This is a mixed methods process evaluation of a programmatic intervention to integrate family planning and immunization services at health facilities and through outreach services in Dowa and Ntchisi districts of Malawi. The study involved qualitative methods (in depth interviews and focus group discussions with service providers, mothers and fathers of infants \<1 year, and supervisors and program managers) as well as secondary analysis of service statistics for family planning and immunization services and of supervision reports.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
43
The approach involved integration of services through health surveillance assistant (HSA) outreach as well as through the health facility platform. The HSAs provided door to door FP services in their designated communities as well as provided integrated FP and Immunisation services at village clinics and outreach sessions. At outreach sessions, mothers were offered both routine infant immunization and family planning services (pills, condoms, injectables plus referrals for other methods). At health facilities, mothers who sought routine infant immunization services were offered same-day family planning services and those who seek family planning services are also screened for infant immunization schedule completion / need for infant immunization services. HSAs and health facility providers were trained on FP-immunization service integration and were monitored through regular supportive supervision visits.
Number of modern family planning users
Time frame: June 2016 through September 2017 (we also collected pre-intervention data from January to May 2016)
Number of Penta 1 doses administered
Time frame: June 2016 through September 2017 (we also collected pre-intervention data from January to May 2016)
Number of Penta 3 doses administered
Time frame: June 2016 through September 2017 (we also collected pre-intervention data from January to May 2016)
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