Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #114003

Tara Nutley, MPH, Field, Information and Training Services, Family Health International, P.O. Box 13950, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, (919) 544-7040, tnutley@fhi.org and Pierre Ngom, Africa Regional Office, Family Health International, P.O. Box 38835, Nairobi, Kenya.

Since January 2001, the AMKENI project has been working with the Kenyan Ministry of Health (KMOH) to improve the reproductive health of the people of Kenya through three main strategies: a) improving the capacity of health facilities to provide quality, integrated family planning, reproductive health, and child survival (FP/RH/CS) services, including HIV/AIDS-related services; b) working with communities to promote healthier FP/RH/CS behaviors and increase demand for services; and c) strengthening the KMOH's decentralized systems for training and supervising reproductive health service providers. The project is unique because it serves as a testing ground for new approaches and service configurations to improve the health of Kenyans. A collaborative partner on the project, Family Health International is evaluating the impact of the AMKENI project on indicators such as condom use, contraceptive use, sexual behavior, safe motherhood, knowledge and decisions about child health, and HIV/AIDS preventive actions and knowledge. The evaluation is being carried out through a population-based household survey in districts of Kenya where AMKENI has targeted its efforts and in comparison districts where the project is not active. By generating evidence on the AMKENI project's effectiveness in improving the reproductive health of Kenyans, the evaluation will inform the government of Kenya's policy and program decisions on how to develop sustainable, quality FP/RH/CS services throughout the country. Moreover, the evaluation will determine whether the AMKENI project can serve as an evidence-based model for replication in other districts of Kenya. Specific evaluation findings and their implications for FP/RH/CS services will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• 1) Describe the multi-level approach to improving reproductive health services in Kenya utilized by the AMKENI project.
• 2) Articulate the impact of the AMKENI project on reproductive health indicators.
• 3) Describe the implications of the AMKENI evaluation for evidence-based reproductive health policies and services in Kenya.

Keywords: International Reproductive Health, Evaluation

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation