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Weekly Update -
March 26 - March 31, 2012 |
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• To mark the successful completion of the
four and a half year FALAH project and
to disseminate the results of FALAH End
line survey a one day seminar was
organized on ‘Family Planning
Revitalized: The Evidence from FALAH’ at
Islamabad on March 29, 2012 .The
objective of the seminar was to share
the experiences, lessons learnt and the
impact of FALAH’s various interventions
on the lives of the people in the
project districts. The seminar was
attended by close to 300 participants
including the representatives from all
relevant government departments
including, Health, Population Welfare,
Planning and Development,
representatives from the provinces,
USAID and other donor organizations,
academics, NGOs, FALAH partners, civil
society representatives and media.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on
Social Sector Ms. Shahnaz Wazir Ali was
the Chief Guest at the seminar, which
marked the end of the project. Ms. Syeda
Fiza Batool Gillani, the Goodwill
Ambassador for Women Empowerment and
daughter of the Prime Minister was the
Guest of Honor at the occasion. Ms.
Karen Freeman Deputy Mission Director
and Ms. Nora Madrigal Health Development
Officer represented the USAID.
Chief of Party FALAH presented an
overview of the project including the
process, project components and
implementation. Dr. Arshad Mehmood,
Director Research, Monitoring &
Evaluation and Dr Gul Rashida, Senior
Director Training presented the results
of Endline survey. According to the
results, the FALAH project has been very
successful in raising the Contraceptive
Prevalence by an average of 8.5% in its
projects districts. The highest rise in
contraceptive prevalence has been in
districts such as Charsadda (12.7%),
Sanghar (12.4), Rajanpur (12.2%), Sukkur
(11.4%) and Mardan (8.2%) with the
highest uptake amongst the poor, rural
and younger couples. This has been
possible to a great extent by involving
and sensitizing men on the health
benefits of birth spacing and through
FALAH’s Information, Education (IEC)
initiatives and training of providers to
proactively provide services.
The Chief Guest, Ms. Shahnaz Wazir Ali,
was highly appreciative of the FALAH
project. She said that FALAH project had
been a game changer that had turned
everything on its head to put people at
the fore front of the interventions. The
well designed, carefully and
comprehensively implemented project, has
brought about a paradigm shift towards
birth spacing, utilizing the media and
effectively working in partnership with
Government. Above all, she said, the
solids results presented today show the
greatest uptake of family planning had
been by rural, poor, young and
uneducated women. The results presented
were evidence that unmet need for family
planning can be addressed through
interventions among the very group that
was considered difficult to approach.
Ms. Wazir Ali also stressed that lessons
from the FALAH project should not be
squandered and should be build upon
further and expanded to the rest of
Pakistan. She concluded her remarks by
presenting the idea of having a second
phase of FALAH to carry forward the
excellent work done by the project.
Speaking at the occasion the Provincial
representatives from Health and
Population Welfare Departments, Sindh,
KPK and Punjab said that they will
continue to use the models developed by
FALAH. They said that FALAH had defined
a road map for Health and Population
sectors to work together. Mr. Ahmed
Hanif Orkzai, Secretary Population
Welfare Department KPK also commended
FALAH’s initiatives and explained how
KPK intended to take these forward. The
Additional Secretary Population Welfare
department Sindh said “FALAH was not
ending but opening several new doors for
the provinces to take forward the birth
spacing agenda”.
Representing USAID on the occasion,
Deputy Mission Director Ms. Karen
Freeman, said that it is was indeed
heartening to note that the FALAH
initiatives have been well-received and
there is a growing recognition,
including within the religious
community, that healthy timing and
spacing of pregnancies contributes to
the health of all mothers, children and
overall development indicators.”What is
now required as the next step, said Ms.
Freeman, “is that the innovative
interventions introduced by FALAH need
to be sustained and scaled up so the
benefits of the interventions can be
reaped throughout the country.” Ms.
Freeman thanked each and everyone and
saluted those who had contributed to
making the FALAH project such a success.
Speaking at the occasion, the Guest of
Honor, Ms. Syeda Fiza Batool Gillani,
highlighted the importance of the “Birth
Spacing” as a successful model for
improving maternal and child health
outcomes. She said FALAH was a fine
example of bilateral cooperation and
appreciated USAID’s contribution towards
improving the well-being of the people
of Pakistan.
The Goodwill Ambassador stressed that
the government, both at the national and
provincial levels, our development
partners and members of civil society
must provide continued support and
commitment to further the cause of women
and children in Pakistan. She also
requested the media to increase people’s
awareness on various population issues
such as the importance family planning,
gender equality, poverty, maternal
health and human rights.
Dr Zeba Sathar, Country Director,
Population Council presented the vote of
thanks. In her closing remarks she said,
“the time for family planning to take
off and for fertility change is now and
it would be one of the greatest mistakes
not to ensure that we maintain the
momentum that we have just built up. Our
results merely show that if we continue
with the same speed and if we can expand
the FALAH experience to other districts
we can raise our contraceptive
prevalence rate in the rural areas
easily to 43 percent and over 55 percent
in urban areas by 2015. We must not let
the opportunity to go waste, as the
lessons and the models have been tested
and are showing great impact.” |
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Weekly Update -
March 19 - March 25, 2012 |
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• The Population Council’s FALAH project
organized a one day seminar on ‘Family
Planning Revitalized: The Evidence from
FALAH’ at Karachi on March 21, 2012 to
share the experiences, lessons learnt
and the impact of FALAH’s various
interventions on the lives of the people
in the project districts. The seminar
was attended by more than 200
participants including representatives
from Health, Population Welfare and
other relevant government departments,
USAID, donor organizations, academics,
NGOs, and civil society.
Chief of Party FALAH, Dr Ali Mir
presented an overview of the FALAH
project including the process, project
components and implementation. Dr Arshad
Mehmood, Director Research, Monitoring &
Evaluation presented the results of
Endline survey. According to the
results, the FALAH project has been very
successful in raising the Contraceptive
Prevalence on average by 8.5% in its
projects districts, a remarkable
achievement, with the uptake highest
amongst the poor, rural and younger
couples. This has been possible to a
great extent by involving and
sensitizing men in the family planning
debate and through FALAH’s Information,
Education (IEC) initiatives and training
of providers to proactively provide
services.
Husbands group meetings held to
familiarize men with the “Birth Spacing”
concept, have proved successful. The
initiative to involve the religious
community has also been a resounding
success, with the FALAH project
sensitizing 1,470 religious leaders on
the benefits of “Birth Spacing.” Many of
these religious leaders have become
advocates of HTSP messages in their
communities.In addition to that,
FALAH has introduced the Basic Minimum
Family Planning Contents Package into
the medical, nursing and midwifery
curriculum, which incorporates a
client-centered approach to offering
family planning services. FALAH
established hands on skills labs on
various family planning techniques,
trained master trainers to sustain
training in quality family planning, and
developed the paramedical curriculum on
birth spacing. FALAH strengthened 4
nursing schools and 24 community
midwifery schools.
The project has trained more than
35,000 managers and health care
providers from public and private
sectors; especially Lady Health Worker (LHW)
to provide client centered reproductive
health service. A third party evaluation
points to a rise in Lady Health Worker’s
visitation rate and family planning
clientele in the project districts where
the LHWs have been trained by FALAH. It
also shows that the staff of 70% Rural
Health Centers / Basic Health Units of
Health Department is now providing birth
spacing services.
FALAH has been a success and has
reaped major dividends in terms of
meeting the reproductive health needs of
remote and rural communities through
introducing the “Birth Spacing” concept
in its 15 implementing districts.
During the panel discussion on
“Linkages between Birth Spacing, Health
Outcomes and Development”, the health
specialists including Dr Khalid Shaikh,
Additional Secretary Health, Mr. Ashfaq
Shah Additional Secretary PWD, Mrs Sahib
Jan MNCH Provincial Coordinator, Mr.
Saifullah Provincial Coordinator Lady
Health Worker Program, Dr. Sher Shah
Syed President PMA, Dr. Sadiqa Jaffery
President NCMNH, Dr. Yasmeen Qazi Senior
Country Advisor Population Program
Packard Foundation, and Dr Naseerudin
Mahmood Director SINA gave their view
point and appreciated FALAH’s
contribution in promoting the “Birth
Spacing “for better health of mothers,
children and the family.
In the panel discussion on
“Sustainability and Taking Forward the
Birth Spacing Agenda”, the
representatives from the Government
Department; endorsed FALAH’s strategy
for tackling the unmet need for
contraceptive services and making the
project agenda more sustainable. The
Additional Secretary Health, Additional
Secretary Population Welfare, and the
Provincial Coordinators for LHW and MNCH
Programs expressed their keen desire
that the FALAH project be continued and
upscaled. While reaffirming their
commitment to take the Birth Spacing
agenda forward they also pointed to the
lack of resources currently available in
the provinces and therefore stressed the
need for support from development
partners.
In her remarks, Ms Nora Madrigal,
Health Development Officer USAID, said
that “we at USAID are gratified that the
preliminary results presented today show
the positive impact of the FALAH
initiatives in improving the unmet need
for family planning services.” “I
believe seminars such as these can
successfully take forward the lessons
learnt over the past five years, make
the lessons learnt sustainable and
institutionalize the key interventions
that have worked and reverse the
unsatisfactory trends. USAID will
continue supporting similar projects
which are aimed at improving the health
and wellbeing of mothers and children in
the Pakistan,” Ms. Madrigal said
further.
The Guest of Honor Mr. Khurshid Naeem
Malik spoke on the importance of the
“Birth Spacing” paradigm shift and the
positive impact of the FALAH project in
the province and endorsed the scale up
of FALAH interventions in other
districts. The Chief Guest, Mr. Imtiaz
Shaikh, Advisor to the Chief Minister,
Sind and Minister for Special Education
also acknowledged FALAH’s contribution
to Pakistan’s family planning debate and
the Sindh government’s commitment to
improving the reproductive health of its
citizens. He also stressed the need to
continue supporting projects like FALAH
that have shown tremendous success in
repositioning family planning as health
intervention in the country.
• During the reporting week,
Population Council/FALAH organized 5-day
training on ‘Supportive Supervision &
Revised MIS Tools for the National
Program for Family Planning and Primary
Health Care in Islamabad. Twenty-five
participants who were District
Coordinators and Assistant District
Coordinators (ADC) of National Program
for Family Planning &Primary Health Care
Punjab (NPFP and PHC) received this
training from March 20-24, 2012. The
objective of imparting this training was
to explain the concept of supportive
supervision using the SAHR framework
developed by the Population Council for
ensuring provision of client centered
family planning services that help to
better identify and meet the needs of
clients and supervise the Lady Health
Workers (LHWs) in a supportive manner.
The participants were introduced to the
revised MIS tools developed by NPFP
Punjab. The supervisors will, in turn
use this training to support and guide
the LHWs to improve their performance
and reinforce the CCA training imparted
to them earlier through the FALAH
project. During the closing ceremony,
Dr. Akhtar Rasheed Provincial
Coordinator (NPFP and PHC) and Chief of
Party FALAH signed a mutual agreement to
introduce the cycle beads (Standard Days
Method) though the LHWs in their
catchment areas of Punjab. |
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Weekly Update -
March 12 - March 18, 2012 |
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• Following the successful seminar by
FALAH on “Institutionalization of Birth
Spacing Paradigm in Punjab” held in
Lahore on March 1, 2012, the Secretary,
Population Welfare Department (PWD)
Punjab has instructed that the PWD
should adopt and air the FALAH messages
through the mass media. In this regard a
request was received by FALAH office
from Dr. Aaeisha Deputy Secretary-
Technical, Population Welfare Department
Lahore on March 12, 2012. In response to
that, FALAH will provide the FALAH
Television and radio Commercials to PWD.
• A team led by Chief of Party FALAH
visited Karachi from March 12-13, 2012
to meet the Secretaries at Departments
of Health and Population Welfare. The
objective of the meeting was to provide
an update on FALAH achievements and
brief the officials from both the
departments about FALAH’s forth coming
seminar on ‘Family Planning Revitalized:
Evidence from FALAH’ that will be held
in Karachi on March 21, 2012.As the
FALAH project is coming to its end on
March 31, 2012 therefore Population
Council/FALAH is organizing these
seminars to share the experiences,
lessons learnt and the impact of various
interventions on the lives of the people
in the project districts in the light of
endline survey findings.
• On March 14, 2012, The Health
Development Officer USAID, Ms. Nora
Madrigal visited FALAH office and held a
meeting with FALAH’s senior staff and
was briefed about FALAH’s close out
activities. |
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Weekly Update -
March 05 - March 11, 2012 |
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• FALAH team participated in the
International Women’s Day event
organized by Punjab Government on March
8, 2012 in Lahore. It was a three day
event held at Alhamra Cultural Complex
from March 8-10, 2012. Government
departments, NGO’s, NPOs, Educational
Institutions, International, National
and Local organizations including
UNICEF, Punjab Health Sector Reform
Project, MNCH, National Program, and
Polio eradication program participated
in the event by setting up their stalls
to display their material. The
Population Council’s FALAH project also
set up a stall and displayed all its
resources such as IEC materials,
communication strategy, training
materials for tutors, doctors, LHWs,
LHVs and Midwives and other material
that was relevant to Women’s Health.
Those who visited the stall included
doctors, nurses, students, media
organizations, representatives from
government and non government
organizations. The visitors coming to
FALAH’s stall showed keen interest in
FALAH's IEC material on birth spacing.
Mian Shahbaz Sharif, Chief Minister of
Punjab was the Chief Guest at the
Seminar.
• The students of the 8th batch
(2011-12) of ‘Post-Graduate Diploma in
Health Care Systems Management (HCSM)’
and the faculty members from College of
Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP)
visited Population Council/FALAH office
on March 9, 2012. The main objective of
their visit was to learn about
reproductive health issues from
organizations like the Population
Council that are working in the areas of
population and family planning in
Pakistan. The postgraduate students were
briefed about the Quality of Care (QoC)
and Client Centered Approach (CCA),
designed and implemented by the
Population Council and effectively
utilized in the FALAH trainings for
service providers including medical
doctors. The participants also had a
tour of the FALAH floor where they were
briefed about FALAH’s interventions for
improving the health and well being of
mothers, newborns and children through
the adoption of birth spacing by
eligible couples in Pakistan. They
showed keen interest and asked several
questions regarding the interventions.
Dr Parvez Nayani (Director AKDN, The Aga
Khan University, Karachi), lead faculty
from CPSP, thanked Population Council/FALAH
for the session. |
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Weekly Update -
February 27 - March 04, 2012 |
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• As part of the series of provincial
seminars that FALAH has organized to
institutionalize the birth spacing
paradigm at the provincial level, the
third one day seminar for Punjab was
held in Lahore on March 1st, 2012. The
objectives of organizing the seminar
were;
o to provide a comprehensive briefing on
FALAH’s Communication and Mobilization
(CAM) strategy and its Information,
Education and Communication (IEC)
materials for promoting the “Birth
Spacing” agenda to maximize community
outreach at the national, provincial and
district level;
o to obtain the required ‘buy-in’ from
the relevant provincial departments for
the adoption of available, tried and
tested products; and,
o to develop strategies, identify
resources and prioritize timelines for
utilizing FALAH’s CAM strategy and the
optimum use of its IEC materials by the
health, population and othern relevant
department in Punjab province.
The event was well attended. More than
160 participants including the
Secretaries and Director General of
Health and Population Welfare, Project
Directors and District Coordinators of
the MNCH Program, and Lady Health Worker
Program of Punjab, Communication
Officers from health and population
welfare departments, Trainers from RTI
and RHSAs, Vasectomy and Minilap Centres,
representatives from NGOs and
educational institutions. At the morning
session the Chief Guest was Mr. Saeed
Elahi, Chairman Task Force on Health and
the guest of Honor included Begum Zakia
Shahnawaz, Adviser to the Punjab Chief
Minister and Mr Javaid Akhtar Secretary
Population Welfare. At the concluding
session the Chief Guest was Mr. Arif
Nadeem, Secretary Health. The Health
Development Officer USAID, Ms. Nora
Madrigal was also present at this
occasion.
The agenda comprised of three sessions.
In the inaugural session, Chief of Party
FALAH, Dr. Ali Mir gave an in-depth
overview of the FALAH project. Dr Gul
Rashida, Director Training made a
presentation on the range of training
material and Mrs Seemin Ashfaq, Senior
Program Manger, Population Council
highlighted the detailed process of
FALAH’s CAM Strategy development.
Another important feature of the session
was a presentation by Dr Arshad Mahmood
on the preliminary findings of FALAH’s
End line survey. The findings show that
there is an encouraging increase in the
CPR in FALAH project districts in
Punjab.
Mr. Javed Jabbar, a Communication Expert
presented in detail the range of IEC
materials and products developed for
Mass Media campaign and community
mobilization activities. The
beneficiaries of communication and
mobilization activities including,
religious leaders, LHWs and EDO Health
were also present and shared their views
on how the FALAH intervention i.e.,
repositioning of family planning as a
health intervention has facilitated
their work in the field.
The Group work session was the most
important activity of the one day
seminar in which participants were
divided into 6 groups; MNCH, LHW
Program, Provincial/Secretariat Health;
Population Welfare Program, Training and
NGOs. During the Group Work exercise,
all the communication materials and
products of FALAH project were reviewed,
shortlisted for respective programs, and
the process/steps of adoption of these
materials with required quantity, cost
and responsibility, was decided upon by
each group. The results of group work
session were presented during the
closing session.
Speaking at the inaugural session,
Adviser to the Punjab Chief Minister Ms.
Zakiya Shahnawaz said that hard work and
a right approach were needed to promote
the concept of birth spacing in society
She said that women and men in rural
areas should be approached to make the
program a success.
Appreciating the efforts of USAID for
initiating the FALAH project, Ms.
Shahnawaz said, “We all have to be
partners in this program and work
together in order to move forward”. In
his remarks, the Secretary PWD highly
appreciated the role of FALAH in
bringing population and health
department closer in providing birth
spacing services at district level. He
said that “Birth Spacing Saves Lives”
concept has worked tremendously well in
repositioning family planning as a
health intervention to improve the well
being of mothers and children. She said
that the Population Welfare Department
will try to scale up these interventions
in its remaining districts.
The Health Secretary of Punjab, Mr Arif
Nadeem; the chief guest at the closing
session acknowledged the group work of
participants and said that the feedback
received at the seminar would benefit
future communication policies of the
province. He provided his assurance that
the IEC material provided to them will
be used by the Health department. |
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Weekly Update -
February 20 - February 26, 2012 |
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• During the reporting week, Chief of
Party FALAH, Dr. Ali Mir and Director
Monitoring and Evaluation Dr. Arshad
Mahmood visited Washington DC to attend
an experts’ meeting of Council
researchers, USAID staff, and partners
on a USAID sponsored project entitled ‘A
Dual Cadre Community Health Worker
Program’. Taking advantage of the
opportunity of the presence of Dr. Mir
and Dr. Mahmood in DC, Dr. John Townsend
the Vice President of the Population
Council arranged a meeting at the USAID
office to share some of the FALAH’s
third party evaluation and initial end
line findings. The meeting was attended
by USAID officials including Scott
Radloff, Director of USAID's Office of
Population and Reproductive Health at
DC, Sarah Harbison, Rushna Ravji, Andrea
Harris, Shawn Malarcher and Jeff Spieler.
• FALAH conducted 2 provincial step down
trainings on Competency Based Clinical
Skills on IUCD held in RHS-A Centers of
Lady Wellingdon Hospital, Ganga Ram
Hospital & Jinnah Hospital in Lahore and
at Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar. In
all 16 participants received the
training (8 in Lahore and 8 in Peshawar)
from February 20-25, 2012. Through this
training, providers have acquired
practical hands on experience gained in
clinical settings in inserting and
removing the IUC device which is
important for enhancing their competency
and ensuring that providers use the
methods safely. The training will help
in increasing the contraceptive choices
that a provider can offer clients.
• The dissemination of FALAH’s desk
calendar continued during the reporting
week. The desk calendar is being
disseminated among stakeholders, policy
makers, donors, district and provincial
government officers of Departments of
Health and Population Welfare. The
twelve page desk calendar has FALAH
messages on benefits of birth spacing
printed on each page. |
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Weekly Update -
February 13 - February 19, 2012 |
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• During the reporting week, FALAH
conducted 2 provincial step down
trainings on Competency Based Clinical
Skills on IUCD held in RHS-A Centers of
Lady Wellingdon Hospital & Jinnah
Hospital Lahore and Lady Reading
Hospital in Peshawar. In all 16
participants received the training (9 in
Lahore and 7 in Peshawar) that was held
from February 13-18, 2012. Through this
training, providers have acquired
practical hands on experience gained in
clinical settings in inserting and
removing the device which is important
for enhancing their competency and
ensuring that providers use the methods
safely. The training will help in
increasing the contraceptive choices
that a provider can offer clients.
• FALAH team led by Chief of Party
visited Lahore on February 16, 2012 to
meet the officials of Departments of
Population Welfare (PWD) and Health (DoH).
The objective of the meeting was to
provide an update on FALAH achievements
and brief the officials from both the
departments about FALAH’s forth coming
seminar on Institutionalization of Birth
Spacing Paradigm in Punjab. The team
held meetings with Mr. Dawood Muhammad
Bareach Special Secretary (DoH), Dr.
Anwar Janjua Additional Secretary
Technical (DoH), Mr. Farasat Iqbal
Program Director (DoH), Dr. Attia Maroof
Additional Secretary (PWD), Dr. Aaiesha
Qureshi Deputy Secretary Technical (PWD).
• During the reporting week, data
collection of FALAH’s End-line Survey
was completed. Currently the cleaning,
coding and entry of data from the
Endline Survey is ongoing.
• Printing of FALAH’s 2,500 desk
calendars was completed in the reporting
week. The desk calendar is being
distributed amongst FALAH’s major stake
holders, policy makers, NGOs and
partners. This year’s calendar displays
a creative execution in the form of line
art illustrations. Through its eye
catching design and vibrant colors, the
calendar grabs the attention of the
audience. The message clearly
communicates the mission of FALAH i.e.
to emphasize on birth spacing and
ensuring the better health of the mother
and child. The twelve page desk calendar
has FALAH messages on benefits of birth
spacing printed on each page. |
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Weekly Update -
February 06 - February 12, 2012 |
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• As part of the series of provincial
seminars that FALAH is organizing to
institutionalize the birth spacing
paradigm at the provincial level, the
second one day seminar for KPK was held
in Peshawar on February 6, 2012. The
objectives of organizing the seminar
were; to provide a comprehensive
briefing on FALAH’s Communication and
Mobilization (CAM) strategy and its
Information, Education and Communication
(IEC) materials for promoting the “Birth
Spacing” agenda to maximize community
outreach at the national, provincial and
district level; to obtain the required
‘buy-in’ from the relevant provincial
departments for the adoption of
available, tried and tested products;
and, to develop strategies, identify
resources and prioritize timelines for
utilizing FALAH’s CAM strategy and the
optimum use of its IEC materials by the
health, population and othern relevant
department in the KPK province. Similar
to the seminar held in Karachi, this
event was also very well attended.
Representatives of government
departments, NGOs, INGOs; Khyber Medical
University were represented at the
seminar. More than 130 participants
included the the Special Secretary
Health, DG Population Welfare, Project
Directors and district coordinators-
MNCH, and Lady Health Worker Program of
KPK and Communication Officers health
and population welfare departments,
representatives of NGOs were attended
the seminar. The agenda comprised of
three sessions. In the inaugural
session, Chief of Party FALAH, Dr. Ali
Mir gave an in-depth overview of the
FALAH project. Dr Gul Rashida, Director
Training presented the whole range of
training material whereas Mrs Seemin
Ashfaq, Senior Program Manger,
Population Council highlighted the
detailed process of CAM Strategy
development. Mr. Javed Jabbar, a
Communication Expert presented in detail
the range of IEC material and product
developed for Mass Media campaign and
community mobilization activities
carried out and the IEC material used
under FALAH project. The beneficiaries
of communication and mobilization
activities including, religious leaders,
LHWs, CBVs and their clients were also
present and shared their views. A
community based worker, from district
Manshera spoke at length on how FALAH’s
training material had made her job
easier and helped her win over the women
of her community to the concept of
“Birth Spacing.” She also narrated a
success story of how she had been able
to influence family decision making on
adoption of birth spacing. Another
important feature of the session was a
presentation by Dr Arshad Mahmood on the
preliminary findings of FALAH’s End line
survey. The findings show that there is
an encouraging increase in the CPR in
FALAH project districts in KPK.
The Chief Guest at the opening session,
Dr. Noor-ul-Imaan, Special Secretary
Health, Department of Health, Government
of KPK acknowledged FALAH’s contribution
to Pakistan’s family planning debate and
highlighted proposed efficiencies in the
setup of the provincial health
department by making it more integrated
and knowledge oriented so that’s future
policies are evidence driven. The USAID
representative, Dr. Munir Afridi while
speaking at the occasion said that
maternal child health and family
planning are USAID’s priority thematic
areas and USAID will continue to support
similar projects which are aimed for
improving health and wellbeing of the
people of the province and Pakistan in
general and mother and children in
particular.
Group work session was the most
important activity of the one day
seminar in which participants were
divided into 6 groups according to their
organization; MNCH, LHW Program,
Provincial/Secretariat Health;
Population Welfare Program, Training and
NGOs. During the Group Work exercise,
all the communication material and
products of FALAH project were reviewed,
shortlisted for respective programs, and
the process/steps of adoption of these
materials with required quantity, cost
and responsibility, was decided upon by
each group. Results of Group work
session were presented during the
closing session. The seminar concluded
by a vote of thanks from Dr. Shabina
Raza, Director, Department of Population
Welfare, Government of Khyber
Pakhtoonkhwa. At the end of the closing
session, Chief of Party handed over the
set of four streamers with FALAH
messages and set of IEC Material to Dr.
