Research

Family Health International's (FHI) current work in Madagascar focuses on improving women's access to contraception and other reproductive health services, training community-based outreach workers, and updating family planning guidelines to align them with international standards. Our partners here include the Ministry of Health and Family Planning (MOHFP) and international and local nongovernmental organizations.

We are providing technical assistance to the MOHFP to reduce medical barriers women face when trying to receive contraception. For example, with our partners, we are training providers to use convenient, easy-to-use checklists on the provision of oral contraceptives and injectable contraceptives. These checklists help providers screen women for pregnancy or medical conditions that would make the use of certain contraceptives unsafe. Once providers understand the medical basis for the checklists and learn to use them in their practice, they can confidently provide contraception to women with no such conditions.

In collaboration with the MOHFP, FHI is testing a systematic screening approach to increase under-used reproductive health services in two regions in Madagascar.  This screening approach helps providers identify all services a client might need, rather than offering only the service that prompted the client to come to the clinic.

Selected Publications:

Research Brief: Female Condoms Improve Public Health in Madagascar (2007)