Reproductive Health and Family Planning

This edition of The Soul Beat deals with the role of communication in reproductive health and family planning initiatives in Africa. It features a variety of project descriptions, strategic thinking documents, evaluations, materials and trainings from our network which highlight how television, radio, print, theatre, advocacy and outreach activities can be used to communicate around reproductive health.

PROGRAMME DESCRIPTIONS

1. Life Choices - Ghana

The goal of this campaign was to increase the use of modern family planning methods in urban, peri-urban and rural areas, with particular attention to communities whose pharmacies sell Ghana Social Marketing Foundation (GSMF) brands and where other community-based service providers have a presence. The central message of Life Choices campaign was that “life is about making choices”. The project identified 3 levels of choices: life choice, baby choice, and method choice. Based on these core commitments, the campaign used an integrated interpersonal and mass media approach.

Contact itweedie@jhuccp.org OR Marc Boulay mboulay@jhuccp.org

2. Kenya Adolescent Reproductive Health Programme (KARHP) - Kenya

This project was implemented by the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) and the USA-based Population Council/FRONTIERS over 3 years (October 1999- March 2003) in 2 rural districts in Western Kenya. Focusing on in- and out-of-school youth aged 10-19 years, the project aimed to delay the onset of sexual activity, decrease and/or prevent high-risk sexual behaviours, and increase young people's knowledge of reproductive health (RH) and their uptake of services. In order to achieve this, partners developed a strategy that included peer education, guidance and counseling in schools, and the introduction of youth-friendly services in participating health facilities.

Contact Humphries Evelia hevelia@pcnairobi.org AND info@pcnairobi.org

3. Male Motivation Campaign for Family Planning - Guinea

This campaign was aimed primarily at men to promote spousal communication about family planning (FP) that would increase contraceptive use. “Talk to your wife about family planning", was the ultimate goal of the campaign which used radio, music, billboards and printed materials. Women were also included in the campaign and special attention was directed at religious leaders as influential figures.

Contact Guillaume Bakadi gbakadi@biasy.net

4. Young Adult Reproductive Health (YARH) Project - Nigeria

In August, 2002, the POLICY Project launched a one-year young adult reproductive health (YARH) pilot project in Edo State, Nigeria. The initial aim of the programme was to encourage the Edo state government to approve a state-wide YARH strategic plan and increased funding for YARH programmes in order to strengthen and broaden family planning (FP), reproductive health (RH), and HIV/AIDS services. An accompanying goal was to ensure that accurate information informs policy decisions and that there is local capacity to provide FP/RH/AIDS policy training.

Contact mafeni@infoweb.abs.net OR Scott Moreland smoreland@futuresgroup.com

5. Ashreat Al Amal (Sails of Hope) - Sudan

In December, 2002, the USA-based Population Media Center (PMC) undertook a radio project in Sudan to tackle HIV/AIDS, improve reproductive health and elevate the status of women and girls in Sudan. PMC worked with Sudan's National AIDS Control Programme (SNAP) and collaborated with Sudanese writers and radio producers to develop the radio drama that was meant to be both entertaining and educational. The aim of the drama was to raise awareness and shift cultural and behavioural attitudes towards HIV/AIDS and reproductive health.

Contact William N. Ryerson ryerson@populationmedia.org OR info@populationmedia.org

6. Action for West Africa Region - Reproductive Health (AWARE-RH) - West Africa

This project is a health improvement project designed to address limited access to health care and the low quality of services in 18 West African countries. The project has a website developed by EngenderHealth which aims to improve reproductive and maternal and child health services across West Africa through networking. The site serves as a resource for project partners, health institutions, medical professionals, and others engaged in the cause of improving the lives of West Africans.

Contact Theresa Kim Tkim@engenderhealth.org OR Sandra Ross sross@aware-rh.org

7. Spacing Our Children - Benin

This is a theatre activity that aims to help villagers in Benin consider family planning. The play was designed by Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) and project partners to inspire discussion and raise villagers’ awareness of modern family planning methods. The play is part of the Promotion Intégrée de la Santé Familiale au Borgou-Alibori (PROSAF) Project managed by University Research Corporation (URC) and funded by USAID.

Contact Siri Wood info@path.org OR media@path.org

STRATEGIC THINKING

8. Implementing a Multi-media Pilot Programme to Promote Reproductive Health in Central Uganda: Lessons Learnt

Africa Health and Development International (AHADI), UNFPA-Uganda

2006

With support from UNFPA-Uganda, Africa Health and Development International (AHADI) executed a multi-media entertainment education pilot programme on sexual and reproductive health between June and December 2005 in Uganda. Through the entertainment education strategy, AHADI aimed to contribute to developing positive attitudes, values and beliefs that would increase adoption of desired sexual and reproductive health practices and support access to reproductive health.