Noor-ul-Imaan, Special Secretary Health,
Department of Health, Government of KPK
and Dr Najma Sultana, Director,
Department of Population Welfare,
Government of KPK.
• Ms. Nora Madrigal, Health Development
Officer, Office of Health, Population &
Nutrition /AOTR FALAH, USAID visited
FALAH Office on February 10, 2012. She
was updated by FALAH senior staff about
FALAH activities carried out during the
month of January 2012.
• FALAH in collaboration with the
Population Welfare Department Punjab
organized a step down training on Client
Centered Family Planning Services-
Advance from January 31 February 7, 2012
in Regional Training Institute of
Lahore. Eighteen participants who are
mostly doctors attended the training.
The training seeks to enhance their
knowledge and skills regarding birth
spacing methods, their side effects and
management, counseling techniques and
also brings about a positive change in
their attitude towards their clients.
FALAH has now been able to strengthen
training facilities at the provincial
level. The participants after the
training will provide family planning
services in their facilities and will be
proactive advocates of birth spacing.
• During the reporting week, FALAH’s
End-line Survey was completed in
districts Dadu,Sanghar and Ghotki.
Currently a team is working in district
Larkana. Monitoring and validation of
the field work continued to ensure high
quality of data. The total number of
districts in which the survey has been
completed is thirteen.
• Printing of FALAH’s 15,000 wall
calendars was completed in the reporting
week. The wall calendar is being
distributed amongst the FALAH trained
Lady Health Workers and Lady Health
Supervisors in 20 districts. This year’s
calendar displays a creative execution
in the form of line art illustrations.
Through its eye catching design and
vibrant colors, the calendar grabs the
attention of the audience. The message
clearly communicates the mission of
FALAH i.e. to emphasize on birth spacing
and ensuring the better health of the
mother and child. The four page wall
calendar has FALAH messages on benefits
of birth spacing printed on each page. |
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Weekly Update -
January 23 - January 29, 2012 |
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• During the reporting week FALAH team
held meetings with Dr. Anrudh Jain,
Distinguished Scholar Population Council
to discuss on how to document FALAH
initiatives in the form of briefing
papers and research articles for
publication in peer reviewed journals
for reaching out to a wider audience.
The various components discussed during
these meetings are the Community Based
Volunteer’s Model, GIS mapping,
Leadership Training, Contraceptive
Logistic System, Training of Providers
of Client Centered Approach, and Endline
Survey.
• During the reporting week, FALAH’s
End-line Survey was completed in
districts of KPK and Punjab. Currently
five teams are working in districts Dadu,
Larkana, Sanghar, Ghotki, and Sukkur in
Sindh. Monitoring and validation of the
field work continued to ensure high
quality of data. The total number of
districts in which the survey has been
completed is nine.
• Report writing of the recently
completed ‘Situation Analysis of Health
Facility Assessment (HFA)’ is in
progress. The HFA survey was carried out
in FALAH districts to assess the
following main areas:
Readiness of the facility for
provision of family planning services
Training of service providers in
client centered family planning approach
(CCA)
Observation of provider-client
interaction
Client satisfaction
Contraceptive availability |
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Weekly Update -
January 16 - January 22, 2012 |
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• FALAH organized a one day seminar on
‘Institutionalization of the Birth
Spacing Paradigm in Sindh’ in Karachi on
January 19, 2012. The objectives of
organizing the seminar were; to provide
a comprehensive briefing on FALAH’s
Communication and Mobilization (CAM)
strategy and its Information, Education
and Communication (IEC) materials for
promoting the “Birth Spacing” agenda to
maximize community outreach at the
national, provincial and district level;
to obtain the required ‘buy-in’ from the
relevant provincial departments for the
adoption of available, tried and tested
products; and, to develop strategies,
identify resources and prioritize
timelines for utilizing FALAH’s CAM
strategy and the optimum use of its IEC
materials. The seminar attracted huge
participation from government
departments, NGOs, INGOs; Aga Khan
University, Dow Medical University,
Donor agencies, and Corporate Sector.
More than 130 participants included;
Provincial Secretary and Additional
Secretary Population Welfare, Special
Secretary & Additional Secretary Health,
DDG (H); Project Directors- MNCH and
Lady Health Worker Program of Sindh; and
Communication Officers health and
population welfare departments. The
agenda was comprised on three sessions.
In the inaugural session, Chief of Party
FALAH gave an in-depth overview of the
FALAH project. Mrs Seemin Ashfaq, Senior
Program Manger, Population Council
highlighted the detailed process of CAM
Strategy development. Whereas, Mr Javed
Jabbar, a Communication Expert presented
in detail the range of IEC material and
product developed for Mass Media
campaign and community mobilization
activities carried out and the IEC
material used under FALAH project. The
beneficiaries of communication and
mobilization activities including,
religious leaders, LHWs, CBVs and their
clients were also present and shared
their views. Dr Nasreen Khan, Health
Specialist USAID Karcachi, said that
maternal health, child health and family
planning are priority thematic areas
within the health sector and USAID will
continue to support similar projects
which are aimed at improving the health
of people in Pakistan. She appreciated
FALAH project’s initiative to organize
this event for handing over its
materials to the government departments.
Dr Suresh Kumar, Special Secretary, (H)
while speaking at the opening session
said that the impact of FALAH project in
identified districts of Sindh was
tremendous. He said that the provincial
health department was keen to build upon
the project and will make it possible to
adopt the IEC materials developed for
promotion of birth spacing agenda in
Sind. Group work session was the most
important activity of the one day
seminar in which participants were
divided into 5 groups according to their
organization; MNCH, LHW Program,
Provincial/Secretariat; Population
Program and NGOS/Corporate Sector
groups.
During the Group Work exercise, all the
communication material and products of
FALAH project were reviewed, shortlisted
for respective programs, and the
process/steps of adoption of these
materials with required quantity, cost
and responsibility, was decided upon by
each group. Results of Group work
session were presented during the
closing session. Dr. Khalid Shaikh
Additional Secretary (H), highly
appreciated the handing over of FALAH’s
communication materials to the health
and population welfare departments. He
gave his assurance that in the current
PC-1 being developed, the
recommendations of the group will be
incorporated. At the end of the closing
session, Chief of Party handed over the
set of four streamers with FALAH
messages to Dr. Khalid Shaikh Additional
Secretary (H), Mr Ashfaq Ali Shah
Additional Secretary (PWD) and Mr Allah
Dino Ansari Additional Secretary (PWD)
for their respective departments.
• FALAH in collaboration with the
Population Welfare Department Khyber
Pakhtoon Khwa organized a step down
training on Client Centered Family
Planning Services- Advance from January
16-21, 2012 in Regional Training
Institute of Peshawar. Fifteen
participants from Lady Reading Hospital
Hayatabad Medical Complex, Public Health
School and Khyber Teaching Hospital
attended the training. The training
seeks to enhance their knowledge and
skills regarding birth spacing methods,
their side effects and management,
counseling techniques and also brings
about a positive change in their
attitude towards their clients. These
are additional RTIS from non FALAH
districts which are being strengthened.
The participants after the training will
provide family planning services in
their facilities and be proactive
advocates of birth spacing.
• The Monitoring and Evaluation Team of
FALAH continued their visits to FALAH
districts where Endline Survey is in
progress. The objective of their visit
was to validate male and female
interviews conducted by interviewers.
The Endline Survey which began on
Dcemebr 2, 20111 is moving into its
final stage of completion in some of the
districts.During the reporting week
survey was completed in District
Manshera.The total number of districts
in which the survey has been completed
is six. |
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Weekly Update -
January 9 - January 15, 2012 |
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• In the reporting week, Ms. Nora
Madrigal, Health Development Officer,
Office of Health, Population & Nutrition
/AOTR FALAH, USAID visited FALAH Office
to attend a meeting with Dr. Ian Askew,
Director, Reproductive Health Services
and Research, Population Council who was
on a visit to the Pakistan office. The
objective of the meeting was to discuss
FALAH’s evaluation findings and taking
forward the FALAH momentum.
• The Monitoring & Evaluation team of
FALAH visited the FALAH districts where
Endline survey is in progress. The
objective of their visit was to validate
male and female interviews conducted by
the interviewers. The Endline survey
began on December 2, 2011 and is
currently ongoing in 10 FALAH districts.
A team of editors and data entry
operators are working in FALAH office on
the cleaning and entry of data received
from the districts. The results of the
Endline survey compared with the
Baseline findings will help in inferring
the impact of the interventions
implemented by the FALAH project.
• The Health Facility Assessment Survey
that began in early December, 2012 has
been completed in the reporting week.
Currently the data cleaning is taking
place. The HFA survey was carried out in
six FALAH districts. Four tools were
employed for undertaking this
assessment, including one for health
facility, second for interviewing
facility in charge, third for the
service provider and the fourth one for
client’s exit interview. A fifth tool
was the observational tool that helped
in recording the interaction between
service provider and client. The HFA
survey aims to assess the following main
areas:
Readiness of the facility for
provision of family planning services
Training of service providers in
client centered family planning approach
(CCA)
Observation of provider-client
interaction
Client satisfaction
Contraceptive availability |
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Weekly Update -
January 2 - January 8, 2012 |
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• FALAH team led by Chief of Party held a
meeting with Dr. Khalid Sheikh,
Additional Secretary Department of
Health and Mr. Mohsin Sheikh Deputy
Director Development on January 4, 2012
at Karachi. The objective of the meeting
was to discuss about the handover of the
Information Education and Communication
(IEC) materials developed by FALAH to
the Health Department and how best it
can be utilized by them. With this
objective FALAH is holding a one day
seminar on ‘Institutionalization of
Birth Spacing Paradigm in Sindh’ which
is scheduled to be held in Karachi on
January 19, 2012.
• Ms. Nora Madrigal, Health Development
Officer, Office of Health, Population &
Nutrition /AOTR FALAH, USAID visited
FALAH Office on January 5th, 2012 to
debrief the FALAH senior staff on the
results of FALAH’s Evaluation conducted
by IMEC.
• FALAH’s Endline and Health Facility
Assessment Survey which began in
December 2011 continued during the
reporting week. |
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Weekly Update -
December 26 - January 1, 2012 |
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• FALAH conducted a three day orientation
workshop on introducing the ‘Basic
Minimum Content Package of Family
Planning/Birth Spacing for Pre Service
medical Education’ at Peoples University
of Medical and Health Sciences for Women
in Benazirabad from December 28-30,
2011. Thirty faculty members of Benazir
Medical University attended the
orientation workshop. At the occasion a
skills lab established by FALAH in the
premises of the University was also
inaugurated. All the departments from
the university fully endorsed the ‘Basic
Minimum Package’ and designed the action
plans in implementing the package in
their university. An action plan for the
implementation of the teaching/training
modules by the university was also
developed and shared with the vice
chancellor on the second day of the
training workshop.
• The IMEC Evaluation Team held a
meeting with FALAH’s senior staff
members on December 30, 2011 at
Population Council Office in Islamabad.
The objective of the meeting was to
share with FALAH staff the preliminary
findings of the evaluation of FALAH
project conducted by IMEC.
• Dr. Arshad Mahmood Director Monitoring
and Evaluation participated in the 4th
Annual Maternal Mortality Conference
held in Lahore on December 29, 2010. The
title of his presentation was ‘Road to
Achieving MDG 4 and 5: The Contribution
of Punjab can make’. Pakistan can only
meet the MDG targets if the unmet need
for family planning is met. In his
presentation, he emphasized that there
is an urgent need to integrate HTSP
(Healthy Timing and Spacing for
Pregnancies) to health program
strategies at all levels. He advocated
that the promotion of HTSP in Pakistan
would also contribute significantly to
reducing the socio cultural and
religious barriers to the use of
contraceptives. Approximately 25 per
cent of the married women in Pakistan
have unmet need for family
planning/birth spacing, that they are
not using a contraceptive method, but
want to limit or space their next child.
Eleven per cent of the women have an
unmet need for spacing pregnancies while
14 per cent have an unmet need for
limiting any future pregnancies. In
fact, unmet need is greatest among women
with little or no education, and among
those living in the poorest households.
It is important to note that promoting
and practicing HTSP is also the most
effective means for Pakistan to meet the
MDG 4 and 5- reduce child mortality and
improve maternal health - and also
influences and impacts the other MDGs,
particularly reducing poverty, promoting
education and gender equality. |
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Weekly Update -
December 19 - 25, 2011 |
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• FALAH team held a preliminary meeting on
December 21, 2011 with Professor Azam
Hussain Yousafani, Vice Chancellor of
Benazir Medical College in Benazirabad
(formerly known as Nawabshah). The
objective of the meeting was to brief
the Vice Chancellor about FALAH’s
activities, to identify a site for a
skills lab to be established by FALAH at
the medical college and to discuss
modalities of establishing a skills lab
for training of students on Birth
Spacing. Details for arranging an
orientation workshop on ‘Basic Minimum
Contents Package’ that will be conducted
by FALAH for the faculty and the
students of the college from December
28- 30, 2011 in Benazirabad were also
discussed during the meeting.
• FALAH organized a training from
December 19-24, 2011on Intra Uterine
Contraceptive device (IUCD) at RHS-A
Karachi in which 9 medical public sector
doctors of provincial hospitals of
Karachi were trained on IUCD insertion
and removal skills. Through this
training, providers acquire practical
hands on experience gained in clinical
settings in inserting and removing the
device which is important for enhancing
their competency and ensuring that
providers use the methods safely. The
training will also help in increasing
the contraceptive choices that a
provider can offer to their clients.
• During the reporting week, the IMEC
Evaluation Team visited districts
Bahawalpur, DG Khan and Multan. On
December 19, 2011 the team visited
Quaid-e-Azam Medical College in
Bahawalpur and met with the faculty and
the students. They also visited the
Skills lab at Quaid-e-Azam Medical
College which was established by FALAH.
On the same day the team visited
selected health facilities of DG Khan
including BHU Haji Ghazi and RHC Sarwar
Wali to meet the officials trained in
Client Centered Family Planning Services
by FALAH and to observe their work. On
December 20, 2011 the evaluation team
visited RHSA Master Training Center in
Multan to meet service providers trained
by FALAH in Milinap.
• FALAH participated in a 2-day meeting
on “Streamlining of contraceptive
supplies to the service delivery after
the devolution on Population & Health
Services to Provinces” held in Karachi
from 19-20-Nov-11. The meeting was
arranged by Population Welfare Wing of
the Ministry of Planning and Development
with the financial support of UNFPA/USAID.
The objective of the meeting was to
revise the contraceptive logistics
management in Pakistan. Various partners
have been involved in this process of
streamlining the contraceptive logistics
system including USAID, UNFPA, PNDA,
Health and Population Welfare
departments in the provinces. Under the
revised process the contraceptive
supplies to the Health departments, PPHI,
NGOs, will flow in a smooth manner
without any delay. As a result of the
meeting it was decided that a buffer
stock of contraceptives will be
available at district level and
contraceptives will be provided on
demand. Dr. Arshad Mahmood, Director
Monitoring and Evaluation participated
and represented FALAH in the two day
meeting. |
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Weekly Update -
December 12 - 18, 2011 |
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• Ms. Syeda Batool Gillani, Goodwill
Ambassador for Women Empowerment and
daughter of the Prime Minister of
Pakistan visited the Population Council
office in Islamabad on Wednesday,
December 14, 2011 to get a better
understanding of the population-related
issues facing Pakistan today and in the
coming years.
In a presentation, “Population Issues
Confronting Pakistan in 2011”, Dr. Zeba
Sathar (Country Director of Population
Council, FALAH’s lead organization)
highlighted the challenges Pakistan
faces, the impact on the country's
growth indicators, how to tackle the
unmet need for contraceptive services
and policies required for the greater
empowerment of women. A concentrated
effort was required by the government
and other stakeholders, Dr. Sathar
echoing the words of the Prime Minister
at this year's World Population Day said
that Pakistan needed to be on a war
footing to meet the challenge imposed by
a rapidly growing population and
promotion of birth spacing services
should be made mandatory for the health
system through all level of health
facilities.
Also present at the meeting were Dr.
Mumtaz Esker, Director General
Population Program Wing, Planning &
Development Division, Ms. Nyla Qureshi,
Joint Secretary, Prime Minister's
Secretariat, Chief of Party FALAH and
senior staff members of FALAH. They
shared the FALAH project’s focus on
expanding family planning outreach in
Pakistan to improve the health and
wellbeing of mothers and their children.
The full range of acitvties carried out
under FALAH were highlighted. Dr. Arshad
Mahmood, Director Monitoring and
Evaluation FALAH explained the factors
related to unmet need for family
planning in Pakistan. Ms. Gillani was
also shown the TV adds produced under
FALAH project to highlight the
importance of Health Timing and Spacing
of Pregnancy The booklet containing
FALAHs unified messages on birth
spacing, FALAH’s documentary movie of
religious leaders entitled, Farishton Ny
Bhi Poocha’ and a CD with FALAH’s
television commercials (TVs) on its key
messages on birth spacing were handed
over to Ms. Gillani, who said that there
was a dire need to create awareness
about birth spacing and media could play
effective role in this regard. “The
advertisements and short documentary on
birth spacing by FALAH should be
telecast on television so that people
get to know about it,” she said.
• During the reporting week, the IMEC
Evaluation Team held a meeting with each
of FALAH’s implementing partners in
Islamabad i.e. Save the Children, RSPN
and Greenstar Social Marketing. They
also met the Provincial Health and
Population Welfare Officials and
religious leaders trained by FALAH in
KPK and Punjab. In KPK the team visited
District Charsadda and in Punjab
district Jhelum. At both the places they
met with EDOs of Health Department,
District Officer Health, District
Coordinator-LHWs, DHIS Coordinator,
DPWOs and other Key District health and
population officials. The Evaluation
Team also visited selected heath
facilities in Charsadda and Jhelum to
meet the officials trained in Client
Centered Family Planning Services by
FALAH and to observe their work. They
observed group meetings conducted by
LHWs and met with their clients as well.
In addition to this a detailed meeting
was held between the FALAH’s senior
staff members and the IMEC evaluation
team on Saturday December 17, 2011 at
the FALAH office, where the FALAH
project as a whole and each of its
Results were discussed thoroughly.
• The seventh Issue of FALAH’s quarterly
newsletter ‘FALAHNAMA’ has been printed
during the reporting week and is now
being distributed. 1000 copies have been
printed for distribution among the FALAH
partners, NGOs, UN organizations,
Government departments at the federal
and provincial level and stakeholders.
The latest Issue of FALAHNAMA is also
available on www.falah.org.pk for
download.
• FALAH’s Endline survey and Health
Facility Assessment (HFA) Survey that
started in the first week of December
continued during the reporting week as
well. |
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Weekly Update -
December 5 - 11, 2011 |
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• FALAH’s Endline survey which began on
December 2, 2011 continued during the
reporting week as well. It is expected
that the survey will be completed within
a period of one and a half months from
the date of commencement. A total of 94
interviewers (32 males and 62 females)
have been trained on how to administer
the questionnaires including, women, men
and community questionnaires. The
participants have been divided into
teams and each team is composed of 4
female and 2 male interviewers. The
results of the endline survey compared
with the baseline findings will help in
inferring the impact of the
interventions implemented by the FALAH
project.
• Health Facility Assessment (HFA)
Survey began during the reporting week.
The following main areas that will be
assessed through the HFA:
Readiness of the facility for
provision of family planning services
Training of service providers in
client centered family planning approach
(CCA)
Observation of provider-client
interaction
Client satisfaction
Contraceptive availability
Prior to the survey 12 interviewers were
trained on using the data collection
tools. The interviewers divided into 7
teams commenced field work on December
7th, 2011.In each team there is one Lady
Health Visitor who will assess the
technical aspects while the other
members of the team will carry out
situation analysis and interview the
facility incharge.
• An introductory meeting between FALAH
partners and USAID’s Evaluation Team
took place on December 9, 2011 in FALAH
office in Islamabad. During the meeting
Chief of Party FALAH presented an
overview of FALAH activities. This was
followed by a presentation by Dr. Arshad
Mehmood (Director Monitoring and
Evaluation) on sharing some of the
results of the third party evaluation of
‘Community Based Volunteers Model’ and
‘Viewership of FALAH media campaign’. |
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Weekly Update -
November 28 - December 04, 2011 |
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• FALAH’s Endline survey commenced on
December 2, 2011. It is expected that
the survey will be completed within a
period of one and a half months. Earlier
this week, the training of field workers
who will conduct the survey was
completed in Islamabad. A total of 94
participants (32 males and 62 females)
have been trained on how to administer
the questionnaires including women, men
and community Questionnaires. This was
followed by a one day pre testing
exercise on November 28th, 2011 after
which the questionnaires were finalized.
• During the reporting week, Population
Council/FALAH organized two 5-day
trainings on ‘Supportive Supervision for
the Lady Health Supervisors’ (LHS) of
the National Program for Family Planning
and Primary Health Care in Thatta and DG
Khan. Ten participants from Thatta and
18 from DG Khan received this training.
The objective of imparting this training
was to explain the concept of supportive
supervision using the SAHR framework
developed by the Population Council for
ensuring provision of client centered
family planning services that help to
better identify and meet the needs of
clients and supervise the Lady Health
Workers (LHWs) in a supportive manner.
The supervisors will, in turn use this
training to support and guide the LHWs
to improve their performance and
reinforce the training imparted to them
earlier.
• FALAH organized a training on Intra
Uterine Contraceptive device (IUCD)
insertion and removal skills in which 9
public sector providers from Thatta,
Dadu and Sanghar were trained at Abbasi
Shaeed Hospital in Karachi. Through this
training, providers acquire practical
hands on experience gained in clinical
settings in inserting and removing the
device which is important for enhancing
their competency and ensuring that
providers use the methods safely. The
training will also help in increasing
the contraceptive choices that a
provider can offer to their clients.
• The first provincial step down
training on Client Centered Family
Planning Services–Advance for female
providers was held from November 28-
December 3, 2011 in Regional Training
Institute Karachi in which 23 doctors
belonging to teaching and tertiary care
government hospitals of Quetta and
Karachi were trained. It is expected
that the participants after the training
will be able to provide family planning
services in their facilities and be
proactive advocates of birth spacing.
The training seeks to enhance their
knowledge and skills regarding birth
spacing methods, their side effects and
management, counseling techniques and
also bring about a positive change in
their attitude. This was the first phase
of the training. In the second phase
these doctors will be trained in IUCD
insertion and removal skills.
• FALAH conducted a three day
orientation workshop on introducing the
‘Basic Minimum Content Package of Family
Planning/Birth Spacing for Pre Service
medical Education’ at Professional
Development Center of the Dow University
of Health Sciences in Karachi from
November 29-December 1, 2011. Twenty
seven participants from the Dow
University of Health Sciences attended
the event. At the occasion a skills lab
established by FALAH in the premises of
Dow University was also inaugurated. All
the departments from the universities
fully endorsed the ‘Basic Minimum
Package’ and designed the action plans
in implementing the package in their
university. An action plan for the
implementation of the teaching/training
modules by the university was also
developed and shared with the vice
chancellor on the last day of the
training workshop. The Vice Chancellor,
Professor Masood Hameed Khan expressed
his confidence that as a result of these
training programmes, the quality of care
would improve and lead to a greater
client satisfaction and an improved
service utilization. He urged all senior
faculty members attending the workshop
to meet again after a month and discuss
possible ways of incorporating the basic
minimum family planning contents package
in the modular curriculum of the
university. The event was widely
reported in the local press.
• Three day training for the
interviewers for Health Facility
Assessment (HFA) took place from
December 1-3, 2011 at FALAH office in
Islamabad. In all 12 participants were
trained on using the data collection
tools. They have been divided into 7
teams. In each team there is one Lady
Health Visitor who will cover the
technical aspects of the survey while
the other member of the team will
conduct the situation analysis and
interview of facility incharge. The
Health Facility Assessment will be
conducted in 14 districts of FALAH and
will commence after Moharram holidays.
Two teams will be sent to each of the
provinces including KPK, Punjab and
Sindh. Each team will collect data from
11 health facilities in each district.
• Chief of Party FALAH, Dr. Ali M. Mir
participated in the ‘International
Conference on Family Planning’ held from
November 29- December 2, 2011 in Dakar
Senegal. His presentation entitled
‘Improving Access to Birth-Spacing
Services in Pakistan: Sharing
Experiences and Lesson Learnt’ focused
on the process of implementing the FALAH
project in Pakistan. He gave an overview
of the specific interventions and
highlighted the lessons learnt in
repositioning family planning as a
health intervention. The other panelists
included Dr. Arshad Chandio from
National Program for Family Planning and
Primary Health Care who shared the
inputs provided to the Lady Health
Worker (LHW) Program specifically
focusing on the training imparted to the
LHWs on the Client Centered Approach.
Dr. Sarwat Mirza from HANDS described
the methodology adopted for mobilizing
communities in Sindh using the medium of
interactive theaters. Dr. Nabeel Akram
from JHPIEGO focused on the inputs
provided in improving pre service,
medical, nursing and paramedics
trainings. |
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Weekly Update -
November 21 - 27, 2011 |
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• A team led by Chief of Party FALAH, Dr.
Ali M. Mir held a meeting with Mr.
