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Promoting contraceptive uptake to reduce the unmet need for family planning during the postpartum period in Ethiopia

PPFP in Ethiopia
PhD ceremony:Mr G.H. (Gebi Husein) Jima
When:February 26, 2024
Start:09:00
Supervisor:prof. dr. J. (Jelle) Stekelenburg
Co-supervisors:dr. Tegbar Yigzaw, R.G. (Regien) Biesma-Blanco
Where:Academy building RUG
Faculty:Medical Sciences / UMCG
Promoting contraceptive uptake to reduce the unmet need for family
planning during the postpartum period in Ethiopia

This thesis explores how postpartum family planning (PPFP) could be enhanced and promoted in Ethiopia. It attempts to recommend approaches and strategies that can improve and promote the PPFP in the Ethiopian context, which can also be adopted in other similar settings.Integrating PPFP into existing community-based care along the pregnancy-to-extended-postpartum continuum is promising for improving uptake in populations with high rates of home delivery. These urges integrating PPFP into the existing MNCH services, particularly at the health and community levels, to improve contraceptive uptake during the postpartum period in Ethiopia.Findings in this thesis also showed that each additional MNCH contact where family planning was discussed increased the likelihood of PPFP uptake in health facilities. Family planning discussions during pregnancy and child immunization contacts were found to have an impact on PPFP uptake for women who delivered at home, and family planning discussions during postnatal care were important for women who delivered in health facilities.The success of the PPFP implementation plan must be regularly monitored and evaluated in order to assess how successfully the goals have been met. In order to do this, PPFP indicators must be included in the country’s HMIS, and health facilities must get assistance in order to continue offering services and keeping records and reports. This requires policies and strategies supporting these activities.Moreover, increasing women's FP literacy both at community and health facility levels can support the HTSP and lessen the SIPI we currently see among Ethiopian women. This could be achieved through individual and group education at the community and health facility levels. Addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) that are impacting poor PPFP uptake through already validated approaches is also critical to improving women’s health and wellbeing.