Reaching out to rural women in the Philippines
A new MSI strategy to reduce high fertility rates in the Philippines has produced a 500% increase in the use of intrauterine devices (IUDs) over two years.
MSI Partner, Population Services Pilipinas (PSP) enlisted more than 70 IUD workers to deliver IUDs directly to women in rural areas, where unmet need is greatest. PSP’s approach has helped to increase and sustain access to this proven and effective contraceptive method, bringing about a five-fold increase in just two years. The number of women accessing the IUD services grew from 10,700 in 2005 to over 56,000 in 2007.
PSP outreach teams contacted rural village governing councils and local health committees in advance to spread the word of MSI’s arrival and the service options available. The teams also demedicalised the delivery of the service, using nurses and midwives and MSI trained professionals to make it less threatening to the villagers.
Consistent high-quality treatment was ensured through the use of an IUD Outreach Kit, which provided standardised equipment, such as sterilised instruments and antibiotics.
Discontinuation of the method by women has been avoided by post-insertion follow up, including complication management and regular scheduled visits and mobile phone communication with village contacts.
As the project expands, there is significant potential to make an impact on contraceptive prevalence rates across the whole of the Philippines, ensuring accessibility to contraceptive services for those communities most in need.