Reproductive health camps: as innovative approach to integrating reproductive health intervention in primary health care

Abstract

The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held at Cairo in 1994 recommended a comprehensive Reproductive Health (RH) programme to replace domographically oriented Family Planning (FP) programmes. Owing to serveral constraints in the PHC system in India it has become challenging to provide RH services through the PHC system. In India Camp approach has been used in various other health programmes including family planning to increase coverage of services within the available limited resources. We have tried out use of camp approach to proved higher quality RH services on periodic basis at the PHCs in one taluka (sub-district). This intervention was carried out in Sanand taluka by the joint efforts of Indian Institute of Management, and District Health Office of Ahmedabad District Panchayat under the RH project which is supported by the For Foundation. The camp approach to RH services involved three phases, the first was a experimenting and learning phase when large camps were conducted over on year periodically in each PHC. The second phase was revision of the strategy based on the experience of the first phase to make the camps a routine monthly activity at the PHC and the third was the phase of sustainability testing by handing over the camp organization to the PHCs. The paper present the details of this intervention, the type of the disease seen and learning from it. Learnings from experience of camp approach points out that such services not only increase the credibility and capacity of PHC system, but provides good and cost-effective strategy for early identification and treatment of chronic RH problems. It also attracts the community as they see more value for their time and effort. The paper also present cost calculations of this camp based strategy to RH deliver services. This experience shows that this camp based approach has the potential of being replicated on wider scale as an intermediate strategy for providing RCH services in the country like India.