9. Broadcast Programme Planning For Adolescent Reproductive Health In Rwanda

Inès Mpambara

March 2004

According to this paper, although adolescents are among the most vulnerable groups in Rwanda, their sexual and reproductive health has rarely been effectively addressed. They lack information and a space to freely discuss and articulate their needs. The author states that there is a need and space for television programmes targeting Rwandan urban adolescents and young people for social change. Since television access is still extremely limited even in urban areas, the proposed television programme would be strengthened by other media and entertainment tools, such as radio PSAs, an interactive website, billboards, messaging on cell phones, music concerts and sport activities.

10. Long-term and Permanent Family Planning Methods in Uganda

A Literature Review

by Susan Kasedde

October 2000

In an effort to expand and promote long-term and permanent family planning services and methods, the Delivery of Improved Health Services II (DISH II) project undertook research into current knowledge, attitudes and beliefs in order to develop appropriate messages and media strategies. This paper presents findings from a review of published and unpublished literature and information from practitioners in Uganda about the knowledge, attitudes and practices related to long-term and permanent family planning methods and their use.

EVALUATIONS

11. Behaviour Change Evaluation of a Culturally Consistent Reproductive Health Programme for Young Kenyans

Annabel S. Erulkar, Linus I.A. Ettyang, Charles Onoka, Fredrick K. Nyaga and Alex Muyonga

International Family Planning Perspectives

2004

This is a ten-page evaluation of the Nyeri Youth Health Project in Kenya, a locally designed adolescent reproductive health programme. The project is a reproductive and sexual health information programme for in- and out-of-school youth in both rural and urban areas aged 10 to 24. The objectives of the project were to delay the onset of sexual intercourse among youth who are not yet sexually active; to prevent sexually experienced youth from suffering negative consequences of sexual activity and to create a reproductive health information and service environment responsive to the needs of youth and tradition. According to the evaluation, the 36-month project was associated with considerable changes in young people's sexual and reproductive health-related behaviour, but behaviour change differed by gender.

12. Family Planning Programs, Socioeconomic Characteristics, and Contraceptive Use in Malawi

Barney Cohen

National Research Council, Washington D.C., USA

2000

Published in World Development in 2000, this study presents an analysis of the relative importance of various household- and community-level variables on contraceptive use in Malawi in 1992. By dividing women into subgroups along key demographic characteristics such as their education level and age, the study sought to identify the likelihood of various family planning programmes and services to influence the contraceptive use among specific groups of women. The research found that exposure to communication campaigns had the greatest impact among women who were educated, 25-30 years of age and living in urban areas.

13. A Staged Model of Communication Effects: Evidence from an Entertainment-Education Radio Soap Opera in Tanzania

Peter W. Vaughan and Everett M. Rogers

2000

Published in the Journal of Health Communication in 2000, this study develops a theoretical model of health communication through an analysis of the impacts of an entertainment-education radio soap opera on family planning practices in Tanzania. The authors synthesise a "staged mode" of health communication effects by drawing on existing theories of behaviour change: the hierarchy-of-effects (HOE) model; the stages-of-change (SOC) model, social learning theory, and the diffusion of innovations (DOI).

MATERIALS

14. Sex-Education Booklets: Most frequently asked questions adolescents have on sexual and reproductive health issues

The GTZ supported Reproductive Health Project of Tanzania developed youth-friendly education materials, with basic facts about human physiology and reproduction, sexuality, prevention of unwanted pregnancies and HIV/STIs, as well as about partnerships and communication between partners.

15. Advocating for Adolescent Reproductive Health in Sub-Saharan Africa

by Adam Shannon

This publication explores steps for advocating for adolescent reproductive health issues in sub-Saharan Africa. It provides examples of advocacy efforts, looking at the strategies and activities of reproductive health advocates in sub-Saharan Africa. These examples aim to provide guidance to new campaigns, stimulate ideas, and generate new contacts among reproductive health advocates from around the region.

16. Choices in Family Planning: Informed and Voluntary Decision Making

This tool kit is designed to help users support individuals in making informed and voluntary family planning decisions. It is intended for use by a wide range of audiences in different family planning settings, including service providers, trainers, managers of service programmes, managers and members of community-based organisations, policymakers, and donors.

17. Youth in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Chartbook on Sexual Experience & Reproductive Health

This chartbook offers a compilation of data on adolescents in 11 sub-Saharan countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The chartbook examines the factors that are critical for young people's healthy transition to adulthood: education and exposure to information; sexual experience and marriage; HIV/AIDS; childbearing; contraception; and maternal health.

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The Soul Beat seeks to cover the full range of communication for development activities. Inclusion of an item does not imply endorsement or support by The Partners.

Please send material for The Soul Beat to the Editor - Anja Venth aventh@comminit.com