To Improve Family Planning Services, Bangladesh Puts Health Workers at the Center of Training

By Mahbubur Rashid, Senior technical advisor Trainers hold up the competency-based training modules at a session in Bangladesh. Photo taken for IntraHealth International.March 30, 2022A little over three years ago, I began hearing about USAID’sAccelerating Universal Access to Family Planning Project in Bangladesh. The project—named Shukhi Jibon, which means“happy life” in Bengali—focuses on developing the family planning workforce and contributes to the health and well-being of Bangladeshis by increasing their use of family planning services. Shukhi Jibon, I knew, could make a big difference in Bangladesh. For family planning providers, it could help improve health workers’ skills and confidence. For the government and training institutes, the project could improve the quality, efficiency, and performance of family planning services and increase client satisfaction.Throughout my career, I had worked passionately to improve sexual and reproductive health, family planning, and maternal and child health. If Shukhi Jibon were successful, its benefits would filter beyond family planning to other areas of the health system. So, when the chance to join the project presented itself, I seized the opportunity.A new approach to trainingFamily planning in Bangladesh has come a long way, but progress has plateaued in the last decade and regional disparities remain. In response, the government began focusing on universal health coverage, inclu...
Source: IntraHealth International - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Family Planning & Reproductive Health Education Performance Health workforce development World Health Worker Week Systems Management and Performance Health Workers Source Type: news