Addressing Reproductive, Maternal, and Child Health and Family Planning Needs of Young, First-Time Parents in the Eastern Region of Burkina Faso (Brief)
In April 2018, Evidence to Action (E2A) Project and Pathfinder International Burkina Faso launched a new initiative for young first-time parents (FTPs) in the Fada and Diapaga districts in the Eastern Region of Burkina Faso.
The FTP project “Supporting Reproductive Health Services for Young First-Time Parents in Burkina Faso” focused on women under the age of 25 who are pregnant for the first time or have one child and their husbands. The project included package of community- and facility-level interventions to improve FP- and RMNCH-related knowledge, attitudes, communication, decision making, and use by young first-time mothers (FTMs)/FTPs to achieve the following objectives:
- Increase FTP access to and utilization of clinical antenatal/postnatal care (ANC/PNC), delivery services, newborn care, and family planning (FP)
- Increase demand among FTPs for RMNCH care, facility-based delivery, healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy (HTSP), and FP
- Create a friendly environment for FTP health action among household and community influencers, including health providers
The project worked at both the facility and community level in two districts, covering a total of 20 health facilities and 57 surrounding villages. Project activities were implemented by community health workers (CHWs), facility based supervisors, peer leaders, and Pathfinder project staff, with technical support from E2A/Washington, DC.
Interventions sought to strengthen the support of household and community members who influence FTMs’/FTPs’ health action, including addressing the underlying gender and social norms that influence FP/RMNCH choice and action at every level of the FTP lifestage.
