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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Anne M. Jorgensen, MA¹, Margaret E. Greene, PhD², Karen Hardee, PhD³, Naomi Louise Walston, MA⁴, and Mean Reatanak Sambath⁴. (1) CEDPA, 1133 21st Street NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20036, 202-775-9680, ajorgensen@futuresgroup.com, (2) Department of Global Health, School of Public Health and Health Services, George Washington University, 2175 K Street, NW, Suite 810, Washington, DC 20037, (3) The Futures Group International, One Thomas Circle, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20005, (4) Independent Consultant, 36B, Street 306, Boeung Keng Kang 1, Phnom Penh, CA, Cambodia

Having identified lack of male involvement in reproductive health (RH) as an issue in achieving Cambodia's RH goals, the Cambodian Reproductive Health Promotion Working Group (RHPWG) in early 2004 undertook an advocacy initiative to encourage the MOH to develop policy guidelines for male involvement. Research indicated that despite successful pilot programs and no explicit policy barriers, little attention had been paid to broadening the effort with practical guidelines that would ensure that male involvement was more than a series of NGO-supported activities. The RHPWG's advocacy efforts were successful. The MOH asked them to spearhead a multisectoral effort to formulate guidelines. A draft was submitted to the MOH for consideration during consultative meetings to finalize its Strategic Plan for RH in Cambodia (2006–2010). The goal was to address the gender inequities that impede women's health, and the institutional history that has typically failed to provide RH services for men. Topics addressed in the guidelines included: expansion of services for men, strengthening service provider capacity to serve men, strengthening managerial capacity to support and promote male involvement, effective IEC to promote male involvement, developing political and institutional support for male involvement, and research on male involvement. By December 2005, male involvement was firmly integrated into the RH agenda and woven into the Strategic Plan. The RHPWG had moved male involvement from a vague concept to a concrete set of guidelines that they and other health stakeholders can use as they move forward in prioritizing, budgeting, and implementing future male involvement initiatives.

Learning Objectives: