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

Abstract #116823

Rupal Sanghvi, MPH, Evaluation, International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere Regional Office, 120 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005, Dana Rogers, MPH, Programs, International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere Regional Office, 120 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005, Pilar Laserna, Lcda, CIES, Bolivia, Casilla 9935, L:a Paz, Bolivia, Bolivia, and Shelly Makleff, MPH, Evaluation, IPPF/WHR, 120 Wall St. 9th floor, New York, NY 10005, 212.214.0265, smakleff@ippfwhr.org.

Recognizing the importance of reaching the most underserved populations as a key strategy for improving SRH outcomes and contributing to poverty reduction, the International Planned Parenthood Member Association in Bolivia (CIES), implemented a three-year mobile-unit project in rural Chuquisaca. Project objectives included: Increasing access to SRH (1) clinical services and (2) information and education, including sexual and reproductive rights (SRR). The evaluation design included monthly reporting and analysis of service statistics, baseline and final data collection of community-level health outcomes from secondary sources, and a qualitative study of provider and client perspectives at the end of project. CIES provided over 17,000 medical consultations annually, and reached over 19,700 people with educational services. The greatest demand (60%) was for gynecological services, including pap smears, pelvic examinations, and STI tests; contraceptive services were next most requested. Depo Provera was the most requested contraceptive method, representing 58% of the method mix. Service providers emphasized the importance of providing woman-controlled methods, given socio-cultural resistance of male partners to condom use and contraception generally. Impact results show that the intervention communities experienced a decrease of 21% in total births and a 39% increase in births attended by a trained professional. Results of the qualitative study showed importance of buy-in on the part of community leaders for improved community access to services. Results also reflected the feasibility of replicating and transferring the model to the government, and also showed the emergence of new community priorities, including services tailored to the special needs of adolescents.

Learning Objectives:

• Review quantitative and qualitative program evaluation final results, including improved health outcomes, from a project that utilizes mobile health units to increase access to SRH services
• Describe successes and challenges for addressing barriers for improving access to SRH services on the cultural, institutional and governmental levels

Keywords: Access to Health Care,

Related Web page: www.ippfwhr.org

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