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Pastoralists' communities in Nigeria are semi-sedentary livestock breeders in remote areas with very poor infrastructure & inadequate health services. High incidences of unplanned pregnancies due to lack of RH/FP services. Communities live in isolated rural areas with poor road networks, facing severe difficulties in accessing health care services at affordable costs due to transportation constraints.
Methodology
Baseline assessment in 2 pastoralist communities
Collaborated with CBO - Pastoral Resolve (PARE)
Capacity of PARE staff built in project management.
Intensive advocacy to policy makers & traditional rulers
Sensitized community members
Recruited & trained 20 PHE, 20 TBAs & 5 CHEWs on FP service, post abortion care, counseling & supervisory skills
Supplied FP equipment & commodities to providers & SDP.
Results:
Community donated land to government for clinic construction
Community renovated a dilapidated building for RH & FP services
10,057 new users & 12,651 revisits reached with FP services generated CYP of 3,209.
Advocacy to 36,800 people and 13,800 youths; 3,850 IEC materials distributed
Trained local health workers operated patent medicine stores to serve as FP service delivery points .
Project provided transport for the community health workers which increased access to inaccesible areas.
Challenges
Low number requesting FP services.
Difficulties in accessing the communities slowed down project implementation.
Community members predominantly farmers.
Pastoralists lacked qualified personnel
Trained health workers unwilling to serve in remote areas.
Conclusion
FP interventions can be successful in hard to reach nomadic communities through partnership, supportive monitoring & continual advocacy at all levels.
Learning Objectives:
Recognise the need for RH services among special populations
Articulate the process of design, implementation & monitoring of an FP project in patoralist community
Discuss borders and bariers in FP service among hard to reach communities
Analyse and compare the startegy used with similar interventions
Keywords: Family Planning, Community
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: MPH Harvard university
Country Representative of Pathfinder International with over 25 years experience in providing Family planning, Reproductive Health, Management and Leadership in Nigeria and Sub Saharan Africa
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.