Family planning and health services

The project will support: FP activities of the Government of Bangladesh (BDG) and of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); social marketing of FP; and related MCH activities. The project will support BDG FP activities in six areas. (1) An information, education, and communication component will support audience research, message development, use of innovative media, communications training, materials dissemination, mobile audiovisual units and popular programs for rural illiterates, and workshops for BDG and civic leaders. (2) Under FP services, the project will reimburse costs of voluntary sterilization (VS), IUD"s, and eventually NORPLANT, and fund fieldworkers" transport costs to VS service sites. (3) The project will train 450 FP officials, including 300 trainers, from 60 districts, and in support of the BDG"s FP decentralization objectives, provide modest block grants to these districts. (4) A.I.D. will continue substantial commodity assistance (while seeking a second donor for the 1988-91 period) and will upgrade logistics (including development of a national FP commodities transport plan). (5) The project will construct a national FP headquarters. (6) It will also finance national contraceptive prevalence and mortality/fertility surveys; develop a system to monitor clinical services; strengthen the management information system of the Ministry of Health"s Population Service Statistics Cell and the Planning Commission"s population forecasting and development planning activities; and support research on contraceptive methods and service delivery, the International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research/B"s Extension Project, other operations research and diagnostic studies, and new BDG research, monitoring, and training activities. The project will also support: (1) Population Services International"s Social Marketing Project; (2) FP activities of 6 NGOs (FP Association of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Association for VS/Association for Voluntary Surgical Contraception, FP Services and Training Center, FP International Assistance, The Pathfinder Fund, The Asia Foundation), most of which provide community-based services; and (3) other MCH activities, including social marketing of oral rehydration therapy, a municipal immunization program, and a Training and Innovative MCH Activities Fund. Amendment of 8/31/89 adds $1 million (deobligated from A.I.D."s Burma program) to be used, in response to the 1988 flood, to partially fund construction of some 200 floodproof contraceptive/MCH supply storerooms at the upazila (district) level. (PD-CBE-040) Grant amendment of 9/20/92 extends PACD 35 months to 8/30/97, increases funding, and makes minor changes, including more emphasis on applied research, decentralization of BDG services, and sustainability, along with reductions in contraceptive procurement, construction, and lower-priority BDG activities. The increased focus on research should lay the groundwork for major improvements in sustainability. (PD-ABI-273)