Increasing Family Planning Access and Choice
Key lessons from Marie Stopes International’s clinical outreach programmes
Clinical outreach – the delivery of clinical health services by a mobile team of trained providers through periodic visits to a particular site or from a mobile unit1 – is an invaluable service delivery option for governments and service providers that are eager to reach underserved communities. There are a number of different approaches to outreach for reproductive health and family planning services. Marie Stopes International’s (MSI) outreach programmes typically reflect one of three main approaches: the MSI mobile clinical service delivery team approach; the MSI mobile quality improvement team approach; and the MSI mobile community outreach worker approach. By 2011, MSI had established outreach programmes in 26 countries around the world. The specific approach to outreach used by MSI differs within and between countries, depending upon the particular challenges and opportunities in that country and / or region.
The key lessons and emerging practices identified in this paper will evolve and strengthen as MSI and other service providers deliver more outreach programmes and pilot new innovations. In the meantime, the key lessons in this paper will help service providers, programme managers and donors implement and/ or strengthen clinical outreach programmes for reproductive health and family planning services.
Source: USAID
Year: 2011