Dawood Barrech, Special Secretary
Health, Punjab and Dr. Syeda Zahida
Sarvar, Deputy Director, MCH, National
Maternal Neonatal and Child Health
Program, Punjab on November 21, 2011 in
Lahore. The objective of the meeting was
to share with them a brief overview of
the FALAH Project, including its
communication material, mass media
products, training material and GIS
mapping exercise. During the meeting the
mapping exercise carried out in
districts DG Khan, Rajanpur, Jehlum,
Bahawalpur, Lahore, Multan, Vehari,
Khanewal and Rahim Yar Khan of Punjab
were discussed in detail. Special
Secretary Health expressed his desire to
draft a strategy in coordination with
all stakeholders for scaling up of FALAH
initiatives in other Punjab districts as
well. As a next step, a coordination
meeting with the FALAH project team
would be arranged to get their help and
inputs for scaling up of initiatives in
other districts.
• FALAH displayed its key messages on
birth spacing and HTSP during the
Population Association of Pakistan’s
(PAP) annual Research Conference titled
Pakistani Youth: The Ultimate Resource,
held at University of the Punjab in
Lahore from November 22-24, 2011. The
objective of displaying the key messages
was to advocate/promote birth spacing
among the students who are the future
generation in Pakistan.
• Dr. Nafees Sadik, Special Advisor to
UN Secretary General and his Special
Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Asia and Pacific,
representatives from UNFPA, UNICEF,
Packard Foundation, faculty members of
Punjab University and hundreds of
students from different departments
attended the three day conference and
were therefore exposed to the FALAH
messages.
• Training of Trainers on Client
Centered Family Planning Services –
Advance for the female public sector
providers from the Population Welfare
Department which began in Islamabad on
November 16, 2011 concluded during the
reporting week. The training was
arranged for the additional five
Regional Training Institutes (RTIs) of
Population Welfare Departments of
Punjab, Sindh and Baluchistan. In all 17
participants who were doctors, senior
instructors, sister tutors, deputy
principal and social scientist belonging
to RTIs Sahiwal, Faisalabad, Quetta,
Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana and
Islamabad received the training. The
objective of this training was to train
master trainers of above mentioned RTIs
on client centered approach, updated
contraceptives and Islam and family
planning. In turn, they will train
different cadres of health and
population departments in their RTIs on
the birth spacing services. The closing
session was chaired by Dr. Mumtaz Esker,
Director General Population Program
Wing. She appreciated the efforts of
FALAH project for building the capacity
of trainers of RTIs/RHSA centers of
Population Welfare Department and said
that this training will not only help
them in conducting CCFPS training but
would also be helpful for them in
conducting their routine trainings as
they had been trained in latest teaching
methodologies and updated information on
contraceptive technology.
• Training of field workers for
FALAH’s Endline Survey continued during
the reporting week in Islamabad. A total
of 94 participants (32 males and 62
females) are being trained on conducting
the end line survey. The training
involves sessions on how to fill out the
end line questionnaire and field
methodology which includes the process
of sampling, household selection,
respondent selection. The next steps
involve a one day pre test of the
endline questionnaire followed by the
initiation of endline survey in the
first week of December, 2011. |
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Weekly Update -
November 14 - 20, 2011 |
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• FALAH organized a 3 day training on
‘Developing Communication, Advocacy and
Mobilization (CAM) Skills’ for the
communication staff of departments of
Health and Population Welfare from
November 17-19, 2011. A total of 21
participants from all provinces attended
the training in Islamabad. The objective
of imparting this training was to make
the participants understand the process
of designing and developing
communication, advocacy and mobilization
strategies and material, to develop the
concept and process of key interventions
to promote birth spacing through health
and population programs, to understand
the importance of audience segmentation
for communication planning, to put into
place the steps required to develop
communication campaign to reach out to
target audience and undertake effective
advocacy and to successfully design and
implement social mobilization
activities. During this training FALAH’s
IEC material was shared with the
participants for their use in future
birth spacing programs. The participants
were divided into 4 groups for
developing their CAM action plans for
each province. Dr. Mumtaz Esker,
Director General Population Program Wing
who was the Chief Guest for the closing
session, highly appreciated the training
conducted by FALAH and said that this
training would be an integral part of
the birth spacing agenda. She further
said that the intersectoral coordination
between the Health and PWD departments
will improve after this training as both
the departments have worked together to
develop their province’s CAM action
plans.
• A 10 day training of trainers on
Client Centered Family Planning Services
– Advance for the female public sector
providers from the Population Welfare
Department began in Islamabad on
November 16, 2011. In all 17
participants who are doctors, senior
instructors, sister tutors, deputy
principal and social scientist belonging
to RTIs Sahiwal, Faisalabad, Quetta,
Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana and
Islamabad are receiving this training.
It is expected that by the end of the
training the participants will provide
family planning services in their
facilities and be proactive advocates of
birth spacing. The training seeks to
enhance their knowledge and skills
regarding birth spacing methods, their
side effects and management, counseling
techniques and also bring about a
positive change in their attitude
towards their clients. These are
additional RTIS from non FALAH districts
which are being strengthened.
• A 10 day training for the field
workers of FALAH’s Endline Survey began
on November 19, 2011 at the Hill View
Hotel in Islamabad. A total of 94
participants (32 males and 62 females)
are being trained on conducting the end
line survey. The training involves
sessions on how to fill out the end line
questionnaire and field methodology
which includes the process of sampling,
household selection, respondent
selection. As soon as the field workers
complete the training they will go back
to their districts and start the endline
survey within a period of one week. |
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Weekly Update -
October 31 - November 13, 2011 |
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• Chief of Party FALAH, Dr. Ali Muhammad
Mir and Dr. Tanveer Sheikh, HANDS (one
of FALAH’s implementing partners in
Sindh) appeared in “Clinic Online”
program on the Health TV channel on
November 10, 2011. The show was
programmed to discuss Family
Planning/Birth Spacing in Pakistan.
During the one hour program scope of
FALAH project, birth spacing, HTSP,
FALAH project’s key messages and
concepts were highlighted in the
discussion. FALAH’s key messages on
birth spacing kept scrolling on the
screen during the program. A noteworthy
point of the show was that a high number
of live calls with queries on FP/birth
spacing were received during the airing
of the program that were answered by the
FALAH team. The program was originally
scheduled to be re telecast twice,
however, due to the overwhelming
response from the viewers and feedback
received from them on the topic, it was
retelecast several times during the week
and was declared as the ‘Program of the
Week’. |
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Weekly Update -
October 10 - 16, 2011 |
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• The Leadership team of Population
Council/FALAH conducted follow up
meetings with Leadership fellows of
District Ghotki and Sukkur on October 12
and 13, 2011. The objectives of the
meeting were to strengthen networking
among the participants, reinforce and
reinvigorate the key messages of the
leadership training, share achievements
and experiences, consolidate and
incorporate Vision Statements and Action
Plans of different batches into FALAH
integrated District Action Plan and
assess the impact of leadership training
on district population and health
systems strengthening. The Population
Council’s 9-day workshop on
“Strengthening District Population &
Health Systems Through Effective
Leadership and Client Centered Services”
aims to strengthen the leadership
abilities of district managers to
transform them as effective leaders and
change agents. In districts Sukkur and
Ghotki the number of officials who had
earlier received the leadership training
in Islamabad is 13 and 14 respectively.
These participants represent different
departments and sectors including,
health, population, education, community
development, finance and local NGOs. The
follow up is a part of Leadership
Development Strategy.
• Meetings on “FALAH’s Experiences,
Successes and The Way Forward” were held
in Districts Ghotki and Sukkur on
October 12 and 13, 2011. The objective
of the meeting was to brief the senior
district managers and all relevant
stakeholders regarding the full package
of activities carried by FALAH towards
improving quality of birth spacing
services in District Jhelum. These
consolidation meetings are part of a
series of meetings to be held in all
FALAH districts. The participants highly
appreciated the interventions carried
out by the FALAH project in
repositioning family planning as a
health intervention and building the
capacity of the district officers and,
service providers and institutions.
District Coordination Officer Ghotki,
Mr. Zahid Ali Abbasi while praising
FALAH’s various interventions in
District Ghotki said that, he will make
sure that EDO health and Population
Welfare in his district provide him with
regular reports on the contraceptive
availability status in order to have a
smooth supply at the facility level. He
also assured to get MOU signed with locl
FM channels to air FALAH jingles and
advertisements in the district.
• A Two days training on ‘Contraceptive
Technology and Coaching Methodology’ was
carried out from October 13-14 at Hill
View Hotel in Islamabad. The objective
of the training was to update the
knowledge and coaching skills of female
service providers and to enable them to
supportively coach the other providers
and refresh, retrain and reinforce the
concepts and clinical skills of health
care providers on Family Planning in
their respective districts. Fourteen
participants from each FALAH district
except Jaffarabad were given this
training.
• FALAH team participated and
facilitated in arranging the Maternal
Mortality Conference (MMC) of LHS in
District Ghotki. The LHSs of the
district participate in the MMC and
share their monitoring plans for the
upcoming week and women group meeting
data collected in the previous month.
Other challenges or obstacles in their
work, if any, are also brought under
discussion during this meeting. The
objective of attending these meetings by
FALAH was to obtain feedback from LHS on
the training received by them on
Supportive Supervision, how it is being
practiced by them and to find out if the
training had led to an improvement in
the performance of the LHWs. |
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Weekly Update -
October 3 - 9, 2011 |
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• During the reporting week, Ms Nora
Madrigal, Health Development Officer,
Office of Health, Population & Nutrition
/AOTR FALAH, USAID Pakistan along with
her staff members including Dr. Nasreen
Khan, Ms. Sara Saqib and Mr. Mir
Ershadullah and the FALAH team visited
Thatta district. The purpose of the
visit was to meet with the district
officials and to view the different
sites where FALAH project interventions
have been carried out. In the first half
of the day she met with the Leadership
Fellows who were attending the
Leadership Follow up Meeting to review
their progress as District Leadership
Team. She also met with the master
trainers trained by FALAH in Client
Centered Family Planning Services (CCFPS)
Advance, Supportive Supervision for the
Lady Health Supervisors’ (LHS) and
Master Trainers of religious leaders
training. The religious leaders gave a
comprehensive briefing on the paradigm
shift in the message of family planning
as birth spacing which has helped in
communicating the benefits of birth
spacing to the community. After the
meeting, she visited the Skills Lab
established by FALAH in the School of
Nursing Thatta, where she was briefed by
the students and their faculty on the
benefits of the skills lab in their
learning. Ms. Nora also visited a Basic
Health Unit later in the day where she
was briefed by the DSM PPHI.
• During the reporting week, the
Director Research, Monitoring and
Evaluation, FALAH visited Karachi to
conduct meetings with the staff of FALAH
partner RSPN. The objective of the
meetings was to encourage RSPN’s field
staff to continue their efforts for
accomplishing FALAH’s objectives through
the Community Based Volunteers.
• Based upon the supervisory visits
conducted for identifying the loopholes
in the supply chain management of the
contraceptives in FALAH districts, the
Monitoring and Evaluation (M & E) Team
of FALAH prepared a position paper
highlighting the problems being faced in
the availability of contraceptives in
FALAH districts of Sindh. The position
paper which also includes
recommendations by the M & E team for
overcoming these issues has been sent to
the Director General, Department of
Health, Sindh. The DG Health has issued
formal instructions to the Executive
District Officers of Health (EDO) to
provide monthly progress reports to his
office regarding contraceptive status.
• FALAH teams participated and
facilitated in arranging the Maternal
Mortality Conference (MMC) of LHS in
Districts Mardan, Swabi and DG Khan. The
LHSs of the district participate in the
MMC and share their monitoring plans for
the upcoming week and women group
meeting data collected in the previous
month. Other challenges or obstacles in
their work, if any, are also brought
under discussion during this meeting.
The objective of attending these
meetings by FALAH was to obtain feedback
from LHS on the training received by
them on Supportive Supervision, how it
is being practiced by them and to find
out if the training had led to an
improvement in the performance of the
LHWs.
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Weekly Update -
September 19 - 25, 2011 |
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• On September 22, 2011 the Chief of Party
FALAH held meetings with the Provincial
Secretaries of Health and Population
Welfare Department (PWD) in Khyber
Pakhtun Khwa (KPK). The objective of the
meetings was to provide an overview of
FALAH activities in KPK and also to
handover the GIS Standalone Software
developed by FALAH/Population Council to
PWD Department.
• On September 23, 2011 the USAID Health
Team visited FALAH office. They were
briefed on the status of FALAH
activities by the FALAH team.
• The FALAH team from Population Council
visited the Regional Training Institutes
(RTIs) and Reproductive Health Services
(RHS-A) centers in Karachi to assess the
utilization of the material and
equipment provided by FALAH project for
the strengthening of these institutes
for training health care providers on
Client Centered Family Planning Services
(CCFPS) Advance and IUCD insertion
trainings.
• FALAH organized a training on Intra
Uterine Contraceptive Device (IUCD)
insertion skills in which 10
participants from the Health Sector were
trained at RHS- A Center in DG Khan.
Through this training, providers
acquired practical hands on experience
gained in clinical settings in inserting
the device which is important for
enhancing their competency and ensuring
that providers use the methods safely.
The training will also help in
increasing the contraceptive choices
that a provider can offer clients.
• The FALAH monitoring team from
Population Council conducted visits to
the public sector health facilities of
Districts Jhelum and Bahawalpur to
ensure availability of contraceptives
through revival of requisitioning system
by holding meetings with Departments of
Health and Population Welfare. Another
purpose of these visits was to see the
impact of contraceptive logistics
training which has already been imparted
in these districts by FALAH to ensure an
uninterrupted supply of contraceptives
to the public sector facilities from the
warehouse. The visits particularly
provided an opportunity to work with
both the departments for identifying the
loopholes in the supply chain management
of the contraceptives. FALAH’s partners
HANDS and Save the Children also
conducted supervisory visits to health
facilities to facilitate the facility
staff in logistics management of
contraceptives in districts
Mardan,Bhawalpur, Thatta and Larkana.
Furthermore, at all the health
facilities the DOH- 2 form, which is
used for sending the demand request for
contraceptives to the Executive District
Officer (EDO) Health office was checked
and provided if not available.
• In the reporting period, female
community based volunteers (CBVs)
trained by FALAH conducted household
visits and group meetings and referred
35 women to project LHVs to adopt
services. Project LHVs also conducted
outreach visits to the clusters of the
CBVs and provided counseling and
contraceptive services to 108 clients
referred by the CBVs. The methods
adopted by women through these visits
are pills (31), injectables (57), IUCDs
(5) while 15 selected condoms as a
method for spacing births.
• FALAH’s partner RSPN validated 10
household visits conducted by female
CBVs in district Sukkur. In all the
household visits women reported that the
CBV had visited their home and discussed
with them about birth spacing. The CBVs
were also observed while having
discussion with the MWRAs during the
household visits and provided guidance
on how to conduct discussion with
pregnant women, as well as with users of
contraceptive and non users. FALAH
partner RSPN also checked the record of
CBVs and provided guidance to 158 CBVs
for proper maintenance of the client
record register.
• During the reporting week FALAH in
collaboration with the Population
Welfare Department organized a Minilap
Service Camp in the District Headquarter
Hospital in Mirpur Mathelo in district
Ghotki. A Women Medical Officer who has
been trained by FALAH in providing
Minilap services facilitated and
provided services during the camp.
• During this reporting period trained
Village Health Committee (VHC) members
conducted 28 husband group meetings in
Districts Thatta and Dadu which were
attended by 356 men. The VHC members
have been sensitized on birth spacing
and its importance by FALAH and are
therefore more effective in promoting
birth spacing among men in the community
through holding group meetings in their
catchment areas, in which they use FALAH
IEC material. This in turn facilitates
the role of the LHWs in the community.
VHC members serve as a bridge between
the Lady Health Worker (LHW) and the
male members of the community.
• The District Technical Committee
Meeting was held in districts Swabi,
Jhelum, Ghotki and Sukkur. During the
meeting FALAH’s progress, plan of action
for the next month and contraceptives
status including supplies, logistics and
availability in different health
facilities of these districts was shared
by the FALAH team with the participants
of the meeting. Government officials
including a representative from the
office of EDO Health, DPWO, DSM PPHI and
National Program for LHWs and District
Coordinators of FALAH participated in
the meetings. |
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Weekly Update -
September 12 - 18, 2011 |
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• The Leadership team of Population
Council/FALAH conducted a follow up
meeting of Leadership fellows of
District Jhelum on September 14, 2011.
The objectives of the meeting were to
strengthen networking among the
participants, reinforce and reinvigorate
the key messages of the leadership
training, share achievements and
experiences, consolidate and incorporate
Vision Statements and Action Plans of
different batches into FALAH integrated
District Action Plan and assess the
impact of leadership training on
district population and health systems
strengthening. The Population Council’s
9-day workshop on “Strengthening
District Population & Health Systems
Through Effective Leadership and Client
Centered Services” aims to strengthen
the leadership abilities of district
managers to transform them as effective
leaders and change agents. Officials
representing different sectors
including, health, population,
education, community development,
finance and local NGOs, of district
Jhelum had earlier received the
leadership training in Islamabad. The
follow up is a part of Leadership
Development Strategy.
• A meeting on “FALAH’s Experiences,
Successes and The Way Forward” was held
in District Jhelum on September 15,
2011. The objective of the meeting was
to brief the senior district managers
and all relevant stakeholders regarding
the full package of activities carried
by FALAH towards improving quality of
birth spacing services in District
Jhelum. This was the first consolidation
meeting in a series of meetings to be
held in all FALAH districts. The
participants highly appreciated the
interventions carried out by the FALAH
project in repositioning family planning
as a health intervention and building
the capacity of the district officers
and, service providers and institutions.
• During the reporting week Population
Council/FALAH organized a step down
training on ‘Supportive Supervision for
the Lady Health Supervisors’ (LHS) of
the National Program for Family Planning
and Primary Health Care in Bhawalpur for
16 CCA trained Lady Health Supervisors
(LHS). The objective of imparting this
training was to explain the concept of
supportive supervision using the SAHR
framework developed by the Population
Council for ensuring provision of client
centered family planning services that
help to better identify and meet the
needs of clients and supervise the Lady
Health Workers (LHWs) in a supportive
manner. The supervisors will, in turn
use this training to support and guide
the LHWs to improve their performance
and reinforce the training imparted to
them earlier.
• FALAH organized 2 step down trainings
on Intra Uterine Contraceptive device (IUCD)
insertion skills in which 22 public
sector providers from Rajanpur and
Manshera were trained at RHS- A Centers
in Abbotabad and DG Khan respectively.
Through this training, providers
acquired practical hands on experience
gained in clinical settings in inserting
the device which is important for
enhancing their competency and ensuring
that providers use the methods safely.
The training will also help in
increasing the contraceptive choices
that a provider can offer clients.
• FALAH’s partner Save the Children US
organized a training on Standard days
Method (SDM) for 27 female workers of
Population Welfare Department in Jhelum.
This is a fertility awareness method
using cycle beads to help women identify
the fertile period in their menstrual
cycle. This training was a part of the
pilot project aimed at introduction of
Standards Days Method
(information/counseling/materials) at
the community level through Female
Welfare Workers (FWWs) of the Department
of Population Welfare. This training
will help Family Welfare Centers (FWCs)
to provide a wide range of contraceptive
options to clients.
• The FALAH team from Population Council
visited the Regional Training Institutes
(RTIs) and Reproductive Health Services
(RHS-A) in Multan and Basic Health Unit
and Rural Health Center in Bhawalpur.
The objective of the visits was to
assess the utilization of the material
and equipment provided by FALAH project
for the strengthening of these
institutes for training health care
providers on Client Centered Family
Planning Services (CCFPS) Advance and
IUCD insertion trainings.
• During this reporting period trained
Village Health Committee (VHC) members
conducted 32 husband group meetings in
Districts Thatta and Dadu which were
attended by 418 men. The VHC members
have been sensitized on birth spacing
and its importance by FALAH and are
therefore more effective in promoting
birth spacing among men in the community
through holding group meetings in their
catchment areas, in which they use FALAH
IEC material. This in turn facilitates
the role of the LHWs in the community.
VHC members serve as a bridge between
the Lady Health Worker (LHW) and the
male members of the community.
• During the reporting period, FALAH’s
partners HANDS and Save the Children
conducted supervisory visits to health
facilities to facilitate the facility
staff in logistics management of
contraceptives in districts Charsadda,
Mardan, DG Khan, Thatta and Dadu. In
district Charsadda the FALAH team also
met with officials of Health Department,
PPHI and Population Welfare Department
to discuss about contraceptive supply
and its availability in all health
facilities of the district. In DG Khan
the team held a meeting with the store
keeper to get updates about
contraceptives availability, proper
demand generation and the present status
of contraceptives in different
facilities. These supervisory visits are
conducted to facilitate the facility
staff in the logistics management of
contraceptives. The provincial team of
FALAH partner HANDS also conducted
meeting with Director General CW&S to
discuss the contraceptive supplies
status and issues.
• FALAH teams participated and
facilitated in arranging the Maternal
Mortality Conference (MMC) of LHS in
Districts Mardan, Bahawalpur, Rajanpur
and Thatta. The LHSs of the district
participate in the MMC and share their
monitoring plans for the upcoming week
and women group meeting data collected
in the previous month. Other challenges
or obstacles in their work, if any, are
also brought under discussion during
this meeting. The objective of attending
these meetings by FALAH was to obtain
feedback from LHS on the training
received by them on Supportive
Supervision, how it is being practiced
by them and to find out if the training
had led to an improvement in the
performance of the LHWs.
• The District Technical Committee
Meeting was held in district Larkana.
Government officials including a
representative from the office of EDO
Health, DPWO, DSM PPHI and National
Program for LHWs and District
Coordinators of FALAH-HANDS in Sindh
participated in the meeting. FALAH’s
progress, plan of action for the next
month and contraceptives status
including supplies, logistics and
availability in different health
facilities of Larkana was shared by the
FALAH team with the participants of the
meeting.
• In the reporting period, female
community based volunteers (CBVs)
trained by FALAH conducted household
visits and group meetings and referred
41 women to project LHVs to adopt
services. Project LHVs also conducted
outreach visits to the clusters of the
CBVs and provided counseling and
contraceptive services to 99 clients
referred by the CBVs. The methods
adopted by women through these visits
are pills (24), injectables (62), IUCDs
(4) while 9 selected condoms as a method
for spacing births.
• FALAH’s partner RSPN validated 37
household visits conducted by female
CBVs and guided them on how to conduct
discussion with pregnant women, as well
as with users of contraceptive and non
users. During these visits, FALAH
partner RSPN also checked the record of
CBVs and provided guidance to 81 CBVs
for proper maintenance of the client
record register. In most of the areas of
District Sanghar and some clusters of
Dadu and Thatta the field work remained
suspended during this week due to the
recent floods in Sindh. |
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Weekly Update -
August 22 - 30, 2011 |
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• During the reporting period, the
district coordinators of FALAH’s
partners HANDS and Save the Children
conducted supervisory visits to health
facilities in districts Charsadda,
Mardan, Swabi, Manshera, Jhelum, DG
Khan, Rajanpur, Ghotki, Sukkur, Dadu and
Sanghar. These supervisory visits are
conducted to facilitate the facility
staff in the logistics management of
contraceptives. Contraceptives were
available in most of the health
facilities visited by the team. The
FALAH team held discussions with PPHI
and Health offices in those districts
where some of the contraceptives were
not available and ensured that
facilities received the contraceptives.
Furthermore, at all the health
facilities the DOH- 2 Form used for
sending the demand request for
contraceptives to the Executive District
Officer (EDO) Health office was checked
and provided if it was not available.
• To study the impact of the Emergency
Contraceptive Pill (ECP) training
imparted to LHWs in the selected
districts, and to assess the knowledge
of the married women of reproductive age
(MWRA) about ECP, an impact evaluation
survey was initiated in July which was
successfully completed in the last week
of August 2011. The ECP training was
provided to the LHWs of these districts
by the National Program for Family
Planning and Primary Health Care with
the technical support from FALAH/Population
Council so that the LHWs can provide
correct and proper information to the
MWRA in their communities. During the
reporting period FALAH’s Monitoring and
Evaluation Team visited each of the
districts where the survey was taking
place and made sure that the ECP survey
was successfully completed. Presently,
editing and data entry has started.
• FALAH has conducted training of
religious leaders in its 15 districts.
The objective is to provide technical
information regarding contraceptives and
clarify myths and misconceptions about
the use of contraceptives as well as
sensitize the participants on the
significance of birth spacing as a
health intervention and how the concept
is viewed within the context of Islamic
injunctions. Through these sessions
religious leaders become proactive
advocates of birth spacing in their
communities by involving men in family
planning/birth spacing discussions and
include the topic in their sermons. The
religious leaders were provided
evaluation forms by FALAH at the end of
the training sessions and were asked to
send their feedback. Evaluation forms
are being submitted regularly by
religious leaders on their activities
regarding family planning and birth
spacing awareness creation. Currently,
the Monitoring and Evaluation Team of
FALAH is preparing a report based on the
evaluation forms received from the
trained religious leaders. According to
the feedback received through the
evaluation forms the religious leaders
have at many times discouraged people in
their community from marrying their
girls who are under 18 years of age and
have conveyed the message of birth
spacing to men coming to them.
• The sixth Issue of FALAH’s quarterly
newsletter, FALAHNAMA for April-June
2011 quarter was printed in the last
week of August. The newsletter is
published in Urdu (1000 copies) and
English (500 copies) and highlights
FALAH’s activities carried out during
the quarter at national, provincial, and
district level. The distribution of the
newsletter to the partners is in
process. The Urdu version is distributed
at the district level with the help of
FALAH partners, where as English version
is sent to all relevant government
officers, donors and NGOs.
