MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH/FAMILY PLANNING TRAINING AND RESEARCH CENTER, MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

THE CENTER PROVIDES RESEARCH & TRNG TO LDC PARTICIPANTS TO PROMOTE INTEGRATED MATERNAL & CHILD HLTH/FP SERVICES IN SELECTED AFR COUNTRIES. OTHER PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS INCLUDE VANDERBILT UNIV,FISK UNIV,TENN STATE UNIV,GEORGE PEABODY COLLEGE FOR TEACHERS,SCARRITT COLLEGE & THE FP TRNG INSTITUTE OF NASHVILLE. THE CENTER"S 23 MEMBER STAFF PROVIDED 420 MAN-MOS OF TRNG DURING 1971-74. THE TEACHING LOAD APPEARS LIGHT -- WITH 67,200 MAN-HRS AVAILABLE FOR 1200 CLASSROOM HRS. THE CENTER HAD DIFFICULTY IN KEEPING ITS STAFF BEYOND INITIAL TOURS & IN FINDING SUITABLE REPLACEMENTS. MEHARRY GAVE GREATER PRIORITY TO MATRNL CHILD HLTH & NUTRITION OVER FP IN BOTH TRNG & RESEARCH. RESEARCH STUDIES,ACADEMIC PAPERS,SPECIAL STUDIES & EVALS WERE NOT PRODUCED IN THE QUANTITY & QUALITY EXPECTED. MOST OF THE RESEARCH WAS LAB CENTERED WITH A LIMITED AMT OF FIELD WORK. WHILE THE DIRECTOR & OTHER STAFF MEMBERS VISITED AFR COUNTRIES & PARTICIPATED IN US CONFERENCES WITH AFR LEADERS, THE CENTER HAS NOT YET DEVLPED PURPOSEFUL NETWORKS WITH & AMONG LDC INSTITUTIONS. THE STAFF INCLUDED A PUBLIC HLTH NURSE & A NURSE-MIDWIFE. 206 NURSE-MIDWIVES WERE TRND FROM 1/72-75. KENYAN PARTI CIPANTS WERE ASSIGNED NIGHT DUTY ON THE MATERNITY WARD AS PART OF THEIR CLINICAL TRNG--WHICH WAS NOT ONLY UNSUPERVISED,BUT USELESS FOR CONTRACEPTIVE/FP TRNG. AS A RESULT, KENYAN MOH PERSONNEL,IPPF STAFF & OTHER FIELD FP STAFF DID NOT ENCOURAGE MEHARRY TRNG. ALSO SUPERVISORS OF FORMER MEHARRY TRAINEES IN BOTSWANA & SWAZILAND FELT THAT THEIR TRAINEES RECIEVED TOO MUCH THEORY & NOT ENOUGH CLINICAL PRACTICE. VERY FEW ON THE MEHARRY STAFF HAD FP EXPERIENCE. REPORT RECOMMENDS THA T THE CENTER CONTINUE WITH NUTRITION/MCH AS ITS MAJOR FOCUS & THAT THE FP INSTITUTION-BUILDING GRANT BE PHASED OUT. REPORT NOTES THAT GREATER USE SHOULD BE MADE OF EXIXTING STAFF RATHER THAN HIRING CONSULTANTS. ALSO GREATER EMPHASIS SHOULD BE PLACED ON TRNG NURSES AND ADDITIONAL NURSE-TUTORS SHOULD BE HIRED.