FOGSI PSI Women’s Health Project – PEHEL
Dr. Ritu Joshi
Chaiperson, Family Welfare Committee, FOGSI
Dr. Kiran Kirtkotti
Chaiperson, MTP Committee, FOGSI
With a commitment to reduce maternal deaths by preventing unintended pregnancy the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) and Population Services International (PSI), an international NGO entered into a partnership for improving maternal health through long term family planning and safe abortions. The launch of FOGSI-PSI partnership – PEHEL was formally announced on October 24th, 2009 in New Delhi.
Background of the Women’s Health Program
As part of, Women’s Health Project – PEHEL, PSI India is working on two areas – long term spacing methods and medical abortion (MA).
The overall objective of the program is as follows :
- Provide quality IUD services to over 500,000 women and facilitate over 192,000 safe abortions using medical abortions.
- Increase access and enhance quality of IUD and MA services – by strengthening capacity of existing providers and increasing the provider base.
- Increase provider and women’s access to high quality products for IUD and MA.
- Engage with intermediaries like – pharmacists; indigenous systems of medical practitioners; community based workers of public sector and NGO partners on abortion issues in general and MA in particular to enhance their knowledge on the issue and encourage referrals.
- Implement demand generation and Behavior Change Communication focusing on target audiences and influencers.
Details of proposed activities
Launch of FOGSI-PSI Partnership and National workshop for Resource Persons
One workshop for Resource Persons was held in Delhi at the launch on 24 October 2009.
Orientation and Advocacy workshops at District level
PEHEL is an initiative for addressing family planning needs of the urban poor, in states with the highest population, poor indicators and high need, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi. The PSI-FOGSI partnership is geared towards improving access to affordable and high quality IUD services, products and specialized counseling by obstetricians and gynecologists for low and middle income population in these states. The initial workshops cover Jaipur, Alwar, Jodhpur, Ganganagar, Delhi, Agra, Lucknow, Varanasi, Kanpur and Gorakhpur.
Technical update on IUDs and Medical Abortion in FOGSI’s magazine ‘FOGSI Focus’
The first issue on Intrauterine Devices was launched in March 2010.
The issue on Medical Abortion is in print and will be soon available to FOGSI members.
Research Projects
FOGSI would leverage its strength across the country to conduct meaningful research that would benefit all concerned. FOGSI would undertake research on topics which could be mutually agreed upon with PSI.
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An important part of the research project is the KAP Survey. The Intrauterine and Medical Abortion KAP survey is a web based survey
All FOGSIANS are requested and encouraged to take this survey.The KAP Survey is to be taken answering a simple set of multiple choice questions.
The statistics that are obtained would be of immense benefit from the point of view of data collection, knowledge dissemination and explaining the benefits of Medical Abortion and IUCD insertion.