With funding from UNFPA, ARFH pilot tested the DMPA-SC and employed the following strategies and activities:
- Capacity Building: Health Care Providers’ Cascade CHEWs Training in Kebbi and Ebonyi states as a follow up to the training of trainers (ToT) conducted for Nurse/Midwives and CHOs in eight selected LGAs in August 2015 and had continued in the scale up in line with the National rollout plan; 27 CHEWs were selected from four LGAs (Birnin Kebbi, Abakaliki, Ebonyi and Ishielu) in Kebbi and Ebonyi states.
Training of Non-Health Care Providers –
- Training of Market Based Health Agents (MBHAs) & Community Based Village Health Workers (CBVHW) in Kebbi/Ebonyi states and commencement of Service Delivery in major high burden markets in the states were trained in Kebbi & Ebonyi states during the pilot phase.
- Integration of Self-Help Group (SHG) into FP service delivery. The SHG concept involved building the capacity of the community resource persons (CORPs) to improve their income generation and saving practices. It provided them with collective access to financial services that can impact positively on their lives and that of their families. This platform promoted access to social, economic opportunities that enhanced their sense of social wellbeing. An indigenous CBO Mindset Community Development Initiative was contracted in Kebbi, while Small Medium Loans & Savings Scheme (SMLAS) was responsible for supporting the formation of these groups and building the agents’ capacities in Ebonyi state.
- Training of House Hold Volunteers – To supervise Self-injection
To further increase access to child spacing services in “hard to reach locations” and busy housewives/women, a set of retired and unemployed nurses, midwives and CHEWs were also trained to deliver non prescriptive child spacing services including DMPA-SC injection. A total of 35 volunteers/CHEWs who resided in the communities with proven track record of integrity were trained to supervise self-injection and this strategy yielded very successful results.