Nepal Family Health Program

• Press Release
• Radio Health Program

Press Release : April 15, 2002

LAUNCH OF THE NEPAL FAMILY HEALTH PROGRAM

Nepal Family Health Program (NFHP) was formally launched on April 15, 2002, at Hotel Himalaya.

More than one hundred representatives from the Department of Health Services, Ministry of Health, INGOs, NGOs, media, and donor agencies attended.

The program focuses on reducing fertility and protecting family health. It supports His Majesty's Government's (HMG) long-term goal of reducing fertility and under-5 mortality within the context of the current HMG National Health Policy and Second Long-Term Health Plan 1997-2017. Activities will include increased use of quality family planning services and selected maternal and child health services at various health delivery system levels. Special emphasis will be on services at household and community levels. To maximize the long-term impact, technical assistance and activities will be planned and implemented in close collaboration with the MOH, its Divisions, Centers, District Health Offices and District Public Health Offices.

NFHP will ensure a basic package of FP/MCH services is available at each level of the health care system, particularly the community level. It will strive to: 1) Improve the quality of FP/MCH services provided by health facilities and community health workers and 2) Improve sustainability of FP/MCH services by increasing support to FCHVs by local management committees.

Community and District activities will focus on 17 high population core program districts: Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Siraha, Mahottari, Dhanusha, Rautahat, Bara, Parsa, Chitwan, Rasuwa, Nawalparasi, Banke, Bardiya, Kailali, Kanchanpur and Bajura. Receiving limited technical assistance will be: Saptari, Sarlahi, Makwanpur, Bhaktapur, Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Gorkha, Kaski, Rupandehi, and Dang.

National level activities will be : 1) facilitate employment of a standard package of family planning services at all HMG health facilities, 2) sustain the dramatic impact of the National Vitamin A program, 3) expand the Community Based-Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (CB-IMCI) program, 4) support the FCHV program through NFHP field offices and other program inputs, 5) maintain a close working relationship with the Safe Motherhood Program, 6) strengthen the integrated health logistics system, 7) work with national institutions to improve pre-and in-service health training, 8) implement a national behavior change strategy to improve the quality of family planning, maternal and child health services, 9) expand implementation of a quality assurance program to better monitor and supervise integrated services at district and community levels.

The Cooperative Agreement for NFHP, the new five-year bilateral activity of United States Agency for International Development, Nepal (USAID/N), is awarded to John Snow Research and Training Institute, Inc. (JSI) with co-management by EngenderHealth. The Program will be implemented by JSI, EngenderHealth, Johns Hopkins University/Center for Communication Program (JHU/CCP) and Johns Hopkins University Program in International Education on Reproductive Health (JHPIEGO). Collaborating partners are Nepal Fertility Care Center (NFCC), Nepali Technical Assistance Group (NTAG), Management Support Services (MASS), CARE, SCF/US, and ADRA. Cooperating partners include Peace Corps, World Education, Inc., Family Health International, and the District Health Strengthening Project.

The Kathmandu NFHP office is in Sanepa and Field Offices are established in Biratnagar, Hetauda, Pokhara, Nepalgunj, and Dhangadhi.

Radio Health Program

Launched in March 2004, the 52-episode Radio Health Program (RHP) Distance Education (DE) Sewa Nai Dharma Ho ('Service is Religion') for Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) and the 52-episode Drama Serial (DS) Gyan Nai Shakti Ho ('Knowledge is Power') for the general public aims to promote key behaviors related to Family Planning and Maternal Health in Nepal. The programs were designed, written and produced under the management of the Behavior Change Communication (BCC) Team in close coordination with National Health Education Information and Communication Center (NHEICC) District Health and Public Health Offices (DHOs/DPHOs), Nepal Family Health Program (NFHP). Save the Children/US, CARE and NGO partners.

