1 / 30

Does CHPS Increase Access to Family Planning in Rural Ghana? A case study of Nkwanta District

Does CHPS Increase Access to Family Planning in Rural Ghana? A case study of Nkwanta District. Dr. J. Koku Awoonor-Williams Nkwanta Health Development Centre District Director of Health Services, Ghana Health Service. Nkwanta Background. Nkwanta Background.

tale
Download Presentation

Does CHPS Increase Access to Family Planning in Rural Ghana? A case study of Nkwanta District

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Does CHPS Increase Access to Family Planning in Rural Ghana?A case study of Nkwanta District Dr. J. Koku Awoonor-Williams Nkwanta Health Development Centre District Director of Health Services, Ghana Health Service

  2. Nkwanta Background

  3. Nkwanta Background • Poorest and most remote district in the Volta Region • Spans over 5,500 km2 • Estimated population 187,000 • Multiple ethno-linguistic groups • No access to pipe-borne water, telephones, or radio • Several communities only accessible by foot, river or motorbike

  4. Nkwanta Background • Nkwanta District doctor: patient ratio 1 : 93,500 • Nkwanta nurse: patient ratio 1 : 9,000 • High prevalence of water-borne disease and malnutrition • High maternal & infant morbidity and mortality

  5. Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) • Nkwanta first piloted CHPS in 1998 • Nkwanta has 9 CHPS zones with 5 more scheduled for launching in 2005 • CHPS targets remote, underserved areas • CHPS is a vehicle for delivering GHS community level services • Approximately 35% of Nkwanta’s total population is covered by CHPS

  6. The CHPS Process

  7. The CHPS Process • The operational unit is a CHPS zone • Six “milestones” are completed in the process of CHPS implementation

  8. CHPS Milestones • A CHPS zone is mapped and demarcated • Community leaders are oriented and involved in planning activities • Community assists in building a “Community Health Compound” (CHC), where the nurse lives and provides 24-hour services

  9. CHPS Milestones • Community Health Officer (CHO) is trained and relocated to the zone • Equipment and transportation are procured • Volunteer health organizers are mobilized, trained and deployed

  10. Nkwanta District Evaluation Survey (NDES 2004) • 60 EA cluster survey with 15 households randomly selected in each cluster • Every female aged 15-49 in household was interviewed • NDES 2004 includes 859 households and 1,159 female respondents (39% with CHC as nearest facility, 27% in CHPS zones)

  11. NDES 2004 Household Characteristics

  12. CHPS Increases Geographical Access

  13. Barriers to Family Planning • Economic barriers • Administrative/bureaucratic barriers • Information/educational barriers • Psychosocial/cultural barriers

  14. CHPS Increases Economic Access • Trust-based payment schemes (deferment, installment, or transfers in-kind) • Decreases transportation and opportunity costs(increasing bargaining power of FP clients during spousal negotiations) • CHPS services are less expensive than hospital or clinic care(home consultations are free)

  15. CHPS IncreasesAdministrative Access & Reduction of ‘Unmet Needs” • 24-hour availability of family planning services • Routine door-step visits • Active outreach strategy for family planning and immunization (CHPS nurses track down clients) • Reduction in wait time • Flexible and confidential arrangements for service provision (in comfortable and safe environment of clients’ choosing)

  16. CHPS Increases Information Access • Health education and communication at both community and individual levels • Information access includes: health education, symptom recognition, benefits and costs of needed care, and referral services

  17. CHPS Increases Cultural Access • Community-based nurses understand cultural fears, local superstitions and practices • Clients are more comfortable with nurses who live in community • CHPS mobilizes local traditions/systems for communication, planning and action

  18. CHPS Increases Partner Support • 38% of females living in CHPS zones (and ≤15km from CHC) reported that their sexual partner approves of family planning VS. • 28% of women with no facility access or non-CHPS facility access

  19. CHPS Increases Knowledge of Specific FP Methods

  20. CHPS Increases Number of FP Methods Known

  21. CHPS Increases FP Use vs.Females Without Facility Access

  22. CHPS Increases FP Use Among Women With Only Primary Education • CHPS zones- 36% VS. • Hospital access- 20% • Health centre or clinic access -7-8% • No facility access -13%

  23. Living Near CHC Is Not Enough

  24. CHPS Decreases Fertility

  25. Barriers to Family Planning Use

  26. Lessons Learned: Areas for Improvement

  27. Lessons Learned: Areas for Improvement • Keeping communities mobilized • Creating volunteer incentives • Reaching vulnerable ethnic groups • Involving formal female social networks (market associations, etc…) • Promoting male partner participation • Launching adolescent programs

  28. Conclusions and Policy Implications

  29. Conclusions and Recommendations • CHPS increases geographical and non-geographical access to family planning • CHPS increases knowledge, use and support for family planning • National policies should allow midwives and CHOs to provide all FP methods (including IUD and Norplant)

  30. Thank You Very Much You are invited to Nkwanta!

More Related