Author:
Pranab Rajbhandari
In July 2023, as part of the Asia region Learning Circles cohort 3, twenty-two professionals working in various capacities in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) came together to learn, share knowledge, and connect.
A team of four faculty - Isha Karmacharya (lead), Santosh Khadka (co-lead), Laxmi Adhikari, and Maheswor Kafle - from the Central Institute of Science and Technology (CiST) College wanted to study the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on FP commodities procurement, supply chain, and stock management in Gandaki province to determine if there were any variations and effect on FP service delivery. One of the team members from Knowledge SUCCESS, Pranab Rajbhandari, talked with the study’s Co-Principal Investigator, Mr. Santosh Khadka, to learn about their experiences and learning of designing and implementing this study.
In March 2023, Knowledge SUCCESS (KS) embarked on a process of engaging and supporting Asia KM Champions. KS identified 2-3 champions coming from each of the USAID priority countries in Asia (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and the Philippines) for a total of 12 KM Champions in the region looking to further strengthen knowledge sharing within and across countries in Asia and to contextualize responses to each countries’ knowledge management needs.
On January 25, Knowledge SUCCESS hosted “Advancing Self-Care in Asia: Insights, Experiences, and Lessons Learned,” a panel conversation featuring experts from India, Pakistan, Nepal, and West Africa. The speakers discussed the feasibility and future of self-care for family planning (FP) in Asia and lessons learned from program experiences in West Africa.
A peer assist is a knowledge management (KM) approach that focuses on “learning before doing.” When a team is experiencing a challenge or is new to a process, it seeks advice from another group with relevant experience. The Knowledge SUCCESS project recently used this approach to facilitate sharing of experiential knowledge between Nepal and Indonesia. Amid declining population growth in Nepal, the project used a peer assist to advocate for continuation of leadership, commitment, and funding allocation for family planning (FP).
The private sector in Nepal is an important source of short-acting reversible contraceptives. It represents a critical opportunity to increase contraceptive access and choice. The Government of Nepal (GON) has emphasized the importance of strengthening social marketing and the private sector (National Family Planning Costed Implementation Plan 2015–2020). Nepal CRS Company (CRS) has introduced contraceptive products and services in the country for almost 50 years. Recent innovations in social marketing, through the use of marketing methods, intend to bring about social and behavioral change to improve citizens' quality of life.
Bangladesh has the highest rate of child marriage in Asia. Early marriage leads to a poorer quality of life for girls. It is detrimental to their agency and ability to obtain or continue education. So, in order to improve young couples’ quality of life and encourage them to make informed decisions, the Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs (BCCP) collaborated with the Directorate General of Family Planning to introduce a national Premarital Counseling (PMC) Guidebook.
On March 22, 2022, Knowledge SUCCESS hosted Meaningfully Engaging Youth: A Snapshot of the Asia Experience. The webinar highlighted experiences from four organizations in the Asia region working to co-create youth-friendly programs, ensure quality FP/RH services for youth, develop youth-friendly policies, and meet the FP/RH needs of youth at different levels of the health system. Did you miss the webinar or want a recap? Read on for a summary, and follow the links below to watch the recording.
In November-December 2021, family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH) workforce members based in Asia convened virtually for the third Knowledge SUCCESS Learning Circles cohort. The cohort focused on the topic of ensuring continuity of essential FP/RH services during emergencies.
Created in 1959, Family Planning Association Nepal (FPAN) is the country’s first national sexual and reproductive health service delivery and advocacy organization. Sixty-three years later, FPAN continues to ensure that family planning (FP) information and services are available and accessible to families—no matter their identity, ability, location, gender, or socioeconomic status.
Listen to “Inside the FP Story”
Grab a cup of coffee or tea and listen in on honest conversations with family planning program experts around the world as they share what has worked in their settings — and what to avoid — in our podcast series, Inside the FP Story.
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