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

Abstract #115869

Jean-Gabriel Rakotondrabe, MD¹, Herizo Andrianaivo, MS¹, and Erin E. Anastasi, MHS². (1) ADRA/Madagascar, Tamatave, Toamasina, Madagascar, 261-20-22-523-20, drgaby@wanadoo.mg, (2) Population Leadership Program Fellow, ADRA/International, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904

Despite availability of family planning/health services and relatively high knowledge about FP, use of FP in Madagascar remains very low. The goal of ADRA/Madagascar's family planning/STI/HIV project, currently being implemented in the port city of Tamatave, is to increase use of modern FP methods and promote FP/RH behaviors. While the project targets women/men of reproductive age in Tamatave generally, it also targets specific subgroups, including uniformed services, taxi/truck drivers, rickshaw pullers, port day laborers, and residents of poor/marginalized neighborhoods. The activities, focusing on male involvement in decision-making on family planning, are oriented equally toward men's spouses/partners.

Main project strategies include: IEC/BCC campaigns, including innovative approaches like using rickshaws to disseminate messages; community education/mobilization through peer educators; improvement of quality of FP services in public sector; and increased FP access at community level through training/ activation/support of CBD agents in urban area.

To improve quality of FP care in five public sector clinics, the project used the Quick Investigation of Quality (QIQ) methodology. Based on QIQ results, participants identified the need for training, support and equipment to improve services. Needs were prioritized and suggestions offered including an internal activity plan for quality improvement, equipment/support needs, and a list of training activities to be conducted. The project continues using QIQ for regular monitoring of quality of FP services, and is supplementing QIQ with the COPE approach to service delivery improvement.

Rationale for choosing QIQ, planning/implementation process, advantages/challenges of the methodology, baseline findings, recommendations/lessons learned, and follow-up actions will be highlighted.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the learner will be able to

• Describe a tool/methodology (QIQ) for assessing quality of care in family planning service delivery
• Analyze the process, results, and lessons learned from a PVO’s experience in applying QIQ to measure and improve quality of family planning services in the public sector

Keywords: Family Planning, Quality of Care

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.