The model of promotion of using services on maternal care and family planning in Nam Dong district, Thua Thien-Hue province

ABSTRACT

Introduction: This action research aimed to make a context-specific and gender-sensitive interventions. Intervention activities was participatory to decrease the barriers to the use of maternal care and family planning (MCFP) services by the disadvantaged Kinh people and Catu ethnic minority people in the mountainous area of Nam Dong District in Central Vietnam. Intervention also aimed to improve communal MCFP services prioritized to training effective communication skills for communal health centers' staff and village health workers. Methods: 2 surveys were conducted before and after intervention among 7 poor communes using a random sample of total 840 mothers with at least one child under the age of 5 years. These data were supplemented by interviews with key informants, focus group discussions and observations. Statistical tests and measurement of effective index (EI) were used in data analysis. Results: - Women having ANC and delivery at local MCFP service were increasing 97.6% and 50% in year 2005 as compared with 86.9% and 31% respectively in year 2003. Midwives paid much attention to non-verbal communication as well as to counseling using demonstrative pictures. - There were a clear evidence of significantly increasing the mother's knowledge of MCFP such as local MCFP service availability, benefit of ANC (p=3 times was significantly increasing (EI=11.98%, p<0.01). - The percentage of mothers who delivered at home was slow down to 19.4% as compared with before intervention was 45.2% respectively (EI= 64.20%, p<0.001) Conclusion: Intervention model was considerably successful in using context-specific and gender sensitive approaches. It contributed to meeting an urgent need for the MCFP services to build both clinical capacity and health promotion activities in a way that is gender sensitive, knowledge on of traditional practices and accessible by both illiterate and minority language speaking people.