PES- POPULATION AND FAMILY PLANNING

SUB-PROJ PURPOSE IS TO MAKE CCONTRACEPTS AVAILABLE THROUGH GOVT OF GUATEMALA HEALTH FACILITIES. EVALUATION, DESIGNED TO INVESTIGATE THE STATUS OF THE DIRECT DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM AT THE CLINIC LEVEL,WAS CONDUCTED THROUGH A FIELD SURVEY OF A 10% STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLE OF MOH HEALTH CENTERS AND POSTS PARTICIPATING IN THE DDP. SURVEY ESTABLISHED THAT 26% OF THE EVALUATED FACILITIES HAVE SPECIAL HOURS PROGRAMMED DURING WHICH FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES ARE PROVIDED. A HIGHER PORTION OF DDP-SUPPLIED FACILITIES THAN WAREHOUSES-SUPPLIED FACILITIES HAVE SUCH SPECIAL HOURS. THE FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES OFFFERED IN MOST OF THE FACILITIES ARE ONTRACEPTIVE RESUPPLY AND INFORMATION. 49% OF THE HEALTH FACILITIES PROVIDED NO FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES BEFORE THE INITIATION OF THE DDP. DDP-SUPPLIED HEALTH FACILITIES MAINTAIN HIGHER STOCK LEVELS FOR EACH TYPE OF CONTRACEPTIVE THAN DO MOH WAREHOUSE-SUPPLIED FACILITIES. THE DDP IS SEEN AS ACHIEVENG ITS OBJECTIVE OF SUPPLYING CONTRACEPTIVES TO MOH CLINICS. SERIOUS DEFICIENCIES ARE NOTED, HOWEVER, IN RECORD-KEEPING AT DDP-SUPPLIED FACILITIES. 1/3 OF THE FACILITIES RECEIEVING DDP SUPPLIES HAVE NOT BEEN SUBMITTING MONTHLY REPORTS. INVENTORY OF CONTRACEPTIVE SUPPLY HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF FUNDS GENERATED BY CONTRACEPTIVE SALES HAS BEEN UNSATISFACTORY. STATISTICS ON CONTRACEPTIVE ACCEPTANCE ARE CONSIDERED QUESTIONABLE. FAULTY RECORD-KEEPING IS AFFECTING THE GUAGING OF PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS. IT WAS LEARNED THAT IT IS ADVISABLE TO LIMIT PROGRAM EXPANSION UNTIL CONSOLIDATION OF PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION IN THE INITIAL PROJECT AREA HAS BEEN EFFECTED. IN THIS CASE, LACK OF ADEQUATE RECORD-KEEPING AND THE RESULTANT PROBABILITY OF INADEQUATE INVENTORY LEVEL MAINTENANCE COULD CAUSE PROGRAM EXPANSION TO BE COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE. RECOMMENDS UPGRADING OF LOGISTIC SUPPORT WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE REPORTING SYSTEM BEFORE EXPANDING THE PROGRAM BASE.