• The District Technical Committee
Meetings were held in districts Swabi,
Charsadda, Mardan, Thatta Sukkur and
Ghotki. Government officials including
EDO Health, DPWO, DSM PPHI and DC of NP
for LHWs and Provincial Coordinator
FALAH-HANDS Sindh participated in the
meetings. Contraceptives status
including its supplies, logistics and
availability was shared by the district
coordinators of FALAH with the
participants of the meeting.
Participants appreciated FALAH’s efforts
in ensuring contraceptives availability
at the health facilities in these
districts.
• In the reporting period, female
community based volunteers (CBVs)
trained by FALAH conducted household
visits and group meetings and referred
107 women to project Lady Health
Visitors (LHVs) to adopt services.
Project LHVs also conducted outreach
visits to the clusters of the CBVs and
provided counseling and contraceptive
services to 110 clients referred by the
CBVs. The methods adopted by women
through these visits are pills (39),
injectables (51), IUCDs (2) while 18
selected condoms as a method for spacing
births.
• FALAH’s partner RSPN validated 94
household visits conducted by female
CBVs and guided them on how to conduct
discussion with pregnant women, as well
as with users of contraceptive and non
users. Information received from the
respondents revealed that 89 out of 94
women were visited by a CBV. RSPN held a
meeting with the concerned CBVs and
motivated them to conduct household
visits to every MWRA in future. During
these visits, FALAH partner RSPN also
checked the record of CBVs and provided
guidance to 93 CBVs for proper
maintenance of the client record
register.
• Village health committee (VHC) members
serve as a bridge between the Lady
Health Worker (LHW) and the male members
of the community. During this reporting
period trained VHC members conducted 38
husband group meetings in Districts
Thatta and Dadu which were attended by
465 men. The VHC members have been
sensitized on birth spacing and its
importance by FALAH and are therefore
more effective in promoting birth
spacing among men in the community
through holding group meetings in their
catchment areas, in which they use FALAH
IEC material. This in turn facilitates
the role of the LHWs in the community.
• The FALAH monitoring team from
Population Council conducted visits to
the public sector health facilities of
FALAH districts in Sindh to ensure
availability of contraceptives through
revival of requisitioning system by
holding meetings with EDO Health,
District Support Manager PPHI, and
District Population Welfare Officer (DPWO).
Another purpose of these visits was to
see the impact of contraceptive
logistics training which has already
been imparted in these districts by
FALAH to ensure an uninterrupted supply
of contraceptives to the public sector
facilities from the warehouse. |
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Weekly Update -
August 15 - 21, 2011 |
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• During the reporting week, CoP FALAH
held a meeting with provincial Health
Secretary Sindh, where the Secretary was
briefed on GIS software developed by
FALAH/Population Council. The Secretary
and heads of different components of
health department present in the meeting
highly appreciated the software and as a
result, requested FALAH to provide
one-day training for the provincial
health managers on the use of GIS
mapping. This software is made to be
used by health managers for better
planning, monitoring and evaluation of
the health system at provincial and
district level.
• A one-day hands-on training on use of
GIS software was held in the office of
Director General Health, Hyderabad, on
August 19, 2011. A total of 10 senior
provincial managers from National
Program, MNCH and Director General
Health Office attended the training.
Participants of the training showed keen
interest in learning about the software
and its utilities. They were impressed
with the flexibility of the software
that enabled them to develop maps
according to their needs for better
planning for their province and
monitoring at district as well as
provincial level.
• During the reporting week, FALAH’s
partners Save the Children and HANDS
conducted supervisory visits to 52
health facilities in districts Jhelum,
Mardan, Swabi, Thatta, Jaffarabad,
Ghotki and Sanghar. These supervisory
visits are conducted to facilitate the
facility staff in the logistics
management of contraceptives.
Contraceptives were available in all the
health facilities visited by FALAH team
and it was noticed that the staff at the
facility was providing contraceptives to
the clients who were visiting them.
Furthermore, at all the health
facilities the DOH- 2 form, which is
used for sending the demand request for
contraceptives to the Executive District
Officer (EDO) Health office was
available and the facility staff was
cognizant of its proper filling and use.
• The FALAH monitoring team from
Population Council also conducted a
follow up visit to District Thatta to
facilitate contraceptive supplies at the
facility level. To ensure the
contraceptive availability in public
sector facilities, efforts are being
made for an uninterrupted contraceptive
supply from the Central Warehouse to the
clients. In this regard FALAH has
already imparted the contraceptive
logistics management training in all its
project districts. At the moment visits
are being made to the districts to
further ensure contraceptives
availability through revival of
requisitioning system by holding
meetings with EDO Health, District
Support Manager PPHI, and District
Population Welfare Officer.
• To ensure quality data collection for
the ongoing survey on Emergency
Contraceptive Pill (ECP), the FALAH
Monitoring and Evaluation teams
monitored the field work of ECP survey
activities in District Thatta in Sindh
and Gwadar in Balochistan province
during this reporting week. The regular
monitoring facilitated the data
collection process and improved the
quality of data being collected. Under
FALAH, the use of Emergency
Contraceptive Pill (ECP) was introduced
in its 4 project districts in 2010. The
ECP training was provided to the LHWs of
these districts by the National Program
for Family Planning and Primary Health
Care with the technical support from
FALAH/Population Council so that they
can provide correct and proper
information to the married women of
reproductive age (MWRA) in their
communities. To study the impact of the
ECP training on LHWs, and to assess the
knowledge of the MWRA about ECP, an
impact evaluation survey was initiated
in July 2011 in Districts Manshera, DG
Khan, Ghawadar and Thatta and is still
in progress.
• The Village Health Committee (VHC)
members have been sensitized on birth
spacing and its importance by FALAH and
are therefore more effective in
promoting birth spacing among men in the
community through holding group meetings
in their catchment areas, in which they
use FALAH IEC material. This in turn
facilitates the role of the LHWs in the
community. During this reporting period
trained VHC members conducted 42 husband
group meetings in Districts Thatta and
Dadu which were attended by 520 men.
Village health committee members serve
as a bridge between the Lady Health
Worker (LHW) and the male members of the
community.
• The District Technical Committee
Meeting was held in district Sanghar on
August 16, 2011. 8 government officials
including EDO Health, DPWO, DSM PPHI and
DC of NP for LHWs and Provincial
Coordinator FALAH-HANDS Sindh
participated in the meeting. Progress
made in the FALAH activities and
upcoming activities in the next month
were shared and discussed.
Contraceptives status including its
supplies, logistics and availability in
the district and at facilities was also
reviewed in the meeting.
• During this week, FALAH’s partner Save
the Children held coordination meetings
with different officials of Health,
Population Welfare and PPHI in districts
Jhelum, DG Khan, Rajanpur, Bhawalpur,
Mardan, Swabi and Charsadda. During
these meetings the sustainability of
FALAH activities and the idea of
nominating a focal person at the
district level for participating in DTC
meetings were brought under discussion.
Also discussed in the meeting were IUCD
and Supportive Supervision trainings and
the collection of SDM reports. The FALAH
team also visited some of the health
facilities in these districts for
collecting success stories.
• The CBV model utilizes community based
volunteers to mobilize communities
through conducting group meetings and
household visits on the benefits of
birth spacing and facilitation in the
referral of clients to service
providers. During the reporting week,
female CBVs trained by FALAH conducted 3
group meetings with 54 MWRA whereas male
CBVs conducted 9 group meetings with 159
husbands. Through these groups meetings,
participants were provided information
on the importance of birth spacing,
complications of pregnancies which occur
too early or too late, available
contraceptive choices and their common
side effects. They were also provided
information to clarify any doubts or
myths and misconceptions associated with
the use of contraceptives. Information
about the public and private service
delivery points to seek birth spacing
services was also provided. Through
group meetings and household visits,
women CBVs referred 119 women to adopt
services to project LHVs. On the other
hand, the project LHVs also conducted
outreach visits to the clusters of the
CBVs and provided counseling and
contraceptive services to 169 clients
referred by the CBVs. The methods
adopted by women through these visits
are pills (69), injectables (57), IUCDs
(3) while 40 selected condoms as a
method for spacing births.
• FALAH’s partner RSPN monitored 2 group
meetings conducted by female CBVs and 4
by male CBVs and provided feedback for
improvement in quality through
addressing weaknesses identified by CBVs
conducting the group meetings. The CBVs
were given on job coaching for proper
use of the pictorial story,
contraceptive chart and how to address
the myths and misconceptions. RSPN also
validated 14 group meetings conducted by
female CBVs, 28 group meetings by male
CBVs and 91 household visits conducted
by women CBVs and guided them on how to
conduct discussion with pregnant women,
as well as with users of contraceptive
and non users. Information received from
the respondents revealed that though the
meetings were being held and attended by
them yet there were some quality issues
in group meetings conducted by the CBVs.
Feedback based on the information
received from the respondents was shared
with the concerned CBVs for improvement
in their work. During these visits,
FALAH partner RSPN also checked the
record of 12 CBVs and provided guidance
to them for proper maintenance of the
client record register. |
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Weekly Update -
August 8 - 14, 2011 |
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• During the reporting week, FALAH’s
Monitoring and Evaluation Team conducted
a monitoring visit to District DG Khan
to interview CBVs and MWRA in the CBV
area to assess the quality of
implementation of the CBV Model. During
the visit, CBVs household visits and
contraceptive dispensation by the LHVs
were observed and feedback was provided
to the CBVs and LHVs for improvement in
quality. The monitoring team suggested
ways for the better scheduling of LHVs
visitation to meet the requirements of
the clients referred by the CBVs in
their communities as well as for
improving the record keeping. The
Monitoring team also emphasized that the
LHVs provide an uninterrupted supply of
contraceptives to the current users.
• In districts DG Khan, Bhawalpur,
Rajanpur, Dadu, Sukkur, Ghotki and
Larkana, FALAH’s partners HANDS and Save
the Children US participated and
facilitated in arranging the monthly
Maternal Mortality Conference (MMC) of
LHS. The LHSs of a district participate
in the MMC and share their monitoring
plans for the upcoming month and women
group meeting data collected in the
previous month. Other challenges or
obstacles in their work, if any, are
also brought under discussion in the
MMCs. In all 273 LHSs participated in
MMC conferences held during the
reporting week.
• In District Mansehra, FALAH
distributed its IEC materials among the
LHSs who will deliver it to LHWs. The
LHWs use the IEC materials while
conducting women group meetings with
married women of reproductive age. The
IEC material included contraceptive
brochures, FAQ, contraceptive banners,
flip charts and audio cassettes.
• To support FALAH’s community
mobilization activities in the non- LHW
areas, a Community Based Volunteers (CBV)
Model is being implemented by FALAH in 6
project districts Dadu, Sanghar, Sukkur,
Thatta, Manshera and DG Khan. The CBV
model utilizes community based
volunteers to mobilize communities
through conducting group meetings and
household visits on the benefits of
birth spacing and facilitation in the
referral of clients to service
providers. During the reporting week,
CBVs trained by FALAH conducted 39 group
meetings with 723 married women of
reproductive age (MWRA) whereas men CBVs
conducted 47 group meetings with 771
husbands. Through these groups meetings,
participants were provided information
on the importance of birth spacing,
complications of pregnancies which occur
too early or too late, available
contraceptive choices and their common
side effects. They were also provided
information to clarify any doubts or
myths and misconceptions associated with
the use of contraceptives. Information
about the public and private service
delivery points to seek birth spacing
services was also provided. Through
group meetings and household visits,
women CBVs referred 86 women to adopt
services to project LHVs. On the
otherhand, the project LHVs also
conducted outreach visits to the
clusters of the CBVs and provided
counseling and contraceptive services to
151 clients referred by the CBVs. The
methods adopted by women through these
visits are pills (44), injectables (61),
IUCDs (2) while 44 selected condoms as a
method for spacing births. As of August
13, 2011, project LHVs have provided
counseling and contraceptive services to
6476 clients referred by the women CBVs.
• FALAH’s partner RSPN monitored 3 group
meetings conducted by women CBVs and 5
by men CBVs and provided feedback for
improvement in quality through
addressing weaknesses identified by CBVs
conducting the group meetings. The CBVs
are given on job coaching for
improvement. RSPN also validated 10
group meetings conducted by women CBVs,
12 group meetings by men CBVs and 90
household visits conducted by women CBVs
and guided them on how to conduct
discussion with pregnant women, as well
as users of contraceptive and non users.
• A video on Myths and Misconceptions
based on the interviews of three
gynecologists was reviewed by the FALAH
team and feedback has been provided to
the agency for its editing.
• The follow up of religious Leaders
training is ongoing. During this week,
progress report from more than 40
trained religious leaders was received.
• During the reporting week, FALAH team
attended the monthly meeting of LHVs
which was held at EDO Health Office in
Bhawalpur. In all 77 LHVs participated
in the meeting. During the meeting
discussion was carried out on
contraceptives availability at health
facilities and the proper filling of
DOH-2 forms so that its timely
submission can ensure the availability
of contraceptives at health facilities
without any delay by the district
warehouse.
• During the reporting week, FALAH’s
partner HANDS conducted supervisory
visits to 20 health facilities in
districts Thatta, Jaffarabad, Ghotki and
Sanghar. These supervisory visits are
conducted to facilitate the facility
staff in the logistics management of
contraceptives.
• Trained Village Health Committee (VHC)
Members of FALAH conducted 19 husband
group meetings in Districts Thatta and
Dadu which were attended by 253 men.
Village health committee members serve
as a bridge between the Lady Health
Worker (LHW) and the male members of the
community. The VHC members have been
sensitized on birth spacing and its
importance by FALAH and are therefore
more effective in promoting birth
spacing among men in the community
through holding group meetings in their
catchment areas, in which they use FALAH
IEC material. This in turn facilitates
the role of the LHWs in the community.
• Under FALAH, the use of Emergency
Contraceptive Pill (ECP) was introduced
in 2010 in its 4 project districts. The
ECP training was provided to the LHWs of
these districts by the National Program
for Family Planning and Primary Health
Care with the technical support from
FALAH/Population Council so that they
can provide correct and proper
information to the MWRA in their
communities. To study the impact of the
ECP training on LHWs, and to assess the
knowledge of the MWRA about ECP, an
impact evaluation survey was initiated
in July 2011 in Districts Manshera, DG
Khan, Ghawadar and Thatta which
continued during the reporting week. |
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Weekly Update -
August 1 - 7, 2011 |
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• In order to review, refresh and
reinforce the knowledge of already
trained female health care providers of
Health Department, one day refresher
trainings have been started by the FALAH
training team. The process of the
refresher training involves a need
assessment questionnaire filled by the
participants of the training which helps
trainers to develop sessions
accordingly. During the reporting week,
one refresher training on Client
Centered Family Planning
Services–Advance and IUCD was carried
out in district Sanghar. Most of the
discussion held during this training was
on the timing of the contraceptive
method use, who can and cannot use the
method, management of side effects and
most importantly the misunderstandings
and rumors about the contraceptive use.
In all, 17 providers including, women
medical officers, LHVs and FMTs attended
this one day refresher training.
• A one day meeting of National,
Provincial and District Coordinators of
FALAH project partners; HANDS and Save
the children US was held on August 4,
2011 at the Population Council Office in
Islamabad. The meeting was chaired by
Dr. Ali Muhammad Mir, Chief of Party,
FALAH while Dr Zeba Sathar, Country
Director Population Council was also
present on the occasion. The main
objective of the meeting was to
acknowledge the contributions of FALAH’s
Coordinators in the successful
implementation of the project and also
to get their point of view on the
consolidation of the
interventions/activities implemented in
their respective districts. Feedback on
their achievements, discussion on
obstacles and challenges they had faced
in the implementation of activities were
also part of the meeting agenda. .
Furthermore, during the meeting updates
were also received on the post
devolution scenario at Provincial
levels. The meeting provided an
opportunity to recharge their energies
and boost up their enthusiasm towards
their work.
• To support FALAH’s community
mobilization activities in the non- LHW
areas, a Community Based Volunteers (CBV)
Model is being implemented by FALAH in 6
project districts Dadu, Sanghar, Sukkur,
Thatta, Manshera and DG Khan. The CBV
model utilizes community based
volunteers to mobilize communities
through conducting group meetings and
household visits on the benefits of
birth spacing and facilitation in the
referral of clients to service
providers. During the reporting week,
CBVs trained by FALAH conducted 16 group
meetings with 272 married women of
reproductive age (MWRA) whereas men CBVs
conducted 12 group meetings with 200
husbands. Through these groups meetings,
participants were provided information
on the importance of birth spacing,
complications of pregnancies which occur
too early or too late, available
contraceptive choices and their common
side effects. They were also provided
information to clarify any doubts or
myths and misconceptions associated with
the use of contraceptives. Information
about the public and private service
delivery points to seek birth spacing
services was also provided. Through
group meetings and household visits,
women CBVs referred 100 women to adopt
services to project LHVs. On the
otherside, the project LHVs also
conducted outreach visits to the
clusters of the CBVs and provided
counseling and contraceptive services to
146 clients referred by the CBVs. The
methods adopted by women through these
visits are pills (41), injectables (74),
IUCDs (3) while 28 selected condoms as a
method for spacing births. As of August
6, 2011, project LHVs have provided
counseling and contraceptive services to
6325 clients referred by the women CBVs.
• FALAH’s partner RSPN monitored 3 group
meetings conducted by men CBVs and
provided feedback for improvement in
quality through addressing weaknesses
identified in CBVs conducting of group
meetings. The CBVs are given on job
coaching for improvement. RSPN also
validated 13 group meetings conducted by
men CBVs and 97 household visits
conducted by women CBVs and guided them
on how to conduct discussion with
pregnant women, as well as users of
contraceptive and non users.
• Trained Village Health Committee (VHC)
Members of FALAH conducted 16 husband
group meetings in Districts Thatta and
Dadu which were attended by 211 men.
Village health committee members serve
as a bridge between the Lady Health
Worker (LHW) and the male members of the
community. The VHC members have been
sensitized on birth spacing and its
importance by FALAH and are therefore
more effective in promoting birth
spacing among men in the community
through holding group meetings in their
catchment areas, in which they use FALAH
IEC material. This in turn facilitates
the role of the LHWs in the community.
• During the reporting week, FALAH with
the support of its partner HANDS
conducted supervisory visits to 13
health facilities in districts Ghotki
and Sanghar. These supervisory visits
are conducted to facilitate the facility
staff in the logistics management of
contraceptives.
• In district Swabi the FALAH team
participated and facilitated in
arranging the monthly Maternal Mortality
Conference (MMC) of LHS. The LHSs of a
district participate in the MMC and
share their monitoring plans for the
upcoming week and women group meeting
data collected in the previous month.
Other challenges or obstacles in their
work, if any, are also brought under
discussion during this meeting. In Swabi
20 LHSs participated in MMC meeting.
• Under FALAH, the use of Emergency
Contraceptive Pill (ECP) was introduced
in 2010 in its 4 project districts. The
ECP training was provided to the LHWs of
these districts by the National Program
for Family Planning and Primary Health
Care with the technical support from
FALAH/Population Council so that they
can provide correct and proper
information to the MWRA in their
communities. To study the impact of the
ECP training on LHWs, and to assess the
knowledge of the MWRA about ECP, an
impact evaluation survey was initiated
in July 2011 in Districts Manshera, DG
Khan, Ghawadar and Thatta which
continued during the reporting week. |
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Weekly Update -
July 25 - 31, 2011 |
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• Women community based volunteers (CBVs)
trained by FALAH conducted 11 group
meetings with 188 married women of
reproductive age (MWRA) and men CBVs
conducted 15 group meetings with 217
husbands. Through these groups meetings,
participants were provided information
on the importance of birth spacing,
complications of pregnancies which occur
too early or too late, available
contraceptive choices and their common
side effects. They were also provided
information to clarify any doubts or
myths and misconceptions associated with
the use of contraceptives. Participants
were also provided information about the
public and private service delivery
points to seek birth spacing services.
Through group meetings and household
visits, women CBVs referred 559 women to
adopt services to project LHVs. The CBV
Model is being implemented in 6 project
districts Dadu, Sanghar, Sukkur, Thatta,
Manshera and DG Khan. Project LHVs also
conducted outreach visits to the
clusters of the CBVs and provided
counseling and contraceptive services to
359 clients referred by the CBVs. The
methods adopted by women through these
visits are pills (155), injectables
(122), IUCDs (6) while76 selected
condoms as a method for spacing births.
As of July 31, 2011, project LHVs have
provided counseling and contraceptive
services to 6179 clients referred by
women CBVs.
• FALAH’s partner RSPN monitored 5 group
meetings conducted by men CBVs and 4
group meetings by women CBVs and
provided feedback for improvement in
quality through addressing weaknesses
identified in CBVs conducting of group
meetings. The CBVs are given on job
coaching for improvement. RSPN also
validated 3 group meetings conducted by
the women CBVs and 12 group meetings by
men CBVs and guided them on how to
conduct discussion with pregnant women,
as well as users of contraceptive and
non users.
• During the reporting week, 19
refresher trainings on Client Centered
Family Planning Services–Advance and
IUCD were carried out to review, refresh
and reinforce the knowledge of female
health care providers of Health
Department. The trainings were held in
districts Rajanpur, DG Khan, Bahawalpur,
Jhelum, Swabi, Mansehera, Thatta,
Sanghar, Larkana and Ghotki. In all 358
providers that included women medical
officers, LHVs and FMTs were trained
during these trainings. The process of
the one day refresher training involves
a need assessment questionnaire filled
by the participants of the training
which helps in identifying their
training needs. These needs are then
incorporated in the training sessions
developed by the trainers. During the
session most of the discussion is on the
timing of the method use, who can and
cannot use the method, management of
side effects and most importantly the
miss understandings and rumors about the
contraceptive use.
• FALAH through its partners, HANDS and
Save the Children US organized two step
down trainings on ‘Supportive
Supervision for the Lady Health
Supervisors’ (LHS) of the National
Program for Family Planning and Primary
Health Care in Sukkur and Charsadda for
32 CCA trained LHS. The training in
Sukkur was supervised by Population
Council. The objective of imparting this
training was to explain the concept of
supportive supervision using the SAHR
framework developed by the Population
Council for ensuring provision of client
centered FP services that help to better
identify and meet the needs of clients
and supervise the LHWs in a supportive
manner. The supervisors will, in turn
use this training to support and guide
the LHWs to improve their performance
and reinforce the training imparted to
them earlier.
• The FALAH Monitoring and Evaluation
Team conducted monitoring visits to
District Sukkur and Manshera to
interview CBVs and MWRA in the CBV area
to assess the quality of implementation
of the CBV Model. During the visits,
CBVs household validation and LHVs
visits to the community were monitored
and feedback was provided to the CBVS
and LHVs for improvement in quality. The
monitoring team suggested ways for the
better scheduling of LHVs visitation to
meet the requirements of the clients
referred by the CBVs in their
communities as well as improving the
record keeping.
• The impact evaluation survey of
Emergency Contraceptive Pill (ECP) in
Districts Manshera, DG Khan, Ghawadar
and Thatta continued during the
reporting week. The objective of the
evaluation is to study the impact of the
ECP training provided to the LHWs and
the knowledge of the MWRA about ECP. The
ECP training was provided to the LHWs in
2010 in these districts through the
National Program for Family Planning and
Primary Health Care with the technical
support from FALAH/Population Council to
provide information about use of ECP to
the LHWs so that they can convey the
same to the MWRA in their communities. |
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Weekly Update -
July 18 - 24, 2011 |
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• Women community based volunteers (CBVs)
trained by FALAH conducted 6 group
meetings with 110 married women of
reproductive age (MWRA) and men CBVs
conducted 18 group meetings with 298
husbands. Through these groups meetings,
participants were provided information
on the importance of birth spacing,
complications of pregnancies which occur
too early or too late, available
contraceptive choices and their common
side effects. They were also provided
information to clarify any doubts or
myths and misconceptions associated with
the use of contraceptives. Participants
were also provided information about the
public and private service delivery
points to seek birth spacing services.
Through group meetings and household
visits, women CBVs referred 170 women to
adopt services to project LHVs.
Project LHVs also conducted outreach
visits to the clusters of the CBVs and
provided counseling and contraceptive
services to 284 clients referred by the
CBVs. The methods adopted by women
through these visits are pills (103),
injectables (127), IUCDs (4) while 50
selected condoms as a method for spacing
births. As of July 23, 2011, project
LHVs have provided counseling and
contraceptive services to 5820 clients
referred by women CBVs.
• FALAH’s partner RSPN monitored 4 group
meetings conducted by men CBVs and 5
group meetings by women CBVs and
provided feedback for improvement in
quality. They also validated 13 group
meetings conducted by the women CBVs and
6 group meetings by men CBVs and guided
them on how to conduct discussion with
pregnant women, users of contraceptive
and non users.
• FALAH’s Media Campaign consisting of
FALAH messages on Healthy Timing and
Spacing of Pregnancy began its airing on
PTV Home, PTV News, and regional TV
channels including Waseb, Rohi Tv, KTN
and Sindh Tv on July 19, 2011. The
timeslots of the campaign are in prime
time i.e. between 7 pm to 9 pm. The
campaign will continue till August 7,
2011.
• During the reporting week, 5 refresher
trainings on Client Centered Family
Planning Services – Advance and IUCD
were carried out to review, refresh and
reinforce the knowledge of health care
providers of Health Department. These
were cnducted in Districts Sukkur,
Charsadda and Mardan. In all 87
participants attended the refresher
trainings.
• FALAH with the support of its partner
Save the Children US, organized
refresher trainings on Logistics
Management for health care providers of
District Mardan and Charsadda. The first
training was held in Charsadda from July
21-22, 2011. The second training took
place in Mardan on July 23, 2011 in
which 34 service providers of the
district’s Health Department were
trained on Logistics Arrangement.
