The low coverage of public health services, poor quality of service delivery, and high maternal and child mortality rates describe the health status of the canton of Otavalo, Ecuador. This canton is rural and made up of indigenous populations of whom 88% fall below poverty lines. Children under 5 suffer from high rates of ARI, acute diarrheal disease, malnutrition, parasitism, skin illnesses and tuberculosis. The infant mortality rate is 100 deaths/1,000 live births.
To increase the accessibility of basic maternal and child health interventions, CARE-Ecuador partnered with CEMOPLAF, a local non-governmental family planning organization (IPPF affiliate), to develop a model for health services integration. The goal of the partnership was to offer expanded health services at CEMOPLAF without jeopardizing the delivery of family planning services while also increasing its capacity to recover costs and to develop a replicable model.
CARE provided assistance and training to CEMOPLAF in financial management and sustainability (cost recovery, sliding scale) and training in technical health interventions. As a result, the percent of pediatric visits increased from 6% to 30% and prenatal care visits increased from 15% to 27%. Additionally, family planning coverage increased from 81% to 89% as a result of expanded services.
The project learned the following lessons: 1)A family planning organization can diversify its service package without affecting its financial sustainability, 2)the model is replicable, 3) partnership and integration with other MCH interventions can be an excellent approach for increasing family planing services.
Learning Objectives: Describe the impact of integrating family planning services with MCH care in rural, under-serviced areas of Ecuador. Discuss a model for health reform and factors that contribute to its feasibility.
Keywords: International Family Planning, Health Reform
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: CAER-Ecuador
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: employment