News and Events
Family Health Division Regional Reviews
During May Family Health Division organised very successful regional reviews focusing on reproductive health and safe motherhood in four out of the five regions (mid and far western, central and eastern). Key topics discussed included:
· The Safe Delivery Incentive Programme (SDIP): The predominant feeling was that it has been successful in encouraging more women to go to health facilities for delivery and increasing numbers of women are benefiting from the programme. However it was also felt that the incentive for health workers should be phased out in favour of institutional subsidies. In the low HDI districts, where free services are also offered, it was noted that health facilities need better compensation for the loss of fees to enable them to continue the practice of hiring additional staff from their own budgets.
· More peripheral health facilities becoming functional: It was reported that in areas with donor input to developing the capacity of health facility management committees, the committees for health posts and primary health care centres have become more active, which has led to an increase in the maternal health services provided and consequent increase in the number of women coming for delivery services. It was suggested that this learning can be shared in areas without donor support, to help them improve their services.
Improved family planning services: In peripheral health posts a wider range of family planning services is now being offered, especially for the longer term methods such as IUCD and Norplant. There has also been a reduction in the number of permanent sterilisations carried out, as families are making different choices
06/06/2008
Ashima Shrestha
SSMP
