Improvement of reproductive health (RH) status in project areas and expanded areas of Myanmar

Project Purposes

•  Increased utilization of quality RH services in project areas.
•  Application of best practices and approaches identified from the project to RH programs in Myanmar

Implementing Agency

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
(JOICFP has been entrusted by JICA to promote the project activities in the project areas in Myanmar. )

Project Period

February 2005�EJanuary 2010

Counterpart

Department of Health (DOH), Ministry of Health ,Union of Myanmar

Activities

The project conducts the following activities in order to achieve the increased utilization of reproductive health and safe motherhood services by community people, especially women of reproductive age, in rural areas.

1) Improved quality of reproductive health services
The project aims first of all to improve the quality of RH/safe motherhood services in the project areas through the provision of training for the government’s basic health staff (especially midwives), renovation of health centers, and provision of basic medical equipment. In addition, the project introduced the system of “maternal and child health promoters,” who are female volunteers working for the promotion of MCH activities at the grass- roots level under the close supervision of midwives.

2) Improvement of community people’s knowledge and awareness of reproductive health
The project also aims to strengthen community awareness and knowledge of reproductive health, which will lead to increased access to RH services by community people. Through the new development and revision of educational materials, the holding of participatory health education sessions, and the provision of “home-based maternal records” and “clean delivery kits,” community people, especially women of reproductive age, are expected to gain improved knowledge and good awareness of RH issues.

3) Establishment of model approaches for “community-oriented reproductive health”
The project will create a favorable environment for the promotion of RH/safe motherhood by community-driven or “community-oriented” approaches, in which all stakeholders, such as community leaders, government health staff, and MCH promoters, are voluntarily involved. Good practices, such as the active participation of community leaders in emergency referral from village to hospital, have already been identified in project areas.