Abstract
A global resurgence of interest in the intrauterine device (IUD) as an effective long-acting reversible contraceptive and in improving access to a wide range of contraceptive methods, as well as an emphasis on encouraging women to give birth in health care facilities, has led programs to introduce postpartum IUD (PPIUD) services into postpartum family planning (PPFP) programs. We describe strategic, organizational, and technical elements that contributed to early successes of a regional initiative in West and Central Africa to train antenatal, maternity, and postnatal care providers in PPFP counseling for the full range of available methods and in PPIUD service delivery. In November 2013, the initiative provided competency-based training in Guinea for providers from the main public teaching hospital in 5 selected countries (Benin, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Niger, and Senegal) with no prior PPFP counseling or PPIUD capacity. The training was followed by a transfer-of-learning visit and monitoring to support the trained providers. One additional country, Togo, replicated the initiative's model in 2014. Although nascent, this initiative has introduced high-quality PPFP and PPIUD services to the region, where less than 1% of married women of reproductive age use the IUD. In total, 21 providers were trained in PPFP counseling, 18 of whom were also trained in PPIUD insertion. From 2014 to 2015, more than 15,000 women were counseled about PPFP, and 2,269 women chose and received the PPIUD in Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Niger, Senegal, and Togo. (Introduction of PPIUD services in Chad has been delayed.) South-South collaboration has been central to the initiative's accomplishments: Guinea's clinical centers of excellence and qualified trainers provided a culturally resonant example of a PPFP/PPIUD program, and trainings are creating a network of regional trainers to facilitate expansion. Two of the selected countries (Benin and Niger) have expanded their PPFP/PPUID training programs to additional sites. Inspired after learning about the initiative at a regional meeting, Togo has outperformed the original countries involved in the initiative by training more providers than the other countries. Challenges to scale-up include a lack of formal channels for reporting PPFP and PPIUD service delivery outcomes, inconsistent coordination of services across the reproductive health continuum of care, and slow uptake in some countries. Continued success will rely on careful recordkeeping, regular monitoring and feedback, and strategic data use to advocate scale-up.
Highlights
I n low-income countries, increasing emphasis on antenatal care (ANC) and childbirth in a health care facility has created an opportunity to S140Increasing Use of the postpartum intrauterine device (IUD) (PPIUD) in West and Central Africa www.ghspjournal.org counsel women about family planning
We describe the process of developing and implementing a regional initiative using competency-based training to introduce postpartum family planning (PPFP) and PPIUD services in selected public teaching hospitals in francophone West and Central Africa
During the initial round of training, 21 providers from the 5 countries were instructed in PPFP counseling, 18 of whom were trained in PPIUD insertion
Summary
I n low-income countries, increasing emphasis on antenatal care (ANC) and childbirth in a health care facility (institutional delivery) has created an opportunity to. PPIUDs make up a small share of the method mix in sub-Saharan Africa,[13] but West and Central African countries are investing in efforts to broaden the contraceptive method mix and increase low contraceptive prevalence rates.[14] Successful PPFP and PPIUD interventions have focused capacitybuilding efforts on providers of ANC and labor and delivery care at high-volume maternity units with a strong record of infection prevention and counseling.[8] Evidence from India, Kenya, and Zambia shows that nonphysicians perform PPIUD insertions as well as physicians, with similar. West and Central African region, Jhpiego subse- providers of ANC quently submitted a concept note to the regional and labor and UNFPA technical director proposing an initiative delivery at highto facilitate scale-up of PPFP/PPIUD services to volume maternity integrate family planning and maternal health units with a strong services at the facility level. Interested parties record of infection continued to consolidate support for a regional prevention and PPFP/PPIUD initiative, including giving a presentation counseling
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