Mayer Hashi Family Planning Project (MH-II) Quarterly Report

The project aims to advance the use of reproductive health and family planning services, with a focus on informed and voluntary use of long-acting reversible contraception and permanent methods. MH-II provides in-country capacity development to strengthen reproductive health service delivery by supporting Bangladesh's national family planning and maternal health programs. During the reporting period of quarter three (Q3) of project year 2 (PY2), which is April 1, 2015 – June 30, 2015, MH-II continued its collaboration with the Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP) and Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), Government of Bangladesh (GOB). The project also formed new partnerships and consolidated and strengthened existing partnerships with various nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), international, national, and local, and private sector entities to provide quality family planning and reproductive health services. The couples year of protection (CYP) benchmark for PY2 is 3,734,491, of which 997,093 (27%) was achieved in Q3, higher than the expected 25%. This slightly higher rate of CYP achieved during this quarter is the result of increased uptake of implants and intra-uterine devices (IUDs). The uptake of these two long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods has increased consistently throughout PY2, with IUD uptake rising from 36% in Q1 to 46% in Q2 and to 62% in Q3. A similar trend has been observed for implant uptake, which rose from 21% in Q1 to 31% in Q2 to 34% in Q3. MH-II's performance for the provision of postpartum family planning (PPFP) methods within 48 hours of giving birth was well below the project's expected level of achievement of 25% per quarter. During the reporting period in the MH-II supported sites, there were 8,810 deliveries, of which 1,219 adopted a method, which is only 14% of the PY2 target. PPFP services were initiated in 154 facilities, an improvement between Q1 and Q2. The MH-II PY2 benchmark is to provide training of the trainers (TOT), on-the-job training (OJT), orientation, and/or mentoring on LARC and PMs to 13,484 providers. Of these, MH-II was able to reach 4,137 providers in Q3 (3,112 women, which is 75%, and 1,025 men, 25%), exceeding project expectations for the quarter (31% of the PY2 target). As a result of MH-II training, the sub-grantees (including BRAC, Shushilan, and Young People in Social Action [YPSA]), other local NGO Field Coordinators and workers increased their effort on informed choice and voluntarism (ICV), demand generation, and client referrals and mobilization for LARC/PM services. Provider performance was assessed during follow-up visits using a checklist developed by MH-II Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) staff. Twenty-nine clinical service providers were randomly followed up during the reporting period, and their performance was evaluated based on the checklist. The results of the assessment will be used to improve the quality of family planning service provision and to identify areas for further training and support. The project's performance for the provision of LARC and PM services was also evaluated during the reporting period. RTM provided 12,290 LARC and PM services and 110 injectable services in Q3 of PY2. LARC and PM services provided were as follows: 1,745 male sterilizations, 1,252 female sterilizations, 661 intra-uterine devices (IUDs), and 8,632 implants. In Q3, RTM's contribution was lower than in Q2 (39% in Q3 vs. 76% in Q2). In Q3, RTM was engaged in improving the quality of family planning service provision and paid increased attention to quality service delivery by re-assessing service provision modalities in consultation with MH-II.