4163.0: Tuesday, October 23, 2001 - 1:30 PM

Abstract #23595

Evaluation of the Senegal NorplantŪ Program

Penda N'Diaye, MD, MPH1, Suellen Miller, PhD1, Rasha Dabash, MPH1, Rokhaya Nguer, PHD Candidate2, and Barry Ravitch, MPH Candidate1. (1) Expanding Contraceptive Choice Project, Population Council, One Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, New York, NY 10017, (2) Universite Cheikh Anta Diop, Senegal

NorplantŪ was introduced into Senegal's national family planning program in 1986, and is currently offered in 44 of the 335 service delivery sites. Approximately 17,000 women have had NorplantŪ insertions and 5,000 have had removals. However, there has been no evaluation of the NorplantŪ program in order to determine if the pilot program was successful and whether and how to scale-up. The MOH requested assistance to address the problem of follow-up, as there was the likelihood that a large number of women who had their implants for over five years had been lost to follow-up (perdue de vue) and were therefore at potential risk for unwanted pregnancy. This study was designed in two phases: The first phase was a detailed review of clinical registers and client records to discover the current situation and the extent of the perdue de vue problem. This information was used to develop data collection and sampling strategies for phase 2, a modified Situation Analysis. Other methods used were focus groups and individual interviews with former and current NorplantŪ users, focusing on women who returned for a replacement set (satisfied users) and women who requested removals. Findings were used to improve the quality of care and to develop protocols for follow-up and removal on demand. An important aspect of the study was the use of creative methods, developed by a wide range of stakeholders, to locate perdue de vue, inform them of their risks and offer them options for removal, replacement, or substitution of contraceptive.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to: 1. Describe the profile of satisfied NorplantŪ users in Senegal 2. Identify ways to improve follow-up mechanisms for NorplantŪ users 3. Identify the necessary service delivery capacity for providing a provider-dependent contraceptive method.

Keywords: Service Delivery, Contraceptives

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.

The 129th Annual Meeting of APHA