Family Health Awareness Week Programme Evaluation

Background

In view of the close linkages between Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) and HIV/AIDS, prevention and control of STIs can have a significant impact on reducing HIV transmission. Keeping this in view, the Government of India launched a pilot program "Family Health Awareness Week (FHAW)" to create awareness on STIs/RTIs along with providing facilities to screen for and treat reproductive tract infections including sexually transmitted infections. The program was carried out in all states covering 100 districts. The dates for this massive campaign were 26th April and 1st May 1999.

Focus Group Discussion

Objectives of the Study

• To evaluate the process involved in the planning and implementation of the Family Health Awareness Week Program.
• To determine the factors that influences the utilization of services by the clients.
• To assess intermediate indicators of impact of the family health awareness week.

Methods

Study Setting

Ten centers in nine states, representing major socio-cultural and geographical regions of the country, were selected for evaluation.

Data Collecton

Qualitative research methods were applied to seek the opinion of eight categories of stakeholders who were involved with the program as policy makes, providers, implementations, facilitators and client (both utilizers and non-utilizers). A total of 735 interviews (about 74 from each district) were conducted of which half of them were with community stakeholders and another twenty percent were with workers engaged in implementation of FHAW. Thirty FGDs (10 each with health workers, utilizers and non-utilizers) were also conducted.

Recommendations

Adolescent (5-20 years age group) boys and girls must be recognized as a priority target group for the program and extra efforts made to mobilize them to attend program activities.

A well planned and coordinated campaign for social mobilization should be organized. It should use all channels for communication for this purpose. IEC material should be in local language.

Camps should be organized within the villages at easily accessible locations. The campus should have separate enclosures for men, women, adolescent girls and adolescent boys. Special provisions are needed to ensure confidentiality for clients who want to discuss their problems in private.