Abstract
To address low contraceptive use in Tanzania, a pilot intervention using a mobile job aid was developed to guide community health workers (CHWs) to deliver integrated counseling on family planning, HIV, and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In this article, we describe the process of developing the family planning algorithms and implementation of the mobile job aid, discuss how the job aid supported collection of real-time data for decision making, and present the cost of the overall system based on an evaluation of the pilot. The family planning algorithm was developed, beginning in June 2011, in partnership with the Tanzania Ministry of Health and Social Welfare based on a combination of evidence-based tools such as the Balanced Counseling Strategy Plus Toolkit. The pilot intervention and study was implemented with 25 CHWs in 3 wards in Ilala district in Dar es Salaam between January 2013 and July 2013. A total of 710 family planning users (455 continuing users and 255 new users) were registered and counseled using the mobile job aid over the 6-month intervention period. All users were screened for current pregnancy, questioned on partner support for contraceptive use, counseled on a range of contraceptives, and screened for HIV/STI risk. Most new and continuing family planning users chose pills and male condoms (59% and 73%, respectively). Pills and condoms were provided by the CHW at the community level. Referrals were made to the health facility for pregnancy confirmation, injectable contraceptives, long-acting reversible contraceptives and HIV/STI testing. Follow-up visits with clients were planned to confirm completion of the health facility referral. The financial cost of implementing this intervention with 25 CHWs and 3 supervisors are estimated to be US$26,000 for the first year. For subsequent years, the financial costs are estimated to be 73% lower at $7,100. Challenges such as limited client follow-up by CHWs and use of data by supervisors identified during the pilot are currently being addressed during the scale-up phase by developing accountability and incentive mechanisms for CHWs and dashboards for data access and use.
Highlights
Global Health: Science and Practice 2016 | Volume 4 | Number 2 unwanted or high-risk pregnancies, reducing the need for abortions, and preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS, leading to a reduction in maternal and child deaths.[1,2] One critical determinant of adoption and continuation of contraceptives is overall client satisfaction with family planning services.[3]
Evidence suggests that integration of family planning services with maternal health care and HIV/AIDS services is feasible and can result in overall improvements in contraceptive use as well as in antiretroviral therapy initiation in pregnancy, HIV testing, and quality of services.[5]
We developed the mobile job aid and implemented the study to evaluate its effectiveness in close collaboration with the Tanzania Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW) at the national and district levels
Summary
Global Health: Science and Practice 2016 | Volume 4 | Number 2 unwanted or high-risk pregnancies, reducing the need for abortions, and preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS, leading to a reduction in maternal and child deaths.[1,2] One critical determinant of adoption and continuation of contraceptives is overall client satisfaction with family planning services.[3] provision of good-quality contraceptive services is vital to reducing unmet need for family planning. Mobile Job Aid for CHWs in Tanzania www.ghspjournal.org family planning programs can bring quality contraceptive information and products to families in their communities, rather than requiring them to visit a health facility, thereby facilitating access to family planning services.[4] evidence suggests that integration of family planning services with maternal health care and HIV/AIDS services is feasible and can result in overall improvements in contraceptive use as well as in antiretroviral therapy initiation in pregnancy, HIV testing, and quality of services.[5]
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