case study in Kabul province

Chona Echave