A group of researchers from Africa, Asia and Europe are set to conduct a new study to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on family planning and contraceptive services at the primary healthcare level in India, Nigeria, and Tanzania.

This study aims to assess the availability and use of family planning and contraceptive services in primary health facilities during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The researchers will explore the availability of family planning and health facility readiness to provide family planning and contraceptive services, assess the risk perceptions of COVID-19 stigma and barriers to access and use of services as well as their quality from clients’ and providers’ perspectives. Additionally, they will also assess the post-pandemic recovery of the facilities in the provision of family planning and contraceptive services.

Who are Ifakara scientists in this study?
Ifakara Health Institute researchers, Ester Elisaria, Mary Ramesh and Donat Shamba will contribute to the study. They will work alongside Rita Kabra, the lead author, James Kiarie and Komal Preet Allag from the World Health Organization (WHO), Switzerland. 

Other contributors include Beena Joshi, Deepti Tandon and Ranjan Kumar Prusty from the Indian Council of Medical Research, India; Tanimola Makanjuola Akande from the University of Ilorin and University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria; and Adesola Olumide from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
According to the researchers, findings from the study will provide a better understanding of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on family planning and contraceptive services at the facility level. 

What will be the outcome?
“The results will help policymakers and health managers develop and strengthen family planning policies and services in health facilities to be more responsive to community needs,” the researchers said.

A protocol paper for the study which is titled “Determining the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Availability, Use, and Readiness of Family Planning and Contraceptive Services at Selected Primary Health Care Facilities in Africa and Asia: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study” is published on the JMIR Research Protocol journal.

The researchers have already completed collecting data for the study and are currently analyzing the data. The study will be published later this year (by the summer of 2023).

Read the full article: https://www.researchprotocols.org/2023/1/e43329/