Family Planning's past projects include:
Male Involvement in Reproductive Health (MIRH)
In many societies, men are the decision-makers when it comes to fertility, family size and other reproductive health issues.
However in many instances, men have been marginalised in terms of sexual and reproductive health programmes, which has had a negative impact not only on men themselves but also on women and children.
Through the Male Involvement in Reproductive Health (MIRH) project, Family Planning International worked to improve the reproductive health status of men and women in Fiji and the Solomon Islands.
The project ran from April 2004 through to September 2005, and took advantage of lessons learned in a previous Men As Partners (MAP) project that ran in Fiji from July 2001 to June 2004.
Statistics show vital need
One survey in the Solomon Islands has shown that 36 per cent of married women have been forced to have sex at some point in their lifetime.
In another study carried out in Fiji, 80 percent of participants had witnessed violence in their homes.
Information from past projects shows that men are often unaware of the impact their behaviour has on the women in their lives, and some men have been reduced to tears when they realise this.
Educating and encouraging men to be more responsible and supportive sexual partners enhances their health and well-being, as well as the health and well-being of their partners.
MIRH activities
MIRH has successfully raised awareness of men’s and women's reproductive health needs and wellbeing, and the need for gender equality, and has encouraged communication and understanding between couples on contraception and family life.
Activities have included:
- Awareness and educational workshops for men and couples on sexual and reproductive health, including HIV and AIDS. Training workshops with health workers, particularly nurses, to improve their ability to provide services and information to men around men’s sexual and reproductive health, including HIV and AIDS.
- Building a community based condom distribution network and installing condom machines
- Developing relevant information, education and communication materials to promote the importance of men’s involvement in reproductive health.
- Building relationships with media to encourage the promotion of MIRH project messages to the general public
- Training health professionals in the Solomon Islands to provide vasectomies.
MIRH was funded by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Reproductive Health Project
In partnership with the Vietnam Women’s Union (VUW), Family Planning International implemented a project in Bac Giang Province from 2000 - 2002 designed to improve the reproductive health in target communities.
The project aimed to achieve its goals by training doctors and health workers in reproductive tract infection (RTI) management and prevention. RTIs also include sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The training invited VUW motivators to provide basic education to women on RTIs.
Important aspects of the project included raising awareness amongst women of the causes, symptoms and treatment of RTIs, encouraging women to access local health centres and the free health check offered through the project, and providing basic equipment for health clinics.
Training of health professionals included: the difference between RTIs and STIs; RTI detection, treatment and referral; prevention; counseling; on-going support; record-keeping; follow-up; and attitudinal issues and socio-cultural issues such as the shame associated with RTIs, and women’s views that inflammation is normal. VWU managed the project with support from Family Planning International through the use of the our staff for capacity building and evaluative activities. Other than this, local staff were utilized where ever possible.
The outcomes
Outcomes as assessed by the project steering committee include: doctors who received training showed an 80% improvement in their practice. Of the commune health workers trained by the doctors, 90% improved their practice.
A user-friendly educational handbook and flipcharts were produced. The trained VUW motivators were highly valued and 75% were providing high quality information to women.
Over 7,000 check-ups were undertaken at health clinics and they also recorded an increase of visits. Women reported an increase in comfort and confidence in accessing health clinics, and an improved reproductive health. It was also discovered that many diagnoses of RTIs were made only on verbal, not physical examination. This was often due to a lack of equipment and knowledge of aseptic technique – highlighting the need to provide equipment and space, as well as ongoing training.
Integrating population and the environment in the Pacific
Enhancing the quality of life of i-Kiribati and ni-Vanuatu people by raising the awareness of people about the link between people and their environment was the goal of Family Planning International's integrated population and environment project.
In both Kiribati and Vanuatu, increased population pressures are exacerbating the depletion and pollution of their natural resources. Both countries also have significant reproductive health issues, such a lack of access to information and services for women and couples who would like to plan their family size.
Family Planning International worked with the Foundation for the Peoples of the South Pacific (FSP) and its sister organisations in Kiribati and Vanuatu implementing the project. Funded by the Packard Foundation, the project followed on from research Family Planning International carried out in the Pacific in 2001.