Indicators for reproductive health program evaluation : final report of the subcommittee on breastfeeding

This document presents the project"s report on indicators for breastfeeding. An initial section discusses the technical challenges of evaluating breastfeeding interventions and describes recent efforts to develop breastfeeding indicators. The main sections list key indicators, organized in terms of policy or output (program-based) indicators and outcome (population-level) indicators. Program indicators cover policy, quality of care, community-based counseling, training, family planning (FP), and IEC. Outcome indicators cover breastfeeding rates; breastfeeding duration, timing, and frequency; feeding strategies; FP; and WHO recommendations. Also included is a short list of primary indicators: (1) national breastfeeding policy and plan; (2) percentage of reproductive health/FP service providers trained to use FP service delivery protocols for breastfeeding women; (3) percentage of reproductive health/FP service providers who ascertain whether or not a woman is breastfeeding before providing contraceptive advice or methods; (4) percentage of reproductive health/FP service providers trained in breastfeeding counseling; (5) community-based counseling; (6) percentage of target audience exposed to IEC messages on breastfeeding; (7) continued breastfeeding at 24 months; (8) timely complementary feeding rate; and (9) contraception among nursing mothers. Includes references.