Successful Proof of Concept of Family Planning and Immunization Integration in Liberia

Publish Date: March 2015
Author: Chelsea M Cooper, Rebecca Fields, Corinne I Mazzeo, Nyapu Taylor, Anne Pfitzer, Mary Momolu, Cuallau Jabbeh-Howe
Language: English

The journal Global Health: Science and Practice has published an MCHIP co-authored article on “Successful Proof of Concept of Family Planning and Immunization Integration in Liberia.”

Globally, unmet need for postpartum family planning (FP) remains high, while immunization services are among the most wide-reaching and equitable interventions. Given overlapping time frames, integrating these services provides an opportunity to leverage existing health visits to offer women more comprehensive services.

Liberia’s government, with support from MCHIP, piloted an integrated FP and immunization model at 10 health facilities in Bong and Lofa counties. Vaccinators provided mothers bringing infants for routine immunization with targeted FP and immunization messages and same-day referrals to co-located FP services.

Results suggest that introducing a simple model that is minimally disruptive to existing immunization service delivery can facilitate integration. The model is currently being scaled-up to other counties in Liberia, which could potentially contribute to increased postpartum contraceptive uptake, leading to longer birth intervals and improved health outcomes for children and mothers.

To download the open access article, click here.