• During the reporting week, FALAH
monitored a husband’s group meeting
conducted by village health committee
members in District Manshera in which 41
husbands participated. A Women’s Group
Meeting which was attended by 35 MWRA in
Manshera was monitored by FALAH’s Female
Community Mobilization Officer.
• The FALAH Monitoring and Evaluation
Team conducted monitoring visits to
District Sukkur and Manshera to
interview CBVs and MWRA in the CBV area
to assess the quality of implementation
of the CBV Model. During the visits,
CBVs household validation and LHVs
visits to the community were monitored
and feedback was provided to the CBVS
and LHVs for improvement in quality.
• FALAH initiated the impact evaluation
survey of Emergency Contraceptive Pill (ECP)
in Districts Manshera, DG Khan, Ghawadar
and Thatta during the reporting week.
The ECP training was provided to the
LHWs in these districts through the
National Program for Family Planning and
Primary Health Care with the technical
support from FALAH/Population Council.
• During the reporting week, FALAH’s
Monitoring team visited Districts Ghotki,
Larkana and Sukkur to ensure
availability of contraceptives through
the revival of requisitioning system by
holding meetings with EDO Health,
District Support Manager, PPHI, District
Population Welfare Officers, District
Coordinators and LHWs program. FALAH has
already trained district officers in
contraceptive logistics management in
order to ensure contraceptive
availability in the public sector
facilities. |
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Weekly Update -
July 11 - 17, 2011 |
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• Women Community based volunteers (CBVs)
trained by FALAH conducted 38 group
meetings with 669 MWRA and men CBVs
conducted 36 group meetings with 619
husbands. Through these groups meetings,
participants were provided information
on the importance of birth spacing,
complications of pregnancies which occur
too early or too late, available
contraceptive choices and their common
side effects. They were also provided
information to clarify any doubts or
myths and misconceptions associated with
the use of contraceptives. Participants
were also provided information about the
public and private service delivery
points to seek birth spacing services.
Through group meetings and household
visits, women CBVs referred 226 women to
adopt services to project LHVs. Project
LHVs also conducted outreach visits to
the clusters of the CBVs and provided
counseling and contraceptive services to
390 clients referred by the CBVs. The
methods adopted by women through these
visits are pills (175), injectables
(131), IUCDs (11) while 73 selected
condoms as a method for spacing births.
• FALAH partner RSPN also monitored 20
group meetings conducted by men CBVs and
15 group meetings conducted by women
CBVs and provided feedback for
improvement in quality. They also
validated 77 household visits conducted
by the women CBVs to ensure the
reporting accuracy of the CBVS.
• On July 11, 2011 FALAH participated in
the World Population Day event by
setting up a stall, displaying FALAH’s
IEC and training material. The event was
organized by the Planning Commission.
Technical assistance was provided by
FALAH in organizing the event. Prime
Minister Syed Yosuf Raza Gillani was the
chief guest on the occasion.
• FALAH also participated in the World
Population Day celebrations held in
Districts Jhelum, Bhawalpur and
Manshera.In districts Dadu, Sukkur,
Sanghar, Ghotki, Larkana and Thatta the
Population Welfare Department in
collaboration with FALAH arranged walks,
rallies and seminars.
• As part of the World Population Day
celebrations, press advertisements were
printed in 3 leading newspapers i.e.
Daily Dawn, Daily Jang and Daily
Nawa-e-waqt on 11th July 2011. An
article by Dr. Ali Mir, CoP FALAH on the
topic of ‘Birth Spacing’ was printed in
National, Herald Tribune and Frontier
Post on July 11, 2011.
• Streamers made with FALAH messages
were displayed for branding along the
main roads and at traffic signals in
Islamabad. The areas where streamers
were displayed are:
Serena hotel chowk
Main Margalla road ( traffic signals
and key points)
7th avenue both ends
Jinnah Super market
F-8, F-10 markaz
Faizabad ( police check posts)
Islamabad Highway (Zero point to I-8
traffic signal)
• FALAH IEC material was sent to Punjab
Population Welfare Department for
distribution at the World Population Day
Event held in Lahore. Dr. Arshad Mehmood
Director M& E participated at the World
Population Day function organized by the
Punjab Population Welfare Department in
Lahore.
• Monthly District Technical Committee (DTC)
Meeting was held in District Jhelum and
Bahawalpur. In Jhelum the meeting was
held at the EDO Health Office in which 7
officials from different departments
participated. In Bahawalpur the DTC
meeting was held in DPWO Office and was
attended by the FALAH District
Coordinator. The minutes of the meeting
will be shared in the next week. |
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Weekly Update -
July 4 - 10, 2011 |
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• FALAH conducted 2 step down
sensitization sessions for 46 religious
leaders in Sanghar and Larkana to
sensitize them on the significance of
birth spacing as a health intervention
in the context of Islamic injunctions so
that they are better acquainted with the
benefits of birth spacing and see it as
a health intervention.
• FALAH organized 1 step down trainings
on supportive supervision for the Lady
Health Supervisors’ (LHS) of the
National Program for Family Planning and
Primary Health Care at Larkana for 18
CCA trained LHS. The objective of
imparting this training was to explain
the concept of supportive supervision
using the SAHR framework developed by
the Population Council for ensuring
provision of client centered FP services
that help to better identify and meet
the needs of clients and supervise the
LHWs in a supportive manner. The
supervisors will, in turn use this
training to support and guide the LHWs
to improve their performance and
reinforce the training imparted to them
earlier.
• Women Community based volunteers (CBVs)
trained by FALAH conducted 25 group
meetings with 483 MWRA and men CBVs
conducted 21 group meetings with 373
husbands. Through these groups meetings,
participants were provided information
on the importance of birth spacing,
complications of pregnancies which occur
too early or too late, available
contraceptive choices and their common
side effects. They were also provided
information to clarify any doubts or
myths and misconceptions associated with
the use of contraceptives. Participants
were also provided information about the
public and private service delivery
points to seek birth spacing services.
Through group meetings and household
visits, women CBVs referred 273 women to
adopt services to project LHVs. Project
LHVs also conducted outreach visits to
the clusters of the CBVs and provided
counseling and contraceptive services to
546 clients referred by the CBVs. The
methods adopted by women through these
visits are pills (180), injectables
(204), IUCDs (12) while 150 selected
condoms as a method for spacing births.
• FALAH partner RSPN also monitored 6
group meetings conducted by men CBVs and
7 group meetings conducted by women CBVs
and provided feedback for improvement in
quality. They also validated 25
household visits and 3 group meetings
conducted by the women CBVs and 37 group
meetings conducted by men CBVs to ensure
the reporting accuracy of the CBVS.
• FALAH organized a one day training on
Standard days Method (SDM) with the
support of its partner HANDS in
collaboration with the district
population welfare office in Sanghar.
This is a fertility awareness method
using cycle beads to help women identify
the fertile period in their menstrual
cycle. This training was a part of the
pilot project aimed at introduction of
Standards Days Method
(information/counseling/materials) at
the community level through Female
Welfare Workers (FWWs) of the Department
of Population Welfare. Three FALAH
districts, Rajanpur, Ghotki and Sanghar
were selected for this intervention. The
last of the three planned trainings was
conducted on July 5, 2011 at the
training hall of Executive Director
Health office, Sanghar. Trainees were
all FWWs of the Population Welfare
Department. A total of 27 participants
took part in the training. The DPW took
keen interest in the initiative and
extended his full support in taking this
forward. This training will help Family
Welfare Centers (FWCs) to provide a wide
range of contraceptive options to
clients.
• FALAH with the support of its private
sector partner, UDL organized 5 chemist
orientation seminars, in Lahore West,
Lahore East, Faisalabad, Sahiwal and
Kasur. Approximately 191 leading
chemists and 25 UDL representatives
attended these seminars which focused on
the importance of birth spacing for the
mother and the child, the FALAH
objectives and birth spacing messages,
contraceptive methods available in
Pakistan, and the features and benefits
of the UDL product Happy Life Condoms.
FALAH IEC material was also distributed
among the participants. The purpose is
to sensitize chemists who become better
informed and can provide information to
their clients. |
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Weekly Update -
June 20 - 27, 2011 |
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• FALAH conducted 3 step down
sensitization sessions for 74 religious
leaders in Thatta, Sukkur and Larkana to
sensitize them on the significance of
birth spacing as a health intervention
in the context of Islamic injunctions so
that they are better acquainted with the
benefits of birth spacing and see it as
a health intervention.
• FALAH organized 5 step down trainings
on supportive supervision for the Lady
Health Supervisors’ (LHS) of the
National Program for Family Planning and
Primary Health Care at Sanghar, Sukkur,
DG Khan, Jhelum and Ghotki for 91 CCA
trained LHS. The training was supervised
by PC. The objective of imparting this
training was to explain the concept of
supportive supervision using the SAHR
framework developed by the Population
Council for ensuring provision of client
centered FP services that help to better
identify and meet the needs of clients
and supervise the LHWs in a supportive
manner. The supervisors will, in turn
use this training to support and guide
the LHWs to improve their performance
and reinforce the training imparted to
them earlier.
• FALAH organized 2 step down trainings
on Intra Uterine Contraceptive device (IUCD)
insertion skills from June 20-25 in for
a total of 29 public sector providers,
of which 13 providers from Dadu and
Sanghar were trained at the RHS-A Abbasi
Shaheed Hospital in Karachi and 16 from
DG Khan were trained at RHS-A DG Khan.
Through this training, providers will
acquire practical hands on experience
gained in clinical settings in inserting
the device which is important for
enhancing their competency and ensuring
that providers use the methods safely.
The training will also help in
increasing the contraceptive choices
that a provider can offer clients.
• FALAH with the support of its partner
HANDS, organized 3 trainings for 92
Health and PWD, PPHI and NP for FPPHC
staff in Dadu, Sukkur and Jaffarabad to
orient them on the GIS maps developed by
Population Council. This is an important
contribution towards planning for the
future of health delivery services in
Pakistan. The mapping data shows the
distribution of both public and private
facilities and outlets in each district.
This allows for priority setting and
planning at the district level that can
help increase coverage of family
planning services across the districts.
It also helps to identify the existing
gaps for establishing new facilities, to
avoid duplication of services between
the Departments of Health and Population
Welfare as well as to facilitate the
provision of services in underserved
areas.
• FALAH with its partner HANDS conducted
3 interactive theatres in, Sanghar with
258 participants. Interactive theaters
are enter-educate communication events
which are organized in rural areas of
FALAH districts of Sindh. The story line
of the plays follow that of the
pictorial developed by FALAH and used in
the group meeting formats that compares
the life of two couples , one with
planned families and the other where the
couple has had unplanned pregnancies and
its impact on the health of the mother
and the infants. Participants become
involved in the play by acting out the
parts and providing a favorable end to
the story.
• Subsequent to the social mobilization
activities, a total of 7 mobile service
units (MSUs) were organized as in the
districts of Sanghar, Sukkur, Dadu and
Thatta. There were 222 beneficiaries of
the maternal and child health services,
including 38 clients for family planning
services. These follow up events are
organized after the theaters to provide
FP and MCH services through MSU teams of
the district Population Welfare
Departments. Trained FWWs, FTOs, and
LHVs provide counseling and services for
the women.
• FALAH organized 4 step down training
of LHWs/LHSs on Client Centered Family
Planning Services, FP methods and group
methodology in the districts of
Charsadda and DG Khan. A total of
85LHWs/LHSs were trained through these
sessions and are now better equipped
with information on the importance of
birth spacing, how to provide counseling
to clients, information on side effects
and their management as well as
contraceptive choices that are
available.
• Women CBVs trained by FALAH conducted
119 group meetings with 2035 MWRA and
men CBVs conducted 99 group meetings
with 1626 husbands. Through these groups
meetings, participants were provided
information on the importance of birth
spacing, complications of pregnancies
which occur too early or too late,
available contraceptive choices and
their common side effects. They were
also provided information to clarify any
doubts or myths and misconceptions
associated with the use of
contraceptives. Participants were also
provided information about the public
and private service delivery points to
seek birth spacing services. Through
group meetings and household visits,
women CBVs referred 315 women to adopt
services to project LHVs. Project LHVs
also conducted outreach visits to the
clusters of the CBVs and provided
counseling and contraceptive services to
399 clients referred by the CBVs. The
methods adopted by women through these
visits are pills (144), injectables
(159), IUCDs (17) while 79 selected
condoms as a method for spacing births.
• FALAH partner RSPN also monitored 37
group meetings conducted by men CBVs and
43 group meetings conducted by women
CBVs and provided feedback for
improvement in quality. They also
validated 152 household visits and 38
group meetings conducted by the women
CBVs and 37 group meetings conducted by
men CBVs to ensure the reporting
accuracy of the CBVS.
• Training on SDM for FWWs of Swabi
district: This training is a part of the
pilot project aimed at introduction of
Standards Days Method
(information/counseling/material) at the
community level through Female Welfare
Workers (FWWs) of Department of
Population Welfare to enhance
contraceptive choices. Three FALAH
districts were selected for this
intervention. It has been planned to
train all the FWWs from the districts of
Rajanpur, Ghotki and Swabi. The second
such training was conducted on June 27,
2011 at the District Population Welfare
office, Swabi. Trainees were all FWWs of
the Population Welfare department. A
total of 21 participants took part in
the training. At the end of the
training, 1000 SDM cycle beads were
handed over to the district population
welfare officer. Among those five cycle
beads were handed over to each of the
participants to be kept at the facility
for client use. The details about
request generation and replenishment of
cycle beads were discussed. The DPW took
keen interest in the initiative and
extended his full support in taking this
forward.
• FALAH with the support of its private
sector partner, UDL organized 4 chemist
orientation seminars, in Mandi Bahuddin,
Haripur, Layyah and DG Khan.
Approximately 94 leading chemists and 19
UDL representatives attended these
seminars which focused on the importance
of birth spacing for the mother and the
child, the FALAH objectives and birth
spacing messages, contraceptive methods
available in Pakistan, and the features
and benefits of the UDL product Happy
Life Condoms. FALAH IEC material was
also distributed among the participants.
The purpose is to sensitize chemists who
become better informed and can provide
information to their clients. |
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Weekly Update -
June 13 - 20, 2011 |
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• A FALAH team visited Khyber Medical
University, Peshawar on June 17, 2011 to
follow up on an orientation workshop on
BMFPCP which was conducted for the
associated medical colleges of the
university. The team met with Dr. Shad
Muhammad, the medical director of the
university as well as the assistant
director to discuss next steps to take
forward the initiative of introducing
the BMFPCP for the medical students in
the colleges associated with this
university. It was agreed that FALAH
will start the work of further
introducing the curriculum in one of the
associated medical college’s of KMU and
also establish a skills lab and train
the concerned medical faculty.
• FALAH organized 1 step down training
of LHWs/LHSs on Client Centered Family
Planning Services, FP methods and group
methodology in the district of Charsadda
in which 13 LHWs/LHSs were trained
through these sessions. They are now
better equipped with information on the
importance of birth spacing, how to
provide counseling to clients,
information on side effects and their
management as well as contraceptive
choices that are available.
• FALAH conducted 3 step down
sensitization session for 67 religious
leaders in Charsadda, Ghotki and Thatta
to sensitize them on the significance of
birth spacing as a health intervention
in the context of Islamic injunctions so
that they are better acquainted with the
benefits of birth spacing and see it as
a health intervention.
• Women CBVs trained by FALAH conducted
75 group meetings with 1181 MWRA and men
CBVs conducted82 group meetings with
1228 husbands. Through these groups
meetings, participants were provided
information on the importance of birth
spacing, complications of pregnancies
which occur too early or too late,
available contraceptive choices and
their common side effects. They were
also provided information to clarify any
doubts or myths and misconceptions
associated with the use of
contraceptives. Participants were also
provided information about the public
and private service delivery points to
seek birth spacing services. Through
group meetings and household visits,
women CBVs referred 369 women to adopt
services to project LHVs. Project LHVs
also conducted outreach visits to the
clusters of the CBVs and provided
counseling and contraceptive services to
508 clients referred by the CBVs. The
methods adopted by women through these
visits are pills (205), injectables
(181), IUCDs (18) while 104 selected
condoms as a method for spacing births.
• FALAH partner RSPN also monitored 18
group meetings conducted by men CBVs and
22 group meetings conducted by women
CBVs and provided feedback for
improvement in quality. They also
validated 223 household visits and 57
household visits conducted by the women
CBVs and 50 group meetings conducted by
men CBVs to ensure the reporting
accuracy of the CBVS.
• FALAH has initiated the production of
a 15 minute video documentary,
showcasing the project activities and
achievements. The filming of the
documentary is currently underway. Video
shoots in districts of KPK and Punjab
was carried out during this week, which
included, interviews with Ex-D.G. Health
department, Acting Secretary Health, and
the Provincial Coordinator National
Program in Peshawar. The project
activities and interviews of EDOs, DPWOs
and the community were captured through
camera in Charsadda and D.G. Khan. The
team also interviewed the EDO Health,
DC-NP, Principal Nursing School and DPWO
at district Jhelum.
• FALAH arranged the recording of a 15
minutes video on myths and
misconceptions in Islamabad. The video
addresses myths and misconceptions
regarding use of contraceptives that may
prevail in the minds of health care
providers as well as the clients. The
target audiences for this video are
family planning and health service
providers and MWRAs.
• FALAH with the support of the
Provincial Population departments
organized a total of 12 mobile service
units (MSUs) in Thatta, Ghotki and
Sanghar. There were 186 beneficiaries of
the maternal and child health services,
including 94 clients for family planning
services. These follow up events are
organized after the interactive theaters
to provide FP and MCH services through
MSU teams of the district Population
Welfare Departments. Trained FWWs, FTOs,
and LHVs provide counseling and services
for the women. |
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Weekly Update -
June 06 - 13, 2011 |
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• A third party evaluation was recently
carried out to evaluate the impact of
FALAH CCFPS training on the personal and
professional behavior, attitude and
knowledge of trained LHWs and their
clients (married women of reproductive
age) and examine the differentials in
knowledge, attitude and behavior of LHWs
and their clients who have received CCA
training from FALAH and those who have
not. The evaluation findings were shared
at a dissemination event entitled
“Sharing Results of Client Centered
Family Planning Services and Group
Methodology for LHWS” which was held on
June 9, 2011 at Islamabad. The chief
guest at the occasion was Dr. Iqbal
Ahmed Lehri, National Coordinator,
National Program for Family Planning and
Primary Health Care (NP for FP & PHC).
Dr. Arshad Chandio Deputy National
Coordinator for NP for FP & PHC in his
welcoming remarks noted the importance
of the CCFPS training in the performance
of the LHW in the community. Dr. Gul
Rashida provided an overview of the
components of the CCA training and the
trainings conducted in the project
districts. TNS Aftab presented the
methodology and evaluation findings
which showed that the trained LHWS were
more effective in their catchment areas.
A significant difference was observed in
the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR)
and the household visits conducted by
the LHWS in the intervention and control
sites. Clients of trained LHWs reported
much better interactions with LHWs and a
CPR of 40% was noted in the intervention
sites versus 34% in the control sites.
During the last quarter, trained LHWs
conducted 3.9 household visits in the
intervention districts compared to 3.3
visits conducted by untrained LHWs in
the control districts. Overall, the
clients seemed more satisfied with the
approach and solutions offered by
trained LHWs as compared to untrained
LHWs. Dr. Lehri in his remarks commended
the work done by FALAH for improving the
quality of care given by the public
sector by making providers more
responsive to the needs of their
clients. Ms. Shanda Steimer, Deputy
Chief, Office of Health /AOTR FALAH,
USAID Pakistan appreciated FALAH’s
efforts to improve the performance of
LHWs through conducting the CCFPS
trainings.
• FALAH conducted 2 step down
sensitization sessions for 47 religious
leaders in Jaffarabad and Ghotki to
sensitize them on the significance of
birth spacing as a health intervention
in the context of Islamic injunctions so
that they are better acquainted with the
benefits of birth spacing and see it as
a health intervention.
• FALAH organized 2 step down training
of LHWs/LHSs on Client Centered Family
Planning Services, FP methods and group
methodology in the districts of Sanghar
and DG Khan A total of 45 LHWs/LHSs were
trained through these sessions and are
now better equipped with information on
the importance of birth spacing, how to
provide counseling to clients,
information on side effects and their
management as well as contraceptive
choices that are available.
• FALAH conducted a training of Village
Health Committee members on FP methods
and group methodology in Swabi in which
23 VHC members were trained. These
Volunteers will conduct Husband Group
meetings with husbands of eligible women
in the LHW catchment areas. The Village
health committee members serve as a
bridge between the Lady Health Worker (LHW)
and the male members of the community.
Following the training in which
sensitization on birth spacing and its
importance is given; the village health
committee members can be more effective
in promoting birth spacing among men in
the community through group meetings,
making use of FALAH’s IEC materials.
• FALAH organized 4 step down trainings
on Intra Uterine Contraceptive device (IUCD)
insertion skills in which 45 public
sector providers from Bahawalpur,
Larkana, Dadu, Rajanpur and Sanghar were
trained at the RHS- A Center in Larkana,
RHS-A Abbasi Shaheed Hospital in
Karachi, RHS-A Multan and RHS-A Center
in Bahwalpur. Through this training,
providers will acquire practical hands
on experience gained in clinical
settings in inserting the device which
is important for enhancing their
competency and ensuring that providers
use the methods safely. The training
will also help in increasing the
contraceptive choices that a provider
can offer clients.
• FALAH with its partner HANDS conducted
3 interactive theatres in the district
of Sanghar with 269 participants.
Interactive theaters are enter-educate
communication events which are organized
in rural areas of FALAH districts of
Sindh. The story line of the plays
follow that of the pictorial developed
by FALAH and used in the group meeting
formats that compares the life of two
couples , one with planned families and
the other where the couple has had
unplanned pregnancies and its impact on
the health of the mother and the
infants. Participants become involved in
the play by acting out the parts and
providing a favorable end to the story.
• Subsequent to the social mobilization
activities, a total of 3 mobile service
units (MSUs) were organized in Sanghar.
There were 171 beneficiaries of the
maternal and child health services,
including 38 clients for family planning
services. These follow up events are
organized after the theaters to provide
FP and MCH services through MSU teams of
the district Population Welfare
Departments. Trained FWWs, FTOs, and
LHVs provide counseling and services for
the women.
• FALAH with the support of its partner
HANDS organized a Client Centered Family
Planning Services - Advance Step-down
training at Sanghar with 21 female
public sector providers from the Peoples
Primary Health Care Initiative (PPHI)
and PWD . It is expected that the
participants will provide FP services in
their facilities and be proactive
advocates of birth spacing. The training
seeks to enhance their knowledge and
skills regarding birth spacing methods,
their side effects and management,
counseling techniques and also bring
about a positive change in their
attitude towards their clients.
• FALAH with the support of its private
sector partner, UDL also organized 4
chemist orientation seminars, in
Sargodha, Gujarat, Mansehra and Jhelum.
Approximately 131 leading chemists these
seminars which focused on the importance
of birth spacing for the mother and the
child, the FALAH objectives and birth
spacing messages, contraceptive methods
available in Pakistan, and the features
and benefits of Happy Life Condoms.
• The FALAH team in Jhelum participated
in three Health “Melas” (Fairs)
organized by the National Program and
the Department of Health at district
Jhelum and set up a stall in which the
IEC materials developed by the project
were displayed. The FALAH team explained
the material on display, in particular
the contraceptive banner which outlines
different contraceptive methods people
can use. There was keen interest in the
FALAH stall and also in the IEC
material.
• During the reporting week, two
training events were organized for women
CBVs in Thatta and Sanghar where 27
women CBVs were trained on Government of
Pakistan’s policy for FP progammes, HTSP
messages , contraceptive methods and
associated side effects and Islam and
FP. They were also trained on how to
conduct the group meeting with MWRA,
carry out household visits for
mobilization, referral for services and
record keeping of their activities. One
training event was also carried out for
14 men in Thatta. The men CBVs were
trained to conduct the group meetings
with husbands on importance of birth
spacing.
• Trained women CBVs conducted 173 group
meetings with 2501 MWRA and men CBVs
conducted 118 group meetings with 1809
husbands. Through these groups meetings,
participants were provided information
on the importance of birth spacing,
complications of pregnancies which occur
too early or too late, available
contraceptive choices and their common
side effects. They were also provided
information to clarify any doubts or
myths and misconceptions associated with
the use of contraceptives. Participants
were also provided information about the
public and private service delivery
points to seek birth spacing services.
• Through group meetings and household
visits, women CBVs referred 514 women to
adopt services to project LHVs. Project
LHVs also conducted outreach visits to
the clusters of the CBVs and provided
counseling and contraceptive services to
413 clients referred by the CBVs. The
methods adopted by women through these
visits are pills (173), injectables
(125), IUCDs (28) while 87 selected
condoms as a method for spacing births.
• FALAH partner RSPN also monitored 18
group meetings conducted by men CBVs and
17 group meetings conducted by women
CBVs and provided feedback for
improvement in quality. They also
validated 32 group meetings conducted by
the women CBVs and 50 group meetings
conducted by men CBVs as well as 76
household visits conducted by the women
CBVs to ensure the reporting accuracy of
the CBVS.
• A FALAH training team conducted a
follow up visit to Quaid-e-Azam Medical
College on June 8 2011 to observe and
support the implementation of basic
minimum family planning content package
in pre service medical education. It was
encouraging to see students actually
using the skills lab provided by FALAH.
Students who have completed the rotation
in the Gyn/Obs ward were asked to
demonstrate an IUCD insertion. They
performed the insertion correctly on
models and were able to explain the SAHR
counseling skill and basic infection
prevention process.
