Date of Award

12-9-2021

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Health Policy and Management

First Advisor

Ms. Farina Abrejo

Second Advisor

Dr. Tazeen Saeed Ali

Third Advisor

Mr. Waqas Hameed

Department

Community Health Sciences

Abstract

Family planning offers extremely effective, yet under-utilized means and interventions for achieving significant reductions in maternal and child mortality rates. In Pakistan, the uptake has been growing in many provinces across the country. It has been shown that a notable proportion of men and women of reproductive age in Balochistan, Pakistan, wish to avoid the high-risk fertility behaviors that threaten maternal and child health. Specifically, it is estimated that 45% of females wish to limit or delay births by two years, while 39% of men also share this desire (PDHS 2013). Nearly a quarter of married females are also undecided concerning whether to and when to have a child. This study identified the gaps necessary to assess the current level of integration family planning services, within Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Innovation (MNCH) services in public health facilities, with the aim to reduce maternal mortality, infant Mortality, under-five mortality, unmet reproductive needs, and to improve the quality of services, in District Quetta of Balochistan. This study can be used as example for future interventions for strengthening integration to provide cost effective and modern methods for uplifting current health framework in Balochistan.
Methodology: This study is a descriptive cross-sectional, exploratory, sequential mix-method study. The quantitative portion of the study encompassed 26 facility checklists, from selected 30 public health facilities of District Quetta, for evaluating the current level of family planning and MNCH service integration. In the sample, 81 of 102 selected female client exit interviews reported availing MNCH services. The qualitative portion of the study comprised of 13 in-depth interviews with service providers and program managers to record their perceptions of the integration of the services.
Results: This research uncovered the service provider’s and program organizer's perspectives with respect to current level of integration in government-run public health facilities. This study documented the possible impacts, gaps, and assessed the current level of integration of family planning and MNCH services. Thus, recommendations to service providers, and policy makers to foster inventive interventions were provided, as well as policy formulations to advance the integrated services in District Quetta of Balochistan were noted.
Conclusion: This research was conducted to determine the current level of integration of the family planning program within MNCH services in Quetta, Balochistan. Results of this study show that policies of the family planning program and available resources are not up to the satisfactory level. Due to improper implementation of family planning program, and indecorous distribution of resources, an increasing dissatisfaction among clients and health care workers exists. There is dire need for the involvement of the government, NGOs, and donors to foster the family planning program in Balochistan. There is also a need for significant action to be taken to fix the understated health system, in an attempt to focus on the six health building blocks, which can shape the structure for integration of family planning within MNCH. The robust relationship amongst all six blocks of health suggests that only health system strengthening can better integrate family planning within MNCH in Balochistan.

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1

Last Page

94

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