In Ethiopia, where less than 40 percent of the population has access to a health facility, most reproductive health and family planning services are provided by the public sector, although a trend towards privatization exists. Pathfinder International has promoted a private sector franchise initiative intended to establish private-public partnerships and shift some of the cost of health care to the private sector. The project helps private health care providers to set up appropriate management systems and market their services through the franchising system.
Pathfinder and six local partners have developed a standard package of quality services, a franchise logo, a fee structure for services and contraceptives, a training curriculum, and a referral network for public and private sector providers. Approximately 100 providers have been trained so far, and 70 clinics run by physicians and nurse-midwives have adopted the standardized services, fees, and logo. Pathfinder has also trained 100 traditional birth attendants, 150 community health agents, 50 marketplace traders, and 100 workplace peer educators to provide information, non-clinical methods, and referrals. These community-based services also are identified by the franchise logo.
The project will run until December 2001 and has already resulted in improvements in training, equipment, supply, and management and referral systems among participating clinics, as well as increased support within the public sector for the project. Preliminary results suggest that the project has contributed to a 10 percentage point increase in the contraceptive prevalence rate and has increased income for both private and public sector sites by 15 percent.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to: 1) Describe how to initiate a health care franchising system for reproductive health and family planning in low-income countries such as Ethiopia. 2) Discuss how such a system expands access to health care facilities while also improving quality in privately owned facilities. 3) Identify how franchise systems in low-income countries can be managed and sustained
Keywords: Public/Private Partnerships, Reproductive Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.