• FALAH organized a one day training on
the Standard days Methods (SDM) on June
9 2011 with the collaboration of
district population welfare office in
Rajanpur. There were a total of 37
participants who were Female Welfare
Workers (FFW) of the population welfare
department. The participants were
briefed on the technical details of the
SDM, and given a practical demonstration
which was followed by a practice and
question answer session. Record keeping
forms were also distributed and
explained to the participants to explain
them how to keep a record of the clients
who are using this method.
• The FALAH monitoring team regularly
monitors and facilitates the process of
contraceptive supplies at the district
and facility level. The problems
identified initially include, but not
limited to, the proper requisitioning
from facility level, the process to
request contraceptives from Central
Warehouse, and different departmental
issues of contraceptive supply including
the system at DPWOs and National
Programs offices. With the support of
SAVE, a FALAH team conducted a visit to
D. G. Khan and Rajanpur on June 8-9,
2011 to follow up on the developments
and issues in the contraceptive logistic
supply system after their first visit in
February, 2011. The team visited EDO
(Health), HIS, Population Welfare, and
National Program offices as well as two
BHUs with the FALAH-SC district
coordinators to monitor the
contraceptives availability and
logistics status. FALAH has provided
guidance to LHVs at the facility level
on how to request contraceptives from
EDH (Health) office and how to keep
records and maintain the different forms
on contraceptive supplies and stocks.
Improvements can be seen since the
February visit and a proper
communication system is in place for an
uninterrupted supply of contraceptives
to the facilities through the district
office. |
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Weekly Update -
May 31 - June 06, 2011 |
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• FALAH organized 10 step down training of
LHWs/LHSs on Client Centered Family
Planning Services, FP methods and group
methodology in the districts of
Bahawalpur, Charsadda, Mardan, and
Sukkur. A total of 217 LHWs/LHSs were
trained through these sessions and are
now better equipped with information on
the importance of birth spacing, how to
provide counseling to clients,
information on side effects and their
management as well as contraceptive
choices that are available.
• FALAH organized 3 step down trainings
on supportive supervision for the Lady
Health Supervisors’ (LHS) of the
National Program for Family Planning and
Primary Health Care at Mardan, Mansehra
and Rajanpur for 58 CCA trained LHS. The
training was supervised by PC. The
objective of imparting this training was
to explain the concept of supportive
supervision using the SAHR framework
developed by the Population Council for
ensuring provision of client centered FP
services that help to better identify
and meet the needs of clients and
supervise the LHWs in a supportive
manner. The supervisors will, in turn
use this training to support and guide
the LHWs to improve their performance
and reinforce the training imparted to
them earlier.
• FALAH conducted 1 step down
sensitization session for 25 religious
leaders in Jaffarabad and Sukkur to
sensitize them on the significance of
birth spacing as a health intervention
in the context of Islamic injunctions so
that they are better acquainted with the
benefits of birth spacing and see it as
a health intervention.
• FALAH with its partner HANDS conducted
3 interactive theatres in the districts
of Dadu, and Thatta with 246
participants. Interactive theaters are
enter-educate communication events which
are organized in rural areas of FALAH
districts of Sindh. The story line of
the plays follow that of the pictorial
developed by FALAH and used in the group
meeting formats that compares the life
of two couples , one with planned
families and the other where the couple
has had unplanned pregnancies and its
impact on the health of the mother and
the infants. Participants become
involved in the play by acting out the
parts and providing a favorable end to
the story.
• Subsequent to the social mobilization
activities, a total of 17 mobile service
units (MSUs) were organized as in the
districts of Sanghar, Dadu and Thatta.
There were 190 beneficiaries of the
maternal and child health services,
including 39 clients for family planning
services. These follow up events are
organized after the theaters to provide
FP and MCH services through MSU teams of
the district Population Welfare
Departments. Trained FWWs, FTOs, and
LHVs provide counseling and services for
the women.
• The FALAH Peshawar Office facilitated
the Provincial Sub-Committee meeting at
the DG Health complex in Peshawar which
was chaired by Director Health Services
Dr Rokhullah Jan. Representatives from
MNCH, PPHI, UNFPA, the National Program
and the Health department participated
in the meeting. FALAH’s training status
was discussed in the meeting and the
number of trained personnel and
remaining figures were shared with
participants. A List of trained
Religious Leaders was also shared with
all participants. Availability of
Contraceptive in all FALAH districts was
discussed and issues hindering the
smooth supply of contraceptives were
also discussed. The chair was requested
to write a letter to EDO Health Mardan
regarding distributing of Contraceptives
from their store. The Peoples’ Primary
Health Care Initiative (PPHI) was
requested to issue an order for the
distribution of Contraceptives to
facilities in district Swabi.
• During the reporting week, a training
event for women CBVs was organized in
Dadu where 14 women CBVs were trained on
Government of Pakistan’s policy for FP
progammes, HTSP messages , contraceptive
methods and associated side effects and
Islam and FP. They were also trained on
how to conduct the group meeting with
MWRA, carry out household visits for
mobilization, referral for services and
record keeping of their activities. Two
training events were carried out for 28
men in Dadu and Sanghar. The men CBVs
were trained to conduct the group
meetings with husbands on importance of
birth spacing.
• Trained women CBVs conducted 251 group
meetings with 4294 MWRA and men CBVs
conducted 182 group meetings with 2769
husbands. Through these groups meetings,
participants were provided information
on the importance of birth spacing,
complications of pregnancies which occur
too early or too late, available
contraceptive choices and their common
side effects. They were also provided
information to clarify any doubts or
myths and misconceptions associated with
the use of contraceptives. Participants
were also provided information about the
public and private service delivery
points to seek birth spacing services.
Through group meetings and household
visits, women CBVs referred 1064 women
to adopt services to project LHVs.
Project LHVs also conducted outreach
visits to the clusters of the CBVs and
provided counseling and contraceptive
services to 431clients referred by the
CBVs. The methods adopted by women
through these visits are pills (219),
injectables (151), IUCDs (21) while 40
selected condoms as a method for spacing
births.
• FALAH partner RSPN also monitored 41
group meetings conducted by men CBVs and
19 group meetings conducted by women
CBVs and provided feedback for
improvement in quality. They also
validated 55 group meetings conducted by
the women CBVs and 50 group meetings
conducted by men CBVs to ensure the
reporting accuracy of the CBVS.. |
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Weekly Update -
May 23 - 30, 2011 |
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• FALAH with its partner HANDS conducted
11 interactive theatres in the districts
of Dadu, Sanghar and Thatta with 925
participants. Interactive theaters are
enter-educate communication events which
are organized in rural areas of FALAH
districts of Sindh. The story line of
the plays follow that of the pictorial
developed by FALAH and used in the group
meeting formats that compares the life
of two couples , one with planned
families and the other where the couple
has had unplanned pregnancies and its
impact on the health of the mother and
the infants. Participants become
involved in the play by acting out the
parts and providing a favorable end to
the story.
• Subsequent to the social mobilization
activities, a total of 17 mobile service
units (MSUs) were organized as in the
districts of Sanghar, Sukkur, Dadu and
Thatta. There were 540 beneficiaries of
the maternal and child health services,
including 105 clients for family
planning services. These follow up
events are organized after the theaters
to provide FP and MCH services through
MSU teams of the district Population
Welfare Departments. Trained FWWs, FTOs,
and LHVs provide counseling and services
for the women.
• FALAH organized 12 step down training
of LHWs/LHSs on Client Centered Family
Planning Services, FP methods and group
methodology in the districts of
Bahawalpur, Charsadda, Mardan, DG Khan,
and Dadu. A total of 246 LHWs/LHSs were
trained through these sessions and are
now better equipped with information on
the importance of birth spacing, how to
provide counseling to clients,
information on side effects and their
management as well as contraceptive
choices that are available.
• FALAH organized 6 step down trainings
on supportive supervision for the Lady
Health Supervisors’ (LHS) of the
National Program for Family Planning and
Primary Health Care at Charsadda, Jhelum,
Mardan, Rajanpur, Swabi and Sanghar for
110 CCA trained LHS. The training was
supervised by PC. The objective of
imparting this training was to explain
the concept of supportive supervision
using the SAHR framework developed by
the Population Council for ensuring
provision of client centered FP services
that helps to better identify and meet
the needs of clients and supervise the
LHWs in a supportive manner. The
supervisors will in turn use this
training to support and guide the LHWs
to improve their performance and
reinforce the training imparted to them
earlier.
• FALAH conducted 2 step down
sensitization sessions for 47 religious
leaders in Jaffarabad and Sukkur to
sensitize them on the significance of
birth spacing as a health intervention
in the context of Islamic injunctions so
that they are better acquainted with the
benefits of birth spacing and see it as
a health intervention.
• FALAH conducted a training of Village
Health Committee members on FP methods
and group methodology in Mansehra in
which 17 VHC members were trained. These
Volunteers will conduct Husband Group
meetings with husbands of eligible women
in the LHW catchment areas. The Village
health committee members serve as a
bridge between the Lady Health Worker (LHW)
and the male members of the community.
Following the training in which
sensitization on birth spacing and its
importance is given; the village health
committee members can be more effective
in promoting birth spacing among men in
the community through group meetings,
making use of FALAH’s IEC materials.
• A USAID team comprised of Dr. Naila
Shahid, Additional, Secretary Health
(Tech) and Ms. Lara visited the district
of Jhelum and observed a Husband Group
Meeting by Village Health Committee
Volunteers at Chitti Rajgan and a Women
Group Meeting by CCA trained LHWs at
Jangu Rarryala. The USAID team also met
the FALAH team and was briefed on the
different activities taking place in
Jhelum.
• FALAH organized a step down training
on Intra Uterine Contraceptive device (IUCD)
insertion skills in which 7 public
sector providers were trained at RHS- A
Center in Multan. Through this training,
providers will acquire practical hands
on experience gained in clinical
settings in inserting the device which
is important for enhancing their
competency and ensuring that providers
use the methods safely. The training
will also help in increasing the
contraceptive choices that a provider
can offer clients.
• FALAH with the support of its partner
SC, organized a training for 28 Health
and PWD staff in Ghotki to orient them
on the GIS maps developed by Population
Council. This is an important
contribution towards planning for the
future of health delivery services in
Pakistan. The mapping data shows the
distribution of both public and private
facilities and outlets in each district.
This allows for priority setting and
planning at the district level that can
help increase coverage of family
planning services across the districts.
It also helps to identify the existing
gaps for establishing new facilities, to
avoid duplication of services between
the Departments of Health and Population
Welfare as well as to facilitate the
provision of services in underserved
areas.
• A Health “Mela” (Fair) was organized
by the National Program and UNICEF at
district DG Khan, FALAH team in DG Khan
participated in this activity and set up
a stall in which the IEC materials
developed by the project were displayed.
The FALAH team explained the material on
display, in particular the contraceptive
banner which outlines different
contraceptive methods people can use.
There was keen interest in the FALAH
stall and also in the IEC material.
• Trained women CBVs conducted 65 group
meetings with 1120 MWRA and men CBVs
conducted 93 group meetings with 1530
husbands. Through these groups meetings,
participants were provided information
on the importance of birth spacing,
complications of pregnancies which occur
too early or too late, available
contraceptive choices and their common
side effects. They were also provided
information to clarify any doubts or
myths and misconceptions associated with
the use of contraceptives. Participants
were also provided information about the
public and private service delivery
points to seek birth spacing services.
Through group meeting and household
visits, women CBVs referred 491 women to
adopt services to project LHVs. Project
LHVs also conducted outreach visits to
the clusters of the CBVs and provided
counseling and contraceptive services to
323 clients referred by the CBVs. The
methods adopted by women through these
visits are pills (131), injectables
(123), IUCDs(20) while 49 selected
condoms as a method for spacing births.
• FALAH partner RSPN also monitored 43
group meetings conducted by men CBVs and
43 group meetings conducted by women
CBVs and provided feedback for
improvement in quality. They also
validated 45 group meetings conducted by
the women CBVs and 44 group meetings
conducted by men CBVs.
• A two day event was conducted to
orient the faculty members of the
medical colleges associated with Khyber
Medical University (KMU) on the Basic
Minimal Family Planning Contents
Package. The orientation was organized
at the Higher Education Commission (HEC)
Peshawar from 24-25 May, 2011. Seventeen
participants from seven of the medical
colleges attached with the KMU and one
representative from KMU attended the
workshop. Sessions were held on the
various modules of the package and how
they relate to each other. Speaking on
the occasion the Director General
Population Welfare admitted that due to
lack of a firm commitment on part of the
government, efforts to implement family
planning and promote reproductive health
have been inconsistent so far. He
supported FALAH efforts in equipping
medical students with basic concepts of
birth spacing and family planning. He
further applauded FALAH’s efforts to
support both pre and in service training
for the health care providers.
• The 16th workshop on “Strengthening
District Population & Health Systems
through Effective Leadership And Client
Centered Services”, was held from May
23- 31, 2011 at Hillview Hotel,
Islamabad. The workshop was attended by
18 participants including district
managers from; Jhelum, Rajanpur,
Bahawalpur, and provincial
representatives of health and population
departments of Baluchistan, Punjab, KPK
and Sind. The participants included,
Assistant Provincial Coordinator LHWs
Program KPK, Provincial Communication
Officer- MNCH Program KPK , Planning
Officer Health Department, Director
Technical (PWD), Deputy Secretary (C&T)
PWD, Deputy District Office Health ,
DHIS Coordinator, Medical Superintendent
THQ, Senior Medical Officer RHC,
Population Welfare Officer, Private
Practitioner, NGOS based in the
districts, and District Coordinator
HANDS-FALAH.
• Dr Ali Mir, Chief of Party and Mrs.
Seemin Ashfaq, Senior Program Manager
attended a meeting organized by the
Population Welfare Department, Punjab on
May 25, 2011 in Lahore to discuss the
Communication Strategy and IEC Campaigns
of different organizations and projects
working in the field of mother and child
health. The meeting was chaired by Mr.
Javed Akhtar, Secretary Population
Welfare Department and subsequently by
Mr. Omer Rasool, the new DG, PWD. A
comprehensive presentation on the FALAH
CAM Strategy was given by the team and
the Secretary and the DG were briefed
about the various activities that have
been undertaken in order to raise the
acceptance level of the concept of birth
spacing and to increase the demand for
contraceptives. Other organizations;
Mary Stopes Society, Family Planning
Association of Pakistan, and Green Star
also participated in the meeting. The
Secretary and the DG greatly appreciated
FALAHs contribution in introducing the
HTSP concept in Pakistan and the
project’s diverse communication
activities to promote birth spacing. |
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Weekly Update -
May 16 - 22, 2011 |
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• FALAH organized 14 step down training of
LHWs/LHSs on Client Centered Family
Planning Services, FP methods and group
methodology in the districts of
Bahawalpur, Charsadda, Mardan, DG Khan,
Dadu and Sukkur. A total of 266 LHWs/LHSs
were trained through these sessions and
are now better equipped with information
on the importance of birth spacing, how
to provide counseling to clients,
information on side effects and their
management as well as contraceptive
choices that are available.
• FALAH conducted 4 step down
sensitization sessions for 102 religious
leaders in Dadu, Rajanpur, Mansehra and
Mardan to sensitize them on the
significance of birth spacing as a
health intervention in the context of
Islamic injunctions so that they are
better acquainted with the benefits of
birth spacing and see it as a health
intervention.
• FALAH conducted a training of Village
Health Committee members on FP methods
and group methodology in Swabi in which
14 VHC members were trained. These
Volunteers will conduct Husband Group
meetings with husbands of eligible women
in the LHW catchment areas. The Village
health committee members serve as a
bridge between the Lady Health Worker (LHW)
and the male members of the community.
Following the training in which
sensitization on birth spacing and its
importance is given; the village health
committee members can be more effective
in promoting birth spacing among men in
the community through group meetings,
making use of FALAH’s IEC materials.
• FALAH organized seven step down
trainings on supportive supervision for
the Lady Health Supervisors’ (LHS) of
the National Program for Family Planning
and Primary Health Care at DG Khan,
Larkana, Dadu, Mardan, Rajanpur, Swabi
and Thatta for 112 CCA trained LHS. The
training was supervised by PC. The
objective of imparting this training was
explain the concept of supportive
supervision using the SAHR framework
developed by the Population Council for
ensuring provision of client centered FP
services that helps to better identify
and meet the needs of clients and
supervise the LHWs in a supportive
manner. The supervisors will in turn use
this training to support and guide the
LHWs to improve their performance and
reinforce the training imparted to them
earlier.
• FALAH organized a step down training
on Intra Uterine Contraceptive device (IUCD)
skills in which 9 public sector
providers were trained at RHS- A Center
in Larkana. Through this training,
providers will acquire practical hands
on experience gained in clinical
settings in inserting the device which
is important for enhancing their
competency and ensuring that providers
use the methods safely. The training
will also help in increasing the
contraceptive choices that a provider
can offer clients.
• Over the last week FALAH with its
partner HANDS conducted 9 interactive
theatres in the districts of Sanghar and
Sukkur with 678 participants.
Interactive theaters are enter-educate
communication events which are organized
in rural areas of FALAH districts of
Sindh. The story line of the plays
follow that of the pictorial developed
by FALAH and used in the group meeting
formats that compares the life of two
couples , one with planned families and
the other where the couple has had
unplanned pregnancies and its impact on
the health of the mother and the
infants. Participants become involved in
the play by acting out the parts and
providing a favorable end to the story.
• Subsequent to the social mobilization
activities, a total of 18 mobile service
units (MSUs) were organized as in the
districts of Sanghar, Sukkur and Ghotki.
There were 659 beneficiaries of the
maternal and child health services,
including 122 clients for family
planning services. These follow up
events are organized after the theaters
to provide FP and MCH services through
MSU teams of the district Population
Welfare Departments. Trained FWWs, FTOs,
and LHVs provide counseling and services
for the women.
• FALAH with the support of its partner
SC, organized a training for 29 Health
and PWD staff in DG Khan to orient them
on the GIS maps developed by Population
Council. This is an important
contribution towards planning for the
future of health delivery services in
Pakistan. The mapping data shows the
distribution of both public and private
facilities and outlets in each district.
This allows for priority setting and
planning at the district level that can
help increase coverage of family
planning services across the districts.
It also helps to identify the existing
gaps for establishing new facilities, to
avoid duplication of services between
the Departments of Health and Population
Welfare as well as to facilitate the
provision of services in underserved
areas.
• FALAH with the support of its partner
HANDS organized a Client Centered Family
Planning Services - Advance Step-down
training at Dadu with 24 participants
from the Peoples Primary Health Care
Initiative (PPHI). They sent new
providers as their earlier trained
providers left the organization after
the floods in Dadu. It is expected that
the participants will provide FP
services in their facilities and be
proactive advocates of birth spacing.
The training seeks to enhance their
knowledge and skills regarding birth
spacing methods, their side effects and
management, counseling techniques and
also bring about a positive change in
their attitude towards their clients.
The training was monitored by Director M
& E during his visit to Dadu on May 17,
2011. He observed that the training was
going well and participants were keen to
expand their knowledge and provide
better services.
• Director M & E, Dr. Arshad Mahmood
attended and observed a CBV training
organized by RSPN in which 12 CBVs were
participating belonging to 5 different
Union Councils. All the CBVs were
selected according to the specified
criteria. It was the second last day of
the training. Some participants were
more vocal than others; however, they
were aware of HTSP and maternal health
issues which they realized were new for
them. Overall in Dadu, a total of 88
CBVS have been trained. Dr. Arshad
recommended that GPS coordinates for the
CBVs should be obtained and added to the
UC/district maps. The UC maps can be
developed and provided to the partners
and the monitoring teams. These maps
will help monitoring teams/managers in
monitoring the CBVs activities. The
mapping of the CBVs will also show other
facilities available in these
communities.
• During the reporting week, two
training events for women CBVs was
organized in Dadu and Sanghar where 33
women CBVs were trained on Government of
Pakistan’s policy for FP progammes, HTSP
messages , contraceptive methods and
associated side effects and Islam and
FP. They were also trained on how to
conduct the group meeting with MWRA,
carry out household visits for
mobilization, referral for services and
record keeping of their activities. A
training event was carried out for 14
men in Sanghar. These men CBVs were
trained to conduct the group meetings
with husbands on importance of birth
spacing.
• Trained women CBVs conducted 68 group
meetings with 1111 MWRA and men CBVs
conducted 66 group meetings with 1045
husbands. Through these groups meetings,
participants were provided information
on the importance of birth spacing,
complications of pregnancies which occur
too early or too late, available
contraceptive choices and their common
side effects. They were also provided
information to clarify any doubts or
myths and misconceptions associated with
the use of contraceptives. Participants
were also provided information about the
public and private service delivery
points to seek birth spacing services.
Through group meeting and household
visits, women CBVs referred 248 women to
adopt services to project LHVs. Project
LHVs also conducted outreach visits to
the clusters of the CBVs and provided
counseling and contraceptive services to
206 clients referred by the CBVs. The
methods adopted by women through these
visits are pills (82), injectables (72),
IUCDs(10) while 42 selected condoms as a
method for spacing births.
• FALAH partner RSPN also monitored 47
group meetings conducted by men CBVs and
50 group meetings conducted by women
CBVs and provided feedback for
improvement in quality. They also
validated 36 group meetings conducted by
the women CBVs. |
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Weekly Update -
May 9 - 15, 2011 |
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• Two step down trainings for Village
Health Committee (VHC) members were
conducted in Swabi and DG Khan. A total
of 35 committee members were trained
through this activity. These Village
health committee members serve as a
bridge between the Lady Health Worker (LHW)
and the male members of the community.
The aim is that following the training,
the village health committee members can
effectively promote birth spacing among
men in the community through holding
group meetings in their catchment areas.
These committee members make use of the
FALAH IEC materials.
• FALAH conducted 7 step down
sensitization sessions for 154 religious
leaders in Dadu, Sukkur, Larkana, Mardan
and Ghotki to sensitize them on the
significance of birth spacing as a
health intervention and explain the
concept of birth spacing in the context
of Islamic injunctions so that they are
better acquainted with the benefits of
birth spacing and see it as a health
intervention.
• FALAH organized 2 step down training
of LHWs/LHSs on Client Centered Family
Planning Services, FP methods and group
methodology in Charsadda. A total of 40
LHWs/LHSs were trained through these
sessions and are now better equipped
with information on the importance of
birth spacing, how to provide counseling
to clients, information on side effects
and their management as well as
contraceptive choices that are
available.
• Subsequent to the social mobilization
activities, a total of 8 mobile service
units (MSUs) were organized in the
districts of Sanghar and Thatta. There
were 211 beneficiaries of the maternal
and child health services, including 50
clients for family planning services.
These follow up events are organized to
provide FP and MCH services through MSU
teams of the district Population Welfare
Departments. Trained Female Welfare
Workers (FWWs), female technical
officers (FTOs), and lady health
visitors (LHVs) provide counseling and
services to the women.
• In the last week, field teams of FALAH
partner RSPN conducted 27 introductory
dialogues with men and 28 dialogues with
women. About 228 men and 315 women
participated in these dialogues and
expressed the need for community
mobilization and provision of services
for the birth spacing at their
respective locations. As the result of
these dialogues, local communities
identified and nominated 18 Men and 23
Women local volunteers to work as
Community Based Volunteers.
• During the reporting week, training
events for women CBVs were organized in
Sukkur and D.G. Khan where 43 women CBVs
were trained on Government of Pakistan
policy for FP progammes, HTSP messages ,
contraceptive methods and associated
side effects and Islam and FP. They were
also trained on how to conduct the group
meeting with MWRA, carry out household
visits for mobilization, referral for
services and record keeping of their
activities. The same numbers of training
events were carried out for 41 men CBVs
in these districts. These men CBVs were
trained to conduct the group meetings
with husbands on importance of birth
spacing.
• Trained women CBVs conducted 180 group
meetings with 2974 MWRA and men CBVs
conducted 123 group meetings 2266
husbands. Through these groups meetings,
participants were provided information
on the importance of birth spacing,
complications of pregnancies which occur
too early or too late, available
contraceptive choices and their common
side effects. They were also provided
information to clarify any doubts or
myths and misconceptions associated with
the use of contraceptives. Participants
were also provided information about the
public and private service delivery
points to seek birth spacing services.
• Through group meetings and household
visits, women CBVs referred 503 women to
adopt services to project LHVs. Project
LHVs also conducted outreach visits to
the clusters of the CBVs and provided
counseling and contraceptive services to
395 clients referred by the CBVs. The
methods adopted by women through these
visits are pills (151), injectables
(134), IUCDs (22) and 88 selected
condoms as a method for spacing.
• As part of FALAH’s collaboration with
MNCH program on their request, the
available quantity of IEC Material was
sent to them for their use. The material
included Contraceptive brochures,
Frequently Asked Questions brochures,
Contraceptive banners, Flipcharts, Story
booklets, Advocacy brochures for
community notables, Religious Leader
documentary and Audio Cassettes (six
languages). The target audience for this
material was also identified to
facilitate the distribution at the MNCH
level. |
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Weekly Update -
May 2 - 7, 2011 |
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• FALAH organized a step down training on
supportive supervision for the Lady
Health Supervisors’ (LHS) of the
National Program for Family Planning and
Primary Health Care at Bahawalpur for 24
CCA trained LHS. The training was
supervised by PC. The objective of
imparting this training was explain the
concept of supportive supervision using
the SAHR framework developed by the
Population Council for ensuring
provision of client centered FP services
that helps to better identify and meet
the needs of clients. The supervisors
will in turn use this training to
support and guide the LHWs to improve
their performance and reinforce the
training imparted to them earlier.
• FALAH conducted 6 step down
sensitization sessions for 150 religious
leaders in Bahawalpur, Charsadda, Dadu,
Jaffarabad, Rajanpur and Mardan to
sensitize them on the significance of
birth spacing as a health intervention
and birth spacing in the context of
Islamic injunctions so that they are
better acquainted with the benefits of
birth spacing and see it as a health
intervention.
