Integrating reproductive and child health services enables access to modern contraception in Sierra Leone

Ami S. Koroma, Sonya K. Ghatahora, Mariama Ellie, Anita Kargbo, Umu H. Jalloh, Abdulai Kandeh, Henry Alieu, Mariama Bah, Hamid Turay, Mustapha Sonnie, Santigie Sesay, Mary H. Hodges and David Doledec

International Journal of Health Planning and Management, 2019, vol. 34, issue 2, 701-713

Abstract: Background From mid‐2015, reproductive and child health interventions were integrated into a routine 6‐month contact point: vitamin A supplementation, nutrition counseling with the mother's participation in the preparation of a complementary food, and confidential family planning counseling with provision of modern forms of contraceptives. By mid‐2017, these services had reached 28% of health facilities nationwide. Objective To evaluate awareness and uptake of modern contraception and complementary feeding practices. Methods All health facilities were visited, and the health worker “in‐charge” were interviewed to ascertain their training status and supply chains. Within each catchment, community mothers of children 6 to 23 months of age were interviewed. Results Interviews were conducted with 321 “in‐charges” and 670 mothers. Advantages and different types of contraception were understood by 99.0% of mothers, and 52.7% reported they were utilizing depot injections, hormonal implants, or oral contraceptive pills (45.1%, 34.6%, and 20.6% of users, respectively). Uptake was higher among Christians (62.1%) versus Muslims (48.6%) and among those with secondary/tertiary (61.5%) or primary education (60.5%) versus no education (43.3%) (P

Date: 2019
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