Lauren VanEnk of the Institute for Reproductive Health discusses the partnership with the Christian Health Association of Kenya enabling community health workers to play a larger role in delivering family planning.

1. Revitalizing family planning in
Christian Health Associations
through community health
workers and religious leaders
Lauren VanEnk, MPH
Institute for Reproductive Health
Georgetown University

2. Reach of CHAs across Africa

3. CHAK’s dream:
• That family planning (FP) education and options
will become easily accessible through a
community-based distribution system
• That FP will cease to be restricted to hospitals
where it is offered as medical treatment but
instead will be transformed into an opportunity
for Family Centered Health Care
• That FP will become a right for every woman
and family
- Dr. Samuel Mwenda, Director of
CHAK and ACHA Platform

4. Mobilizing FBOs to expand access
to and choice in FP
Donor
World Bank
Christian
Partners
Christian
Institute for Connections
Health
Reproductive for
Association of
Health (IRH) International
Kenya (CHAK)
Health (CCIH)
Strengthen the capacity of Christian Health Associations to
Goal
improve access to FP information and services, emphasizing
opportunities for regional scale-up.

5. Project Objectives
1. Strengthen FP service delivery
– TOT for master trainers
– Facility-based Trainings
– Community-based Trainings
2. Sensitize Religious Leaders
– Develop IEC materials for FBO context
– Informational workshops for pastors
3. Strengthen reporting process
– Develop CHW reporting tools
– Ensure supportive supervision provided to CHWs
4. Develop capacity building strategy for regional
implementation
– Introduce project at regional conference in Ghana
– Disseminate model at an end of project workshop

6. Pilot introduction of community-
based FP through CHAK facilities
• 67 community health workers (CHWs)
trained to provide FP information and
methods
• CHWs distributed pills, condoms,
Standard Days Method® (SDM)/
CycleBeads®, Lactational Amenorrhea
Method (LAM), referrals to facility for all
other methods
• SDM was introduced for the first time as
a new method, bringing new users to FP

7. Capacity Building Strategy
components
Establish Create a Ongoing
Establish Supportive
Training Reporting Supervision
5
Supply Chain Environment
Mechanism of CHWs
Capacity Building Strategy
In order for project This capacity building strategy Project managers/ To create a CHWs attend
to be successful, relies on a training curriculum supervisors must supportive supervision visits
CHWs must have for CHWs based on the WHO ensure CHWs are able environment for FP monthly to submit
access to FP flipchart for FP provision. to complete FP reports. provision at the reporting forms,
supplies. community level, a receive resupplies
Activities
Supervisors are equipped to It is equally important one-day workshop of FP commodities
provide this training as well as that facilities readily with pastors is (if possible), and
ongoing supervision to CHWs. receive CHW reports conducted. receive support and
and record them in refresher
their service statistics. Pastors create action instruction on
plans detailing how knowledge gaps.
they will use this
information with
their congregations.
• CHW Curriculum • Reporting forms • Bible Study guide • Supervision
• Presentations, including • WHO flipchart for checklist
• Knowledge
Tools
HTSP FP provision
• WHO flipchart for FP • HTSP Improvement
provision presentation Tool
• Client cards

8. Establish Supply Chain
Must Haves:
• Pills, condoms, and
CycleBeads at the
community level
• Stakeholder
involvement

9. Training
Must Haves: Tools:
• Work with existing • CHW Curriculum
cadre of CHWs • Presentations, including
HTSP
• WHO flipchart for FP
provision
• Client cards

10. Establish Reporting
Mechanism
Must Haves: Tools:
• Tested reporting forms • Reporting forms
• Facility staff
understands their role
• MOH buy-in

11. Create a Supportive
Environment
Must Haves: Tools:
• Pastors willing to share • Bible study guide
health information with • WHO flipchart for FP
their congregations provision
• HTSP presentation

12. Ongoing Supervision of
CHWs
Must Haves: Tools:
• Stakeholder • Supervision checklist
involvement • Knowledge
• Incentive for CHWs Improvement Tool
• Capable supervisors
equipped to support
CHWs

13. Capacity Building Strategy
components
Establish Create a Ongoing
Establish Supportive
Training Reporting Supervision
5
Supply Chain Environment
Mechanism of CHWs
Capacity Building Strategy
In order for project This capacity building strategy Project managers/ To create a CHWs attend
to be successful, relies on a training curriculum supervisors must supportive supervision visits
CHWs must have for CHWs based on the WHO ensure CHWs are able environment for FP monthly to submit
access to FP flipchart for FP provision. to complete FP reports. provision at the reporting forms,
supplies. community level, a receive resupplies
Activities
Supervisors are equipped to It is equally important one-day workshop of FP commodities
provide this training as well as that facilities readily with pastors is (if possible), and
ongoing supervision to CHWs. receive CHW reports conducted. receive support and
and record them in refresher
their service statistics. Pastors create action instruction on
plans detailing how knowledge gaps.
they will use this
information with
their congregations.
• CHW Curriculum • Reporting forms • Bible Study guide • Supervision
• Presentations, including • WHO flipchart for checklist
• Knowledge
Tools
HTSP FP provision
• WHO flipchart for FP • HTSP Improvement
provision presentation Tool
• Client cards

14. Change in Pill Use and
SDM/CycleBeads Use Pre and Post
Community-based FP Provision
3500 350
3000 300
2500 250
2000 200
Jan-Feb
1500 150 2011
100 Jan-Feb
1000
2012
500 50
0 0
Pills dispersed CycleBeads
dispersed
Statistics from Chogoria Presbyterian Hospital

15. Changes in Injectable, IUD, and
Implant Use Pre and Post
Community-based FP Provision
1300 25 20
1250 20
15
1200
15
1150 10
10
1100 5
1050 5
0
1000 0
Implants
Injectables IUDs dispersed
dispersed
dispersed
Statistics from Chogoria Presbyterian Hospital

16. Lessons Learned
• No Product, No Program
• Lay the ground work:
advocacy and stakeholder
involvement is crucial
• Expanding the method mix
at the community level can
increase method use and
bring new users to FP

17. Thank you!

18. CHAK FP Supply Chain