• A total of 4 mobile service units (MSUs)
were organized in the district of Ghotki.
Maternal and child health services were
provided to 65 women while 31 clients
received family planning services. These
follow up events are organized to
provide FP and MCH services through MSU
teams of the district Population Welfare
Departments. Trained Female Welfare
Workers (FWWs), female technical
officers (FTOs), and lady health
volunteers (LHVs) provide counseling and
services to the women.
• FALAH conducted two trainings of
Village Health Committee members on FP
methods and group methodology in
districts Jhelum and Mansehra Swabi in
which 40 VHC members were trained. These
Volunteers will conduct Husband Group
meetings with husbands of eligible women
in the LHW catchment areas. The Village
health committee members serve as a
bridge between the Lady Health Worker (LHW)
and the male members of the community.
Following the training in which
sensitization on birth spacing and its
importance is given; the village health
committee members can be more effective
in promoting birth spacing among men in
the community through group meetings,
making use of FALAH’s IEC materials.
• In the last week, field teams of FALAH
partner RSPN implementing the CBV model
conducted 33 introductory community
dialogues with men and33 dialogues with
women to identify and nominate CBVs.
About 390 men and 441 women participated
in these dialogues and identified the
need for community mobilization and
services for the birth spacing at their
respective locations. As the result of
these dialogues, local communities
identified and nominated 33 men and 33
women local volunteers to work as
Community Based Volunteers.
• Trained women CBVs conducted 105 group
meetings with 1730 MWRA and men CBVs
conducted 87 group meetings with 1447
husbands. Through these groups meetings,
participants were provided information
on the importance of birth spacing,
complications of pregnancies which occur
too early or too late, available
contraceptive choices and their common
side effects. They were also provided
information to clarify any doubts or
myths and misconceptions associated with
the use of contraceptives. Participants
were also provided information about the
public and private service delivery
points to seek birth spacing services.
Through group meetings and household
visits, women CBVs referred 155 women to
adopt services to BHUs and project LHVs.
Project LHVs also conducted outreach
visits to the clusters of the CBVs and
provided counseling and contraceptive
services to287 clients referred by the
CBVs. The methods adopted by women
through these visits are pills (84),
injectables (120), IUCDs(15) while 68
selected condoms as a method for
spacing.
• FALAH partner RSPN also monitored 41
group meetings conducted by men CBVs and
43 group meetings conducted by women
CBVs and provided feedback for
improvement in quality. They also
validated 60 group meetings conducted by
the women CBVs.
• FALAH held a meeting with Dr. Farooq
Akhtar, MNCH, to streamline FALAH’s
support to the MNCH program in the form
of provision of IEC Material, capacity
building of Communications staff of MNCH
Program at the federal, provincial and
district level and incorporation of
FALAH messages into MNCH communication
themes.
• FALAH developed the script of a 15
minute video regarding myths and
misconceptions of contraceptive methods.
The script was shared with health
experts to get their suggestions/ inputs
regarding the content. The
identification of health professional
for the video is underway.
• FALAH participated in the National day
of Midwives which was celebrated in
Hyderabad on May 5, 2011. The MNCH
program, Health Department Govt. of
Sindh, in collaboration with UNFPA
arranged a walk from the DG Health
office to Indus hotel where a seminar
was held on the occasion. Secretary
Health Sindh ,DG Health Sindh National
Project Director MNCH program,
Provincial Project Director MNCH Program
,Provincial Coordinator National Program
for FP&PHC, National Coordinator UNFPA,
Prof. Sadiqa Jafri, Mrs. Imtiaz Begum
(Chair person PAM), and the FALAH HANDS
Provincial and Sanghar district teams
also participated in this activity. The
FALAH banner with messages on birth
spacing was displayed on the occasion.
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Weekly Update -
April 25, 2011 - May 2, 2011 |
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• FALAH conducted 6 step down
sensitization sessions for 127 religious
leaders in Charsadda, Mansehra, Thatta,
Sanghar, Larkana and Ghotki to sensitize
them on the significance of birth
spacing as a health intervention and
birth spacing in the context of Islamic
injunctions so that they are better
acquainted with the benefits of birth
spacing and see it as a health
intervention.
• FALAH organized 2 step down training
on Intra Uterine Contraceptive device (IUCD)
skills in which 18 public sector
providers were trained. The trainings
were held at RHS- A Center in Sukkur in
which 10 female public sector providers
from Sukkur were trained and at RHS-A
Abbasi Shaheed Hospital at Karachi in
which 8 providers received training.
Through this training, providers will
acquire practical hands on experience
gained in clinical settings in inserting
the device which is important for
enhancing their competency and ensuring
that providers use the methods safely.
The training will also help in
increasing the contraceptive choices
that a provider can offer clients.
• FALAH organized a step down training
of LHWs/LHSs on Client Centered Family
Planning Services, FP methods and group
methodology in district Larkana. A total
of 20 LHWs/LHSs were trained through
these sessions and are now better
equipped with information on the
importance of birth spacing, how to
provide counseling to clients,
information on side effects and their
management as well as contraceptive
choices that are available.
• A total of 4 mobile service units (MSUs)
were organized in the districts of
Sanghar and Sukkur. There were 119
beneficiaries of the Maternal and child
health services were provided to 119
women while 44 clients received family
planning services. These follow up
events are organized to provide FP and
MCH services through MSU teams of the
district Population Welfare Departments.
Trained FWWs, FTOs, and LHVs provide
counseling and services to the women.
• In the last week, field teams of FALAH
partner RSPN implementing the CBV model
conducted 26 introductory community
dialogues with men and 26 dialogues with
women to identify and nominate CBVs.
About 337 men and 354 women participated
in these dialogues and identified the
need for community mobilization and
services for the birth spacing at their
respective locations. As the result of
these dialogues, local communities
identified and nominated 30 male and 30
women local volunteers to work as
Community Based Volunteers.
• During the reporting week, two
training events for women CBVs were
organized in Thatta and Sukkur where 29
women CBVs were trained on Government of
Pakistan’s policy for FP progammes, HTSP
messages , contraceptive methods and
associated side effects and Islam and
FP. They were also trained on how to
conduct the group meeting with MWRA,
carry out household visits for
mobilization, referral for services and
record keeping of their activities. The
same numbers of training events were
carried out for 29 men in these
districts. These men CBVs were trained
to conduct the group meetings with
husbands on importance of birth spacing.
• Trained women CBVs conducted 183 group
meetings with 2985 MWRA and men CBVs
conducted 169 group meetings with 2676
husbands. Through these groups meetings,
participants were provided information
on the importance of birth spacing,
complications of pregnancies which occur
too early or too late, available
contraceptive choices and their common
side effects. They were also provided
information to clarify any doubts or
myths and misconceptions associated with
the use of contraceptives. Participants
were also provided information about the
public and private service delivery
points to seek birth spacing services.
Through group meeting and household
visits, women CBVs referred 348 women to
adopt services to BHUs and project LHVs.
Project LHVs also conducted outreach
visits to the clusters of the CBVs and
provided counseling and contraceptive
services to 323 clients referred by the
CBVs. The methods adopted by women
through these visits are pills (127),
injectables (144), IUCDs(18) while 34
selected condoms as a method for
spacing.
• FALAH partner RSPN also monitored 40
group meetings conducted by men CBVs and
43 group meetings conducted by women
CBVs and provided feedback for
improvement in quality. They also
validated 180 group meetings conducted
by the women CBVs. |
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Weekly Update -
April 18 - 25, 2011 |
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• FALAH organized a visit to Jhelum for
Dr. Marilyn Wyatt, the wife of the U.S.
Ambassador and Ms. Shanda Steimer, the
FALAH AOTR on April 15 2011. They
observed a women’s group meeting
conducted by a FALAH trained LHW at
Dina, interacted with the participants
of the meeting and had a discussion with
the LHW on her work in the community.
They also visited the Skill Lab at the
Nursing School at Jhelum and observed
the students using the equipment and
material provided such as the use of the
interactive e-learning package and IUCD
insertion and removal techniques on a
pelvic model
• FALAH held a consultative meeting with
Mr. Qaiser Bengal, the Advisor to the
Chief Minister Sindh on Planning and
Development on April 12, 2011. The
purpose of the meeting was to discuss
the development of PC-1 on continuation
of Birth spacing services in all
districts of Sindh. The Advisor
appreciated FALAH’s efforts and assured
the team that he would prepare a brief
for the Chief Minister on the importance
of the birth spacing as health
intervention
• Three step down trainings for Village
Health Committee (VHC) members were
conducted in Swabi, Jhelum and Mansehra.
A total of 47 committee members were
trained through this activity. These
Village health committee members serve
as a bridge between the Lady Health
Worker (LHW) and the male members of the
community. The aim is that following the
training which sensitizes men on birth
spacing and its importance, the village
health committee members can effectively
promote birth spacing among men in the
community through holding group meetings
in their catchment areas. By using FALAH
IEC materials, these committee members
in turn facilitate the role of the LHW
in the community.
• FALAH also organized a 7 day training
of trainers on supportive supervision
for the Lady Health Supervisors’ (LHS)
of the National Program for Family
Planning and Primary Health Care at
Islamabad for 23 male and female doctors
from Punjab and KP. The objective of
imparting this training was explain the
concept of supportive supervision using
the SAHR framework developed by the
Population Council for ensuring
provision of client centered FP services
that helps to better identify and meet
the needs of clients. The supervisors
will in turn use this training to
support and guide the LHWs to improve
their performance and reinforce the
training imparted to them earlier.
• FALAH conducted 4 step down
sensitization sessions for 106 religious
leaders in Swabi, Rajanpur, Jhelum and
Bahawalpur to sensitize them on the
significance of birth spacing as a
health intervention and birth spacing in
the context of Islamic injunctions.
• FALAH organized a step down training
on Intra Uterine Contraceptive device (IUCD)
skills at RHS- A Center in Sukkur in
which 14 female public sector providers
from Sukkur were trained. Through this
training, providers will acquire
practical hands on experience gained in
clinical settings in inserting the
device which is important for enhancing
their competency and ensuring that
providers use the methods safely. The
training will help in increasing the
contraceptive choices that a provider
can offer client.
• FALAH organized 3 step down training
of LHWs/LHSs on Client Centered Family
Planning Services, FP methods and group
methodology in the districts of Sukkur
and Larkana. A total of 59 LHWs/LHSs
were trained through these sessions and
are now better equipped with information
on the importance of birth spacing, how
to provide counseling to clients,
information on side effects and their
management as well as contraceptive
choices that are available.
• Over the last week FALAH with its
partner HANDS conducted six interactive
theatres in the districts of Dadu and
Thatta with 449 participants.
Interactive theaters are enter-educate
communication events which are organized
in rural areas of FALAH districts of
Sindh. The story line of the plays
follow that of the pictorial developed
by FALAH and used in the group meeting
formats that compares the life of two
couples , one with planned families and
the other where the couple has had
unplanned pregnancies and its impact on
the health of the mother and the
infants. Participants become involved in
the play by acting out the parts and
providing a favorable end to the story.
• Subsequent to the social mobilization
activities, a total of 11 mobile service
units (MSUs) were organized as in the
districts of Sanghar, Thatta, Dadu, and
Ghotki. There were 487 beneficiaries of
the maternal and child health services,
including 98 clients for family planning
services. These follow up events are
organized after the theaters to provide
FP and MCH services through MSU teams of
the district Population Welfare
Departments. Trained FWWs, FTOs, and
LHVs provide counseling and services for
the women.
• FALAH also carried out a monitoring
visit to districts Dadu and Sanghar to
monitor the contraceptives availability
and logistics status at various health
facilities. The monitoring team also
conducted follow up meetings with
trained government officials of DoH and
PPHI were briefed on the status of
contraceptive supplies at the facilities
and at the district level as well.
• During the last week, FALAH trained
Community based volunteers (CBVs), who
were trained earlier held group meetings
with married couples of reproductive age
(MWRA) from their assigned population.
The women CBVs conducted 148 group
meetings with 2304 MWRA and men CBVs
conducted 127 group meetings with 1941
husbands. The participants were provided
information on the importance of birth
spacing, pregnancy complications among
women who are younger than 18 years old
and those above the age of 35. The CBVs
also provided information about
available contraceptive choices to
practice birth spacing and counseled
them to adopt at least two years spacing
from last childbirth to plan the next
conception for improved health of mother
and child. At the end of group meetings,
173 potential clients were also referred
to the project LHVs for availing birth
spacing services. Project LHVs also
conducted outreach visits to the
clusters of 89 CBVs and provided birth
spacing services to 298 clients who were
referred earlier by the women CBVs.
Method adopted by these clients are
injectables (135), Pills (102) , condoms
(59) and IUCD (2). |
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Weekly Update -
April 11 - 18, 2011 |
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|
• FALAH organized a visit to Jhelum for
Dr. Marilyn Wyatt, the wife of the U.S.
Ambassador and Ms. Shanda Steimer, the
FALAH AOTR on April 15 2011. They
observed a women’s group meeting
conducted by a FALAH trained LHW at
Dina, interacted with the participants
of the meeting and had a discussion with
the LHW on her work in the community.
They also visited the Skill Lab at the
Nursing School at Jhelum and observed
the students using the equipment and
material provided such as the use of the
interactive e-learning package and IUCD
insertion and removal techniques on a
pelvic model
• FALAH held a consultative meeting with
Mr. Qaiser Bengal, the Advisor to the
Chief Minister Sindh on Planning and
Development on April 12, 2011. The
purpose of the meeting was to discuss
the development of PC-1 on continuation
of Birth spacing services in all
districts of Sindh. The Advisor
appreciated FALAH’s efforts and assured
the team that he would prepare a brief
for the Chief Minister on the importance
of the birth spacing as health
intervention
• Three step down trainings for Village
Health Committee (VHC) members were
conducted in Swabi, Jhelum and Mansehra.
A total of 47 committee members were
trained through this activity. These
Village health committee members serve
as a bridge between the Lady Health
Worker (LHW) and the male members of the
community. The aim is that following the
training which sensitizes men on birth
spacing and its importance, the village
health committee members can effectively
promote birth spacing among men in the
community through holding group meetings
in their catchment areas. By using FALAH
IEC materials, these committee members
in turn facilitate the role of the LHW
in the community.
• FALAH also organized a 7 day training
of trainers on supportive supervision
for the Lady Health Supervisors’ (LHS)
of the National Program for Family
Planning and Primary Health Care at
Islamabad for 23 male and female doctors
from Punjab and KP. The objective of
imparting this training was explain the
concept of supportive supervision using
the SAHR framework developed by the
Population Council for ensuring
provision of client centered FP services
that helps to better identify and meet
the needs of clients. The supervisors
will in turn use this training to
support and guide the LHWs to improve
their performance and reinforce the
training imparted to them earlier.
• FALAH conducted 4 step down
sensitization sessions for 106 religious
leaders in Swabi, Rajanpur, Jhelum and
Bahawalpur to sensitize them on the
significance of birth spacing as a
health intervention and birth spacing in
the context of Islamic injunctions.
• FALAH organized a step down training
on Intra Uterine Contraceptive device (IUCD)
skills at RHS- A Center in Sukkur in
which 14 female public sector providers
from Sukkur were trained. Through this
training, providers will acquire
practical hands on experience gained in
clinical settings in inserting the
device which is important for enhancing
their competency and ensuring that
providers use the methods safely. The
training will help in increasing the
contraceptive choices that a provider
can offer client.
• FALAH organized 3 step down training
of LHWs/LHSs on Client Centered Family
Planning Services, FP methods and group
methodology in the districts of Sukkur
and Larkana. A total of 59 LHWs/LHSs
were trained through these sessions and
are now better equipped with information
on the importance of birth spacing, how
to provide counseling to clients,
information on side effects and their
management as well as contraceptive
choices that are available.
• Over the last week FALAH with its
partner HANDS conducted six interactive
theatres in the districts of Dadu and
Thatta with 449 participants.
Interactive theaters are enter-educate
communication events which are organized
in rural areas of FALAH districts of
Sindh. The story line of the plays
follow that of the pictorial developed
by FALAH and used in the group meeting
formats that compares the life of two
couples , one with planned families and
the other where the couple has had
unplanned pregnancies and its impact on
the health of the mother and the
infants. Participants become involved in
the play by acting out the parts and
providing a favorable end to the story.
• Subsequent to the social mobilization
activities, a total of 11 mobile service
units (MSUs) were organized as in the
districts of Sanghar, Thatta, Dadu, and
Ghotki. There were 487 beneficiaries of
the maternal and child health services,
including 98 clients for family planning
services. These follow up events are
organized after the theaters to provide
FP and MCH services through MSU teams of
the district Population Welfare
Departments. Trained FWWs, FTOs, and
LHVs provide counseling and services for
the women.
• FALAH also carried out a monitoring
visit to districts Dadu and Sanghar to
monitor the contraceptives availability
and logistics status at various health
facilities. The monitoring team also
conducted follow up meetings with
trained government officials of DoH and
PPHI were briefed on the status of
contraceptive supplies at the facilities
and at the district level as well.
• During the last week, FALAH trained
Community based volunteers (CBVs), who
were trained earlier held group meetings
with married couples of reproductive age
(MWRA) from their assigned population.
The women CBVs conducted 148 group
meetings with 2304 MWRA and men CBVs
conducted 127 group meetings with 1941
husbands. The participants were provided
information on the importance of birth
spacing, pregnancy complications among
women who are younger than 18 years old
and those above the age of 35. The CBVs
also provided information about
available contraceptive choices to
practice birth spacing and counseled
them to adopt at least two years spacing
from last childbirth to plan the next
conception for improved health of mother
and child. At the end of group meetings,
173 potential clients were also referred
to the project LHVs for availing birth
spacing services. Project LHVs also
conducted outreach visits to the
clusters of 89 CBVs and provided birth
spacing services to 298 clients who were
referred earlier by the women CBVs.
Method adopted by these clients are
injectables (135), Pills (102) , condoms
(59) and IUCD (2). |
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Weekly Update -
April 4 - 10, 2011 |
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• A one day consultative meeting entitled
“Birth Spacing Saves Lives - Taking
Forward the Agenda in Punjab Province”
was held on April 7, 2011 at Lahore. The
project initiatives that have been
successfully introduced at the district
level to enhance access to Birth Spacing
Services were shared at this meeting.
Presentations were made highlighting the
paradigm shift to ‘Birth Spacing’, the
existing gaps and opportunities in
services and contraceptive availability
in Punjab and the vital role of training
in developing a cadre of providers
knowledgeable about birth spacing and
contraceptives. The meeting was chaired
by Secretary Health, Punjab. Officials
of Health, PWD, FP&PHC, MNCH, P&D,
departments, and representatives of
USAID, UNICEF, WHO, NGOs and other stake
holders also attended the event. FALAH’s
initiative was highly appreciated and
acknowledged by all the stakeholders.
There is a strong commitment from the
DoH to come forward and work with FALAH
to include birth spacing/family planning
in the PC1 currently being finalized.
• FALAH conducted 5 step down trainings
for 129 religious leaders in Dadu, Swabi.
Mansehra, DG Khan and Bahawalpur to
sensitize them on the significance of
birth spacing as a health intervention
and birth spacing in the context of
Islamic injunctions. It is hoped that
after participating in these trainings
they will not oppose FALAH’s activities
in their districts.
• FALAH conducted a training of Village
Health Committee members on FP methods
and group methodology in Swabi in which
17 VHC members were trained. These
Volunteers will conduct Husband Group
meetings with husbands of eligible women
in the LHW catchment areas. The Village
health committee members serve as a
bridge between the Lady Health Worker (LHW)
and the male members of the community.
Following the training in which
sensitization on birth spacing and its
importance is given; the village health
committee members can be more effective
in promoting birth spacing among men in
the community through group meetings,
making use of FALAH’s IEC materials.
• Over the last week FALAH with its
partner HANDS conducted 16 interactive
theatres in the districts of Ghotki,
Sanghar and Thatta with 1498
participants. Interactive theaters are
enter-educate communication events which
are organized in rural areas of FALAH
districts of Sindh. The story line of
the plays follow that of the pictorial
developed by FALAH and used in the group
meeting formats that compares the life
of two couples , one with planned
families and the other where the couple
has had unplanned pregnancies and its
impact on the health of the mother and
the infants. Participants become
involved in the play by acting out the
parts and providing a favorable end to
the story.
• Subsequent to the social mobilization
activities, a total of 22 mobile service
units (MSUs) were organized in the
districts of Sanghar, Thatta, Dadu, and
Ghotki. There were 852 beneficiaries of
the maternal and child health services,
including 152 clients for family
planning services. These follow up
events are organized after the theaters
to provide FP and MCH services through
MSU teams of the district Population
Welfare Departments. Trained FWWs, FTOs,
and LHVs provide counseling and services
for the women.
• FALAH organized a step down training
on Intra Uterine Contraceptive device (IUCD)
insertion skills at RHS- A Abbassi
Shaheed Hospital Karachi from April 4-9,
2011 in which 8 female public sector
providers were trained from the
districts of Sanghar and Thatta. Through
this training, providers will acquire
practical hands on experience gained in
clinical settings which is important for
enhancing their competency and ensuring
that providers use these methods safely.
• FALAH with the support of its partner
SC, organized a one day meeting for 35
Health and PWD staff in Swabi to orient
them on the mapping exercise developed
by Population Council. This is an
important contribution towards planning
for the future of health delivery
services in Pakistan. The mapping data
shows the distribution of both public
and private facilities and outlets in
each district. It allows for an increase
in the coverage of family planning
services across the districts. The
mapping data can also be used as a tool
to learn about health and family
planning services in each district and
to identify the existing gaps for new
facilities, to avoid duplication of
services between the Departments of
Health and Population Welfare as well as
to facilitate the provision of services
in underserved areas. |
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Weekly Update -
March 21 - 27, 2011 |
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1. Mr. Bashir Mangi, the DG Population
Welfare Department Sindh conducted a
monitoring visit with the Provincial
Coordinator FALAH-HANDS to district
Sanghar on March 26, 2011. They visited
RHS- A Sanghar and FWC-1 Sanghar to
monitor the status of service. The DG
also conducted a meeting with the
district PWD staff and all service
providers of the PWD of the district
which are trained by FALAH in CCFPS and
IUCD. He discussed the contraceptive
supplies and availability status at
facilities as well as the FP services
status. He appreciated the FALAH inputs
in capacity enhancement of the staff for
service provision.
2. During the last week, FALAH trained
Community based volunteers (CBVs) held
group meetings with married couples of
reproductive age (MWRA) from their
assigned population. The women CBVs
conducted 76 group meetings with 1355
MWRA and men CBVs conducted 62 group
meetings with 1044 husbands. The
participants were provided information
on the importance of birth spacing,
pregnancy complications among women who
are younger than 18 years old and those
above the age of 35. The CBVs also
provided information about available
contraceptive choices to practice birth
spacing and motivated them to adopt at
least two years spacing from last
childbirth to plan the next conception
for improved health of mother and child.
At the end of group meetings, 142
potential clients were also referred to
the project LHVs for availing birth
spacing services.
3. FALAH through its implementing
partner RSPN monitored 56 group meetings
conducted by men CBVs and 66 group
meetings conducted by women CBVs and
guided them to improve the quality of
the group meeting. Twenty six group
meetings, 18 with women and 8 with men,
conducted by the CBVs were also
validated by RSPN.
4. FALAH with the support of its
partners organized a training on IUCD
insertion techniques for the project
LHVs (14) hired for implementing the CBV
model. These trainings were held at RHS-A
Centers of Abbassi Shaheed Hospital,
Karachi and Lady Reading Hospital,
Peshawar from March 21-26, 2011. Through
this training, the LHVs will acquire
practical hands on experience gained in
clinical settings which is important for
enhancing their competency and ensuring
that they are able to use the method
safely.
5. Over the last week FALAH with its
partner HANDS conducted ten interactive
theatres in the districts of Dadu,
Sanghar and Thatta with 830
participants. Interactive theaters are
enter-educate communication events which
are organized in rural areas of FALAH
districts of Sindh. The story line of
the plays follow that of the pictorial
developed by FALAH and used in the group
meeting formats that compares the life
of two couples , one with planned
families and the other where the couple
has had unplanned pregnancies and its
impact on the health of the mother and
the infants. Participants become
involved in the play by acting out the
parts and providing a favorable end to
the story.
6. Subsequent to the social mobilization
activities, a total of 24 mobile service
units (MSUs) were organized as in the
districts of Sanghar, Thatta, Dadu,
Sukkur and Ghotki. There were 1055
beneficiaries of the maternal and child
health services, including 149 clients
for family planning services. These
follow up events are organized after the
theaters to provide FP and MCH services
through MSU teams of the district
Population Welfare Departments. Trained
FWWs, FTOs, and LHVs provide counseling
and services for the women.
7. FALAH organized eleven step down
trainings of LHWs/LHSs on Client
Centered Approach (CCA), Family Planning
methods and group methodology in the
districts of Bahawalpur, Charsadda,
Ghotki, Sukkur, Sanghar, Larkana and
Dadu. Though these training a total of
216 LHWs/LHSs were trained and are now
better equipped with information on the
importance of birth spacing, how to
provide counseling to clients,
information on side effects and their
management as well as contraceptive
choices that are available.
8. FALAH with the support of its partner
HANDS organized a Client Centered Family
Planning Services - Advance Step-down
training at Sukkur from March 21 – 26,
2011 with 25 participants from the
District Health Department, Population
Welfare department (PWD and Peoples
Primary Health Care Initiative (PPHI).
