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Stronger Voices for Reproductive Health
is a UN coalition
project supported by UNICEF, WHO, ILO-step, led by UNFPA. The project
uses an innovative approach focusing on the needs of the healthcare users.
It encourages both users and providers to collaborate in order to improve
the quality of reproductive and sexual healthcare services.
Situation analysis - Healthcare in
reform
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The post-Soviet changes in the Kyrgyz healthcare
system have put pressure on both healthcare users and providers.
In the field of reproductive health, t he current institutional
framework of protection is not used to its full extent.
On the one hand, this may be explained by the problems with the
health protection system (inadequate funding, reforms, etc). Medical
professionals themselves believe that infrastructure of their institutions
is inadequate. They complain about poor facilities, lack of medicines,
the loss of qualified professionals and lack of possibilities to
upgrade professional qualification. |
On the other hand, people themselves fail to actively engage in the changes
taking place in the health system. They show no interest in the new system
of medical services, fail to get social security certificates, are unaware
of their rights and of the advantages of mandatory medical insurance.
There are also serious gaps in the field of sexual and reproductive health
protection, related to absence of information on reproductive health.
A survey in pilot villages
| Reduction of access and quality
of sexual and reproductive health care was identified by healthcare
users as a pressing issue in their villages. The following concerns
were mentioned: |
| • Cessation of preventive checks
of children for evaluation health and determining of available disease;
• Poor equipping of field obstetric points with contraceptives
and medicine;
• People do not understand the role of Field General
Practitioners;
• People face difficulties in getting consultation of
specialists; people do not have financial means for organizing trip
consultations with specialists;
• Lack of transportation for transferring women in case
of birth difficulties;
• Lack of drug stores on locations;
• No access to anonymous consultations. |
| (The study
was held by UNFPA on 12-19 March 2003 in villages of Tup rayon,
Issyk-Kul oblast) |
On the ground, UNFPA is.
. empowering healthcare users, through:
- Information materials and trainings on healthcare issues
- Creation or strengthening of community-based groups discussing healthcare
issues
. strengthening the capacity of healthcare
providers, through:
- Trainings on client-centered approaches
- Supply of up-to-date medical information
- Procurement of medical equipment
. creating linkages between healthcare
users and providers, through:
- Organization of roundtables and community activities to build dialogue
on the needs and the possibilities of healthcare
- Facilitation of a constant dialogue between healthcare providers and
community organizations
In Focus: "Stepping Stones", Kyrgyz
version
Stepping Stones is a training methodology on community-mobilisation
and sexual and reproductive health developed by ActionAid, an international
non-governmental organization. In various African countries, as well as
in India , the training was successful in bringing together communities
for them to discuss health problems.
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UNFPA supported the introduction of the training
in Kyrgyzstan . Trainers from various regions of the country were
brought together to get familiar with the Stepping Stones methodology.
They discovered that Stepping Stones is also a life-skills
training, covering many aspects of lives, including why we behave
in the ways we do, how gender or generational aspects influence
us, and ways in which we can change our behaviour.
The group decided to create a Kyrgyz version of the Stepping
Stones manual in order to adapt it to local realities, mentality
and traditions. The manual will be printed and distributed to village
action groups at the beginning of 2006, and put into practice by
UNFPA local counterparts. |
For more information on the global project, click here.
For more information on the project in Kyrgyzstan, contact
us!
Total budget over 3 years: USD
252'000.--
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