Utilizing All Health System Contacts to Offer Postpartum Family Planning (PPFP) in Ethiopia

Summary

This study is investigating whether use of postpartum family planning (PPFP) increases if messages on PPFP and, if desired, PPFP services are integrated into as many contacts as possible between women/couples and the health system during pregnancy and the first year after birth. Health system contacts may be at health facilities (including antenatal, labor and delivery, postnatal, and child immunization visits) or, with Ethiopia's Health Extension Program, at households or health posts in the community.

Conditions

• Contraceptive Usage
• Postpartum Family Planning
• Contraception
• Prenatal Care
• Pregnancy

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Health centers provide PPFP counseling and services

Providers trained on PPFP counseling skills and insertion technique for placing intrauterine devices (IUDs) immediately after birth with a refresher on insertion techniques for IUDs and implants. Training also included how to use tools to document PPFP services and referrals. Follow up supervision ensured skill mastery and retention.

BEHAVIORAL

HEWs provide PPFP counseling and services

HEWs trained in PPFP counseling with a refresher on implant insertion skills. Training also included how to use tools to document PPFP services, method choice, and pregnancy risk at every contact during pregnancy and up to 12 months after birth. Follow up supervision ensured skill improvement and retention.

BEHAVIORAL

Volunteers (Development Army) promote PPFP

HEWs orient volunteers on promoting PPFP and how to use a pictoral tool to remind women to access ANC, immunization, and PPFP services and to document women's method preferences and pregnancy risk at every contact during pregnancy and up to 12 months after birth.

BEHAVIORAL

Health centers conduct data reviews

Health center staff document PPFP counseling, provision, and referrals in registers and use a facility dashboard to display and track aggregate PPFP data.

BEHAVIORAL

HEWs and volunteers track PPFP

HEWs and volunteers track PPFP counseling, choice of method, receipt of methods, and pregnancy risk starting in pregnancy through 12 months postpartum. HEWs and volunteers meet and review data.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

  collaborator FED

• Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

  collaborator OTHER

• Jhpiego

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2017-02-20

Primary Completion

2018-05-30

Completion

2018-05-30

Countries

• Ethiopia