A Project to Improve Access to Quality Reproductive Health and Family Planning Services in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

The Birth Control Trust of the Galton Institute

In 2003 the Institute’s Council agreed to fund a reproductive health and family planning service in Ethiopia and guaranteed to provide Marie Stopes International with a grant of £50,000 payable over five years. Ethiopia is the fourth poorest country in the world and the work of MSI has been made more difficult by periodic hostilities. The September 2004 Newsletter (Issue No. 52) carried the first year’s report on the project. Below is the abridged report of MSI on the second year’s operation.

Introduction

In February 2003, the Galton Institute kindly agreed to support a project to increase access to quality reproductive health and family planning services to low income working women in the Bahir Dar, the seventh largest town in Ethiopia. The allocated grant, which is provided over a period of 5 years, is contributing to Marie Stopes International (MSI) and Partner, Marie Stopes International Ethiopia’s (MSIE) ability to make sustained improvements in the health of the Ethiopian population by combining the provision of services through and outreach services with a comprehensive information education and communication (IEC) section. The present report covers the period from May 2004 to April 2005.

Project location and Beneficiaries

The project is located in Bahir Dar in the North West of Ethiopia. Bahir Dar’s population is estimated at 131,000 rising from 96,000 in 1994 and 54,000 in 1984. This is equates to the city’s population doubling in less than 20 years.

The main project beneficiaries are women of reproductive age and their families in the four project areas specifically;

Women who are pregnant, at risk of getting pregnant and lactating mothers whose health is at risk due to infection during pregnancy, and reproductive tract infections (RTIs)

Adolescents at risk of conceiving at a very young age and at risk from contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV/AIDS.

Service Results

The centre continued to provide a full range of reproductive health services (please see below) and from May 2004 – April 2005 14,589 individuals visited the centre for services. Of these 7,454 sought family planning services and of these 4,134 were new family planning clients meaning that it was the first time they had ever used modern methods to control their fertility. In total in the reporting period 11,716 couple years of protection were generated and represent an increase of 65% on the previous year’s results.

Results May 2004 - April 2005

Service	Number
Ante Natal Care	788
Condoms	5,560
Injectables - 3 month	5,918
IUD (Other) – insertion	345
Post abortion care	2,704
Norplant – insertion	545
Other FP	112
Other Non FP	3,361
Pill Cycles (Client Pays)	1,290
Pregnancy tests	2,271
RTI/STD treatment	174
Number of FP Clients	7,454
Number of New FP Clients	4,134
Number of Client Visits	14,589
CYPs	11,716

Sustainability

During the reporting period Bahir Dar has increased its income to cost from 67.99% to 98.42%, which is extremely encouraging. The increase is due to a combination of initiatives. These include, the centre team’s responding to client and community requirements, the increased promotion and IEC activities (sensitising the local community to the services offered at the centre and making sure they fit their needs) and the facilitative supervision and support provided by the MSI/MSIE team. Most of these initiatives have come about through the resources made available from this grant. These initiatives have resulted in a marked increased volume of clients and services since the project started.

Conclusion

Despite ongoing challenges, MSI and MSIE endeavour to ensure that women men and young people have knowledge of, and access to, quality reproductive health services. Your valued support enables MSIE to continue providing mother and child health care, family planning and education to those in dire need.

The Galton Institute donation (from the Birth Control Trust) provides more women with the opportunity to thoughtfully choose the size and spacing of their family. This helps to prevent many untimely deaths of both mothers and babies and helps them improve their own quality of life. MSI and its partners continue to work throughout the world to enable people to have children by choice, not chance.