Client outreach activities help to improve coverage of long acting family planning methods and also results in diffusion

Introduction: Slums communities are deprived of outreach and counseling especially on family planning and its benefits. Urban health and family planning indicators suggest that the urban poor have as low access to services as rural areas and has unmet need for family planning that is twice that of the residents of the same city. Outreach through home visits was introduced by UHI in 2010. Objective: To increase access to family planning information and services in urban areas and diffusion of these practices to nearby rural areas. Methodology: Strategy was implemented in 188 slums, covering 663,075 populations through 327 Peer Educators. Each peer educator reached 2,000 people and informed and counseled women on method and provider choices and how best to access services and supplies. One year of data was recorded and monitored to assess performance and impact of strategy. Results: Female sterilization increased by 55 % from 809 in 2010 to 1259 in 2011; IUCD insertion increased by 340% from 804 to 3541. DMPA injection increased from 276 to 2253 and male sterilization also showed increase from 29 to 300. Among rural resident a 5% increase in people access is just a diffusion effect in surrounding rural areas of investment made to reach urban poor. Conclusion: Outreach plays a critical role in increasing contraceptive use especially in long acting and permanent method. Investment in urban areas may also contribute to the diffusion of FP practice in neighboring areas. Outreach activities plays vital role in family planning use among slum resident.