• Aired 8 informational radio spots on permanent family planning methods in 4 languages (Nepal, Maithali, Tharu and Bhojpuri languages) and regionally aired.
• Disseminated RHP Distance Education support materials (illustrated reference manual, flip chart and posters for FCHVs in close coordination with NHEICC, DPHO/DHO, and NFHP. Distributed the RHP support materials, radios and batteries to 3919 FCHVs.
• The nationwide appeal of the RHP is evidenced by the response from listeners. In the first six months, received 1876 letters.
• A special of 'Our Talk' Listeners forum magazine has been distributed to all FCHVs in 17 districts.
• Distributed umbrellas as prizes to 287 radio contest winners.
• A 15-minute documentary on FCHVs was produced and aired in the Terai Region on October 1, 2004, 'National FCHV Day'.

On December 25, 2003, launched the rebroadcast of the popular 52-episode Radio Communication Project (RCP) radio distance education serial Sewa Gare Mewa Painchha ('Service Brings Reward') designed to strengthen the knowledge, skills and attitude of frontline facility-based health workers. (for more on Service Brings Reward see http://www.jhuccp.org/asia/nepal/radio). The program is supplemented by a technical resource material for health workers. In 2003, 365 radios and 1259 support packages were distributed to all Health Facilities and associated health workers in Jhapa, Morang, Parsa, Nawalparasi, Banke and Rasuwa Districts.

• Broadcast seven new programs focussing on providing comprehensive knowledge of modern contraceptive methods and increasing informed choice.
• The RCP Drama Serial Ghanti Heri Haad Nilaun ('Cut your Coat According to your Cloth') ended its sixth year of broadcast and accompanying Radio Listerners Groups among Tharu in November 2003.
• Re-broadcast both the distance education programs for health workers and drama serial programs for the general population with support from Digital Radio Broadcasting Initiative.

Increasing the impact of radio through Radio Listeners Groups

A network of community-based radio listeners groups (RLGs) has been established through locally based NGOs. in Siraha, Dhanusha and Mahottari districts. During the RLGs, trained facilitators gather women to listen to the weekly radio program and discuss health issues. RLGs are in three districts with a total of 3,810 participants attending the 135 groups.

Click here to see a video with a FCHV talk about her experience with Radio Listeners Groups: Quicktime | Windows Media Player

• Built capacity of NGOs and provided a solid base of trained local facilitators in the community. These community-based facilitators, 40% of whom are FCHVs now link the community with the local health facilities, reinforce messages and provide an enabling environment to community members to support them in behavior change.
• Developed a support package for low literate, including reference manual for FCHVs and comic book style work book for radio listeners groups.
• Conducted participatory planning activities and street theater to promote district and community ownership for the RLGs. The street theater was used to introduce the principle characters of the story, and plot and to attract the community into listening regularly to the radio drama.

Maternal Health Promotion

Finalized a job-aid Active Management of Third Stage of Labor for refresher-trained MCHWs. The job aid was developed under Maternal and Neonatal Health Program (see http://www.jhuccp.org/asia/nepal/maternal.shtml) printed 1,800 copies in Nepali for distribution and coordinated with National Health Training Center (NHTC) in 33 districts.

• Developed a job aid orientation guideline for dissemination of 'Active Management of Third Stage of Labor' which being integrated by NHTC into the refresher training fir MCHWs and other programs.
• Provided Safe Motherhood BCC materials to 17 Program Districts, GTZ, SDC and Community Action Nepal, including laminated Danger Signs posters and billboards.
• Supported NHEICC to broadcast Aashal Logne 'The Good Husband', a 3-episode teledrama promoting husband and mother-in-law's role in preventing maternal mortality, on Nepal Television (national) on Safe Motherhood Day. Also, Aashal Logne will broadcast on Chitewan Local broadcast TV to audience of 150,000.

Capacity Building Activities

• Trained newly-appointed medical officers in BCC materials management.
• Conducted the Advances in Health Communication and Advocacy Workshop in March, 2004 and 30 participants representing MOH, NFHP staff, NFHP partners, NGOs/INGOs IOM and private organizations. The purpose of the workshop was to build the capacity of the participants in designing and implementing effective health communication programs for social change.
• Provided technical assistance to NHEICC in developing their Annual Plan of Action, 2004-2005.
• Participated in and co-facilitated an Anti Tobacco message and materials development workshop organized by NHEICC.

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