Family Planning and Reproductive Health

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As many as 215 million women around the world have a need for family planning, but for various reasons they are not using contraception. Addressing this unmet need could prevent the death of more than two million children annually and up to one-third of maternal deaths.

As a global champion and leader in supporting health workers for more than 30 years, IntraHealth International applies extensive experience and expertise to improve family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH) programs. The shortage and poor distribution of health workers represents a major barrier to extending access to services. IntraHealth is committed to assisting country-led efforts to better manage, support, empower, and expand the health workforce to serve communities in need with FP/RH services.

From 2008-2010, IntraHealth trained almost 7,500 health workers in family planning and engaged almost 30,000 community health workers in delivering family planning. In 2010 alone, IntraHealth’s work led to 1,164 facilities offering improved family planning services, 118,831 new users of contraception, and 354,928 estimated years of family planning protection achieved for couples receiving contraceptive methods.

Paying special attention to the needs of more vulnerable groups, including adolescents and women with HIV/AIDS, IntraHealth works to improve reproductive health for all women. Our key approaches include:

• Improving the performance of health workers to enhance the quality and accessibility of FP/RH services
• Developing innovative approaches to preservice education and in-service training
• Expanding the roles of health workers to deliver appropriate FP/RH services, supported by policy changes as necessary
• Strengthening the health workforce and health systems (planning, information, education, management)
• Integrating family planning services with other health care services such as prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV
• Increasing the range of available family planning options, including long-acting and permanent methods
• Reaching out to communities to increase awareness and knowledge about FP/RH.

Countries: Benin, Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, India, Mali, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal

Leadership: Sara Stratton, Director of MNCH/FP Programs

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Current related projects:

• Capacity Kenya
• CapacityPlus (Global)
• Enhancing Client Access: Integrating Family Planning and HIV/AIDS Services in Rwanda
• Evidence to Action for Strengthened FP/RH Services for Women and Girls (E2A) Project (Global)
• The Expanding Rwanda's Commitment to Population, Family Planning, and Reproductive Health Program
• Fistula Care (Ethiopia, Mali)
• Francophone West Africa Civil Society Family Planning Advocacy Initiative (Benin, Mali, Senegal)
• HIV/AIDS Clinical Services Program (Rwanda)
• Manthan Project (India)
• Senegal Health Services Improvement Program
• Senegal Urban Reproductive Health Initiative
• The Improving National Capacity to Implement High Impact Health Services and Promote Healthy Behaviors in Mali Project (aka Assistance Technique Nationale)
• The Namibia Capacity Building for Country Owned HIV/AIDS Services Project
• UK Department for International Development (DFID) Reproductive Health Services Framework (Global)
• USAID Community PMTCT Project (Ethiopia)
• Vistaar Project (India)

Previous related projects:

• ACQUIRE Project (Global)
• AMKENI (Kenya)
• Capacity Project (Global)
• DISH II (Uganda)
• Extending Service Delivery (Global)
• Maram (West Bank and Gaza)
• PRIME II Project  (Global)
• Project NOVA (Armenia)
• The Rwandan Adolescent Reproductive Health Initiative 
• The Twubakane Decentralization and Health Program (Rwanda)
• USAID Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) Project (Ethiopia)
• USAID Senegal Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health/Family Planning/Malaria (MNCH/FP/Malaria) Project