Saving Lives through Linking Immunization and Pregnancy Spacing

 A valuable new resource, “Integration of Family Planning with Immunization Services,” outlines what may be another effective way to reach postpartum women.

The new technical brief highlights that the recommended vaccination schedule for children provides an opportunity for multiple health care contacts with infants and their mothers during the first year of life, given that a majority of children under 12 months of age - 80% in Africa and 84% in Southeast Asia in 2008 – are reportedly receiving 3 doses of diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus (DPT) containing vaccine.  At the same time, however, there is a high unmet need for family planning. By linking these immunization visits with family planning counseling and services, we can reach more postpartum women.

 MCHIP worked with the FHI PROGRESS project to develop this brief. The two projects are also pursuing other ways to advance global understanding of the potential of this type of integrated service.

MCHIP works to advance the understanding that desired pregnancies should optimally occur at the healthiest time for both the mother and her baby – to enable at least two years of breastfeeding and care for the child as well as the mother’s recovery from those demands before attempting another pregnancy. This can be encouraged through family planning counseling and/or services that are routinely provided as part of the maternal, newborn and child health package - including immunization - at community and facility levels. MCHIP is also dedicated to ensuring that every infant and woman of childbearing age in the developing world is fully immunized.  To this end, the project works with global, regional, national, and sub-national partners to strengthen health systems by building local capacity to offer effective and sustainable vaccination services.

As part of these efforts, MCHIP is working in collaboration with Family Health International (FHI) to conduct a programmatic review of existing attempts to integrate family planning and immunization services,

 Read more for:

The technical brief (PDF, 430 KB) which summarized the rationale and promising models of integration.

http://www.fhi.org/NR/rdonlyres/e2jdnb5qmjqwgvzidopo3b3mvs3u7clrtdf6u37lcpp2pfwk37bal2uesghariq7ayskmfrsbnvreg/FPimmunizationbriefFINAL061410.pdf