It is expected that the participants
will provide FP services in their
facilities and be proactive advocates of
birth spacing. The training seeks to
enhance their knowledge and skills
regarding birth spacing methods, their
side effects and management, counseling
techniques and also bring about a
positive change in their attitude
towards their clients.
9. FALAH carried out two trainings of
Village Health Committee members on FP
methods and group methodology in the
districts of Swabi and Mansehra in which
38 VHC members were trained. These
Volunteers will conduct Husband Group
meetings with husbands of eligible women
in the LHW catchment areas. The Village
health committee members serve as a
bridge between the Lady Health Worker (LHW)
and the male members of the community.
Following the training in which they are
sensitized on birth spacing and its
importance, the village health committee
members can be more effective in
promoting birth spacing among men in the
community through group meetings drawing
on FALAH IEC material. This will
facilitate the work of the LHW in the
community.
10. FALAH partner Jhpiego conducted a
quality assurance visit to the Public
Health school D.G. Khan and also visited
a provider offering mini laparotomy
services at the DHQ hospital in D.G.
Khan. The family planning package is
being implemented at the school and the
skill lab is being used by both the
students and the faculty. The school
does not have the National Standards or
the e-learning package which will be
sent to them by Jhpiego. Productive
focus group discussions were also held
with the community midwifery students
and the LHVs and it was learnt that
faculty teaching has improved following
the ToT and that students are able to
carry out IUCD insertions now. Mini
laparotomy service provision has yet to
commence. |
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Weekly Update -
March 7 - 14, 2011 |
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1. A ten day Training of Trainers for
Community Midwives on Client Centered
Family Planning Services Advance is
being conducted from 8-17 March 2011 in
Islamabad with 24 participants, who are
CMW tutors from 12 Midwifery Schools of
Sindh, Punjab and Baluchistan. One
observer from MNCH program Quetta is
also attending the training. These
trainers will in turn provide training
to the CMWs who have been working in the
communities. This will enhance their
knowledge and skills regarding birth
spacing methods, their side effects and
management, counseling techniques and
also bring about a positive change in
their attitude towards their clients.
2. RSPN has appointed 14 LHVs/FWWs who
will provide birth spacing services to
the women in non LHWs area who have been
mobilized through the Community based
volunteers (CBVs). A 6 days training on
Client Centered Family Planning Services
Advance was conducted by FALAH with the
support of HANDS for the 14 newly
appointed LHVs/FWWs at Sukkur. After
this training they will be given
training on Competency Based IUCD Skills
Development at RHS A centers and
provided with the necessary equipment so
that they can provide a wider range of
birth spacing services to the women in
the communities.
3. The FALAH Monitoring and Evaluation
team conducted orientation/training
sessions on Contraceptives Logistic
Management of FALAH-HANDS district
coordinators on March 8, 2011 at
Karachi. The purpose of this orientation
was to explain the contraceptive
logistics system to them along with
their role in ensuring uninterrupted
availability of contraceptives in the
facilities. Following this, the
participants visited the Directorate of
Central Warehousing and Supplies (CW&S)
in Karachi to learn about the process
for issuing contraceptives for all the
stakeholders in the FALAH districts (EDO
Health, Peoples Primary Health
Initiative, Population and Welfare and
the National Program).
4. FALAH organized a step down training
on Intra Uterine Contraceptive device (IUCD)
skills at RHS- A Abbassi Shaheed
Hospital Karachi from March 7-12, 2011
in which 11female public sector
providers were trained from the
districts of Sanghar, Thatta and Dadu.
Through this training, providers will
acquire practical hands on experience
gained in clinical settings which is
important for enhancing their competency
and ensuring that providers use these
methods safely.
5. Over the last week FALAH with its
partner HANDS conducted fifteen
interactive theatres in the districts of
Dadu, Ghotki, Sanghar and Thatta with
1137 participants. Interactive theaters
are enter-educate communication events
which are organized in rural areas of
FALAH districts of Sindh. The story line
of the plays follow that of the
pictorial developed by FALAH and used in
the group meeting formats that compares
the life of two couples , one with
planned families and the other where the
couple has had unplanned pregnancies and
its impact on the health of the mother
and the infants. Participants become
involved in the play by acting out the
parts and providing a favorable end to
the story. Both LHWs and LHVs also
attend these theaters and encourage
participants to seek their services on
FP issues. |
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Weekly Update -
February 21 - 27, 2011 |
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1. FALAH organized 4 step down training of
LHWs/LHSs on Client Centered Family
Planning Services, FP methods and group
methodology in the districts of Mardan,
Charsadda and Bahawalpur. A total of 76
LHWs/LHSs were trained through these
sessions and are now better equipped
with information on the importance of
birth spacing, how to provide counseling
to clients, information on side effects
and their management as well as
contraceptive choices that are
available.
2. Three step down trainings for Village
Health Committee (VHC) members were
conducted in Swabi, Jhelum and Mansehra.
A total of 56 volunteers were trained
through this activity. These Village
health committee members serve as a
bridge between the Lady Health Worker (LHW)
and the male members of the community.
Following the training in which they are
sensitized on birth spacing and its
importance, the village health committee
members can be more effective in
promoting birth spacing among men in the
community through holding group meetings
in their catchment areas, in which they
will also use FALAH IEC material. This
will, in turn facilitate the role of the
LHW in the community.
3. On February 21, 2011 a FALAH/PC
delegation met with Provincial
Secretaries Health and PWD, Additional
Secretary P&D and the Population
Minster, KPK in Peshawar and gave an
update on FALAH’s accomplishments. The
Minister appreciated FALAH’s
contribution and especially commended
the work FALAH has done to involve the
religious leaders.
4. Follow up visit for ECP provision
through LHWs at Mansehra: A pilot study
on the provision of ECPs through the
LHWs is being conducted in Thatta,
Mansehra, DG Khan and Gwadar. FALAH and
the National Program for Family Planning
and Primary Health Care conducted a
follow up visit to Mansehra to observe
and assess the status of provision of
ECPs through the LHWs in the district.
The ECP contraceptive was available and
the registration process for the clients
was satisfactory. The LHWs were
knowledgeable on the use of ECPs and the
management of any side effects which a
woman may incur.
5. FALAH conducted a step down training
for 23 Religious Leaders at Mansehra to
sensitize them on the significance of
birth spacing as a health intervention
and birth spacing in the context of
Islamic injunctions so that they become
proactive advocates of birth spacing in
their community.
6. The FALAH M & E team conducted visits
to the districts of Swabi, Charsadda,
Mansehra and Mardan to check the status
of contraceptive availability. The EDO
(Health) stores/facilities were found to
be inadequate while the LHW stores and
PWD outlets were better stocked. In view
of the situation, monitoring of the
contraceptive flow from district stores
to the client level will be initiated.
7. FALAH’s technical partner Jhpiego
conducted a follow up visit to the
School of Nursing at Jhelum to monitor
the implementation of the “basic minimal
family planning contents package”. The
existing teaching/training at the school
and skill lab functioning following
training were reviewed and feedback was
provided. The team also observed
students infection prevention practices
in the FP skills lab. |
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Weekly Update -
February 7 - 14, 2011 |
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1. FALAH organized a ten day training on
Provision of Client Centered Family
Planning Services for CMWs Tutors in
collaboration with JHPIEGO and the MNCH
program .Twenty four trainees from
Jhelum, Mansehra, Charsadda, Mardan,
Peshawar, Toba Tek Singh, PakPatan,
Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore and
Norowal participated in this activity at
Islamabad. In addition there were 2
supervisors one each from Punjab and KPK
from Provincial MNCH offices and 2
training supervisors from National MNCH
program office, Islamabad. This activity
was conducted to strengthen FALAH’s
partnership with the public sector under
the current AIP. Closing ceremony was
held in PC office on 10th Feb. 2011. Mr.
Robin Mardeusz Health Development
Officer, Office of Health, Population&
Nutrition USAID/Pakistan was the Chief
Guest and Dr. Farooq, National Program
Manager was the Guest of Honor at this
occasion.”
2. A skills lab established by FALAH
with the support of Jhpiego was
inaugurated at the Nursing and Midwifery
School at Thatta. The ceremony was
attended by EDO Health, MS of hospital,
DPWO and the district coordinator of
HANDS. The lab consists of several
stations, each of which is equipped with
training guidelines and learning tools.
These stations will be helpful in
teaching important clinical skills in
contraceptive options, instrument
processing, infection prevention and
counseling on birth spacing.
3. Fifteen step down trainings of LHWs/LHSs
on CCA, FP methods and group methodology
were conducted in districts of
Bahawalpur, Charsadda, Dadu, Jehlum, DG
Khan, Sanghar and Dadu. Though these
training a total of 298 LHWs/LHSs were
trained and are now better equipped with
information on the importance of birth
spacing, how to provide counseling to
clients, information on side effects and
their management as well as
contraceptive choices that are
available.
4. Step down training on Intra Uterine
Contraceptive device (IUCD) skills was
organized at RHSA Abbassi Shaheed
Hospital Karachi from Feb 07-12, 2011in
which 7 female public sector providers
were trained from district Sanghar and
Dadu. Through this training, providers
gain practical experience in clinical
settings which is important for
enhancing their competency and ensuring
that providers use these methods safely.
5. As part of the social mobilization
strategy, ten interactive theatres were
conducted in the districts of Dadu,
Sanghar and Thatta with 861
participants. Interactive theaters are
enter-educate communication events which
are organized in rural areas of FALAH
districts of Sindh. The story line of
the plays follow that of the pictorial
developed by FALAH and used in the group
meeting formats that compares the life
of two couples , one with planned
families and the other where the couple
has had two unplanned pregnancies and
its impact on the health of the mother
and the infants. Participants become
involved in the play by acting out the
parts and providing a favorable end to
the story. Local government officials,
LHWs, and LHVs attend these theaters and
encourage participants to seek their
services on FP issues.
6. A total of 15 mobile service units (MSUs)
were organized as a follow up of social
mobilization activities in district
Sanghar, Thatta, Dadu and Ghotki. There
were 798 beneficiaries of the maternal
and child health services, including
61clients for family planning services.
These follow up events are organized
after the theaters to provide FP and MCH
services through MSU teams of the
district Population Welfare Departments.
Trained FWWs, FTOs, and LHVs provide
counseling sessions for women.
7. Three step down trainings for Village
Health Committee (VHC) members were
conducted in Jhelum, DG Khan and
Mansehra. A total of 53 volunteers were
trained through this activity. These
Village health committee members serve
as a bridge between the Lady Health
Worker (LHW) and the male members of the
community. Following the training in
which they are sensitized on birth
spacing and its importance, the village
health committee members can be more
effective in promoting birth spacing
among men in the community through
holding group meetings in their
catchment areas, in which they will also
used FALAH IEC material. This will, in
turn facilitate the role of the LHW in
the community.
8. As part of ongoing airing of 13 TV
talk shows on PTV Home and PTV National
that were earlier recorded in the FALAH
districts, the one recorded in Islamabad
was aired on February 11 at 7 PM. The
telecast was repeated on Feb 12 at 3 PM.
Population and health officials from
Federal, Provincial and District,
community members and other stakeholders
participated in the shows. Patterned on
the format of a town hall meeting, the
shows focused on highlighting some of
the key issues and concerns on
reproductive health and discuss a number
of important barriers that affect
people’s decisions and behavior with
regard to practicing birth spacing and
how to overcome these. More generally,
the shows strived to raise awareness on
birth spacing and its importance as a
health intervention. Population and
health officials from Federal,
Provincial and District, community
members and other stakeholders
participated in the TV shows.
9. A video documentary produced by FALAH
which contains endorsements from
prominent religious leaders and eminent
health professionals was telecast on
Sunday February13 at 6:15 PM on PTV
Home, PTV National and Sindhi KTN
television. The video highlights the
importance of birth spacing to save
lives of mothers and children and seek
endorsements from various influential
groups including prominent Islamic
scholars from various schools of thought
and medical professionals. This is a
major advocacy tool that will be used by
FALAHs implementing partners to reach
out to the community level religious
leaders and seek their active support
and help to overcome the religious
misconceptions due to which birth
spacing is not practiced. The video will
also support the training program of
religious leaders by the MOPW.
10. 12,000 wall calendars highlighting
the role of LHW and LHS were sent to
FALAH districts for further distribution
among Lady Health Workers and
supervisors. 2500 desk calendars were
also distributed among FALAH partners,
government officials, NGOs and other
stakeholders. |
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Weekly Update - January 31, 2010 -
February 5, 2011 |
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1. Distributions of Relief Kits among Lady
Health Workers (LHWs): FALAH organized a
ceremony for the handover of the
rehabilitation Kits for LHWs in Sindh on
February 5, 2011 at the residence of the
US. Consul General in Karachi. Dr
Marilyn Wyatt, wife of the US Ambassador
handed over the kits to the National
Coordinator of the LHW program, Dr.
Iqbal Lehri.
Addressing the ceremony, Dr Wyatt noted
that the US government, through USAID
was providing these essential kits to
about 1,500 lady health workers in the
flood-hit areas of Punjab and Sindh. She
further added that “these supplies will
help Pakistan’s lady health workers to
help others. These kits, consisting of
blood pressure monitors, weighing scales
for children and adults, thermometers,
blankets, tents, chairs and other tools
are needed by LHWs to serve their
communities”. The U.S .Consul General
Mr. William Martin, Head of USAID in
Karachi Ms. Julie Koenen and senior
officials from the Ministry of Health,
FALAH and Population Council were also
present on the occasion. The kits will
help in the rehabilitation of flood
affected LHWs.
2. Training on Blended Learning approach
for Greenstar Providers: FALAH with the
technical support of Jhpiego has
developed a Family Planning Curriculum
for Greenstar which uses a blended
learning approach in which a mix of
learning methodologies is being used.
The training/teaching curriculum is
divided into three phases. The first
phase entails distance learning whereby
private sectors providers go through the
technical contents of the training
package while at their workplace. After
the completion of this assignment the
providers participate in a group based
three day training session focused on
acquiring skills of Infection
Prevention, Counseling and IUCD
insertion and removal using models. In
the final phase, clinical support and
training is given to the provider on
actual clients at the GS Clinical
Sahoolat.
This training package was introduced at
a workshop conducted in Islamabad from
3-5 February 2011 in which 24 providers
were given an overview and oriented on
the blended learning approach. This tool
will help develop provider competency
along with better knowledge and
management of side effects of
contraceptives.
3. Two step down training of LHWs/LHSs
on CCA, FP methods and group methodology
were organized in districts of
Bahawalpur and Thatta. A total of 46
LHWs/LHSs were trained through these.
Client Centered training on FP for LHWs
allows them to have better knowledge and
information on the importance of birth
spacing, on providing counseling to
clients, being informed on side effects
and their management as well as
contraceptive choices that are
available.
4. FALAH also conducted 2 interactive
theatre events in the districts of Dadu,
Thatta, Sukkur and Ghotki which HAD 140
participants. Interactive theaters are
enter-educate communication events
organized in rural areas of several
FALAH districts of Sindh. The story line
of the plays follow that of the
pictorial developed by FALAH and used in
the group meeting formats that compares
the life of two couples , one with
planned families and the other where the
couple has had two unplanned pregnancies
and its impact on the health of the
mother and the infants. Participants
become involved in the play by acting
out the parts and providing a favorable
end to the story. Local government
officials, LHWs, and LHVs attend these
theaters and encourage participants to
seek their services on FP issues.
5. FALAH carried out two trainings of
Village Health Committee members on FP
methods & group methodology in the
districts of Jhelum and Mansehra in
which 31 VHC members were trained. These
Volunteers will conduct Husband Group
meetings with husbands of eligible women
in the LHW catchment areas. The Village
health committee members serve as a
bridge between the Lady Health Worker (LHW)
and the male members of the community.
Following the training in which they are
sensitized on birth spacing and its
importance, the village health committee
members can be more effective in
promoting birth spacing among men in the
community through group meetings drawing
on FALAH IEC material. This will
facilitate the work of the LHW in the
community.
6. As part of the ongoing airing of 13
TV talk shows on PTV Home and PTV
National that were recorded in FALAH
districts, two talks were aired on
February 4 and 5 at 7 PM. The telecast
was repeated on Feb 5 and 6 at 3 PM
respectively. These shows were recorded
in Jhelum and Karachi. Patterned on the
format of a town hall meeting, the shows
focused on highlighting some of the key
issues and concerns on reproductive
health and discuss a number of important
barriers that affect people’s decisions
and behavior with regard to practicing
birth spacing and how to overcome these.
More generally, the shows strived to
raise awareness on birth spacing and its
importance as a health intervention.
Population and health officials from
Federal, Provincial and District,
community members and other stakeholders
participated in the TV shows. Hosted by
Dr Huma Mir and Uncle Sargam, two well
known television personalities, each
episode is of approximately 50 minutes.
Dr Huma, a medical doctor, has a good
understanding of reproductive health
issues while Uncle Sargam, a puppet
character which has been dominating
Pakistani TV screens for the last 30
years, provided comic relief to the
people and kept them focused on the
issue.
7. Distribution of 12,000 wall calendars
highlighting the role of LHW and LHS has
commenced among Lady Health Workers and
supervisors (LHWs and LHSs) in FALAH
districts.
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Weekly Update - January 24 - 29, 2011 |
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1. FALAH with the support of its technical
partner Jhpiego conducted an orientation
on the "Basic Minimum Family Planning
Contents Package" which was chaired by
the Provincial Secretary Health, Punjab
at the University of Health Sciences (UHS)
in Lahore. The package which has been
updated and revised by FALAH now
includes a contraceptive technology
update which includes information on
side effects and their management,
infection prevention, criteria for using
Lactational Amenorrhea (LAM) and
Standard days method (SDM), counseling
skills and information on Islam and
birth spacing. The Government of
Pakistan’s Policy on Family Planning has
also been incorporated in the updated
package. The orientation session was
attended by faculty members of
Rawalpindi Medical College, Nishter
Medical College Multan, Allama Iqbal
Medical College Lahore, Nawaz Sharif
Medical College Gujrat, Shaikh Zahid
Hospital Rahim Yar Khan, Sargodha
Medical College and Punjab Medical
College Faisalabad. The Vice Chancellor
of University of Health Sciences (UHS)
Dr. Mubashhar, and Dr. Ali, COP FALAH
were also present. The introduction of
the basic minimum family planning
content package will enable future
providers to have a better understanding
of the concept of birth spacing and how
it impacts maternal and child mortality
and provide high quality services in
future.
2. In the last week, FALAH held a
meeting with the new Special Secretary
Health Projects Sindh, Mrs. Seema Najeeb
in Karachi to introduce the project and
seek her support in Sindh. Dr. Zeba
Sathar, Country Director Population
Council, Dr. Ali Mir COP FALAH, Dr. Gul
Rashida Director Training, and Dr.
Sarwat, National Coordinator for HANDS
participated in the meeting. Dr. Ali Mir
updated the Secretary on FALAH’S work
and emphasized the importance of a
policy dialogue on birth spacing to be a
part of health policy agenda of the
Government of Sindh as per the 18th
amendment. He also requested further
support for FALAH from the Sindh
Provincial Health Department and
suggested an early convening of the
Provincial Technical Committee meeting
to discuss the implementation of the
birth spacing agenda in the province.
The Secretary expressed interest in
FALAH’s work and offered her support for
project activities in the districts.
3. FALAH conducted 5 trainings for Lady
Health Worker male Village Health
Committee (VHC) members on family
planning methods & group methodology in
the districts of Swabi, Jhelum, DG Khan
Mansehra and Thatta in which 71 VHC
members were trained. These Village
health committee members serve as a
bridge between the Lady Health Worker (LHW)
and the male members of the community.
Following the training in which they are
sensitized on birth spacing and its
importance, the village health committee
members can be more effective in
promoting birth spacing among men in the
community through holding group meetings
in their catchment areas, in which they
will also used FALAH IEC material. This
will, in turn facilitate the role of the
LHW in the community.
4. FALAH organized six step down
trainings of LHWs/LHSs on Client
Centered Approach (CCA), Family Planning
methods and group methodology in the
districts of DG Khan, Charsadda, Dadu
and Sukkur. Though these training a
total of 96 LHWs/LHSs were trained and
are now better equipped with information
on the importance of birth spacing, how
to provide counseling to clients,
information on side effects and their
management as well as contraceptive
choices that are available.
5. FALAH conducted six trainings of
Department of Health ( DoH) and Peoples
Primary Health Initiative (PPHI)
facility staff and District level staff
of the National Programme (NP),DoH, PPHI
and PWD on “Contraceptive Logistic
Management” in the districts of Ghotki
and Larkana in which 134 public sector
staff, including district level
officials were trained. These trainings
will help the facility and district
level officials to help improve the
system of disbursing contraceptives more
efficiently from the district
headquarters to the service delivery
outlets of the NP, DoH, PPHI and PWD,
thereby ensuring an uninterrupted supply
of contraceptives at these outlets.
6. Competency based skill development
trainings on Intra Uterine Contraceptive
device (IUCD), minilaparotomy (minilap)
and non scalpel vasectomy (NSV) were
also carried out in the last week.
Through these trainings providers gain
practical experience in clinical
settings which is important for
enhancing their competency and ensuring
that providers use these methods safely.
- Step down training on NSV skills
was conducted at RHS-A Hyderabad of
PWD Sindh in which two doctors and
two technicians from Dadu and Sukkur
were trained.
- Step down training on Minilap
skills at RHS-A, Jinnah Postgraduate
Medical College (JPMC) Karachi
started last week. One senior female
Medical Officer from Sanghar is
participating.
- Step down training on IUCD
skills was organized at RHSA Abbassi
Shaheed Hospital Karachi in which 11
female public sector providers were
trained from the districts of Thatta,
Sanghar and Dadu.
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Weekly Update - January 17 - 22, 2011 |
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1. FALAH with the support of its
partners Jhpiego and Save the Children
established a Family Planning Skills Lab
at the Nursing School Mardan on January
20, 2011. The lab was inaugurated by the
Director General Health KPK. It will
help in training nurses on acquiring
competency based skills for providing
birth spacing services. The lab consists
of several stations, each of which is
equipped with training guidelines and
learning tools. These stations will be
helpful in teaching important clinical
skills in contraceptive options,
instrument processing, infection
prevention and counseling on birth
spacing. Trainees and trainers of the
midwifery school will receive hands on
training, for instance on Intra Uterine
Contraceptive device (IUCD) insertion
and removal techniques. Two computers
have also been installed in the lab
which will be beneficial for e-learning.
2. Seven trainings for Lady Health
Worker male Village Health Committee (VHC)
members on family planning methods &
group methodology were conducted by
FALAH in the districts of Dadu, Swabi,
Jhelum, Mansehra and Thatta. A total of
138 VHC members were trained. These
Village health committee members serve
as a bridge between the Lady Health
Worker (LHW) and the male members of the
community. Following the training in
which they are sensitized on birth
spacing and its importance, the village
health committee members can be more
effective in promoting birth spacing
among men in the community through group
meetings and FALAH IEC material. This
will facilitate the role of the LHW in
the community.
3. 257 Lady Health Workers/Lady
Health Supervisors received training on
client centered counseling from FALAH
through 13 step down trainings organized
in the districts of Jhelum, D.G. Khan,
Bahawalpur, Charsadda and Sanghar.
Client Centered training on FP for LHWs
allows them to have better knowledge and
information on the importance of birth
spacing, providing counseling to
clients, being informed on side effects
and their management as well as
contraceptive choices that are
available.
4. FALAH supervised the first
session of the Lady Health Workers in
step down trainings in Jhelum and
Charsadda in which 44 Lady Health
Workers/Lady Health Supervisors
participated. The supervision of the
training allows FALAH to provide hands
on guidance and feedback on the training
process to the concerned LHW or LHS. If
there are any short comings or the
required protocols are not in place,
these can be identified and rectified
prior to more step down trainings being
conducted.
5. The LHWs in project districts
in Sind and Punjab lost their health
houses, health equipment and even
personal belongings due to the recent
floods. They play a vital role in the
community in providing basic health care
services. To ensure an uninterrupted
provision of services in the affected
areas and provide some basic support to
rehabilitate the LHWs in these
districts, FALAH with the support of
USAID assembled a rehabilitation kit to
provide to the LHWS. Currently the
distribution of these rehabilitation
kits for flood affected Lady Health
Workers provided by USAID is ongoing.
Each kit contains a BP apparatus,
stethoscope, a tent, weighing scale,
thermometer, blanket, folding bed
(Charpoy), chairs and a sign board for
the LHW health house. A total of 283
kits have been distributed by FALAH
teams in the districts of Dadu and
Rajanpur. At this time, the distribution
of rehabilitation kits has been
completed in the districts of Ghotki,
Sukkur, Larkana and Dadu.
6. In districts Dadu, Thatta, and
Ghotki 10 interactive theatres were
conducted with 725 participants.
Interactive theaters are enter-educate
communication events organized in rural
areas of several FALAH districts of
Sindh. The story line of the plays
follow that of the pictorial developed
by FALAH and used in the group meeting
formats that compares the life of two
couples , one with planned families and
the other where the couple has had two
unplanned pregnancies and its impact on
the health of the mother and the
infants. Participants become involved in
the play by acting out the parts and
providing a favorable end to the story.
Local government officials, LHWs, and
LHVs attend these theaters and encourage
participants to seek their services on
FP issues.
7. A total of 25 mobile service
units (MSUs) were organized as a follow
up to the social mobilization activities
in districts Thatta, Sanghar, and Dadu.
There were 1008 beneficiaries of the
maternal and child health services,
including 126 clients for family
planning services. These follow up
events are organized after the theaters
to provide FP and MCH services through
MSU teams of the district Population
Welfare Departments. Trained FWWs, FTOs,
and LHVs provide counseling sessions for
women. |
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