The Abt-led Scaling Up Family Planning project has four priorities: promoting a broad range of reproductive health and family planning commodities and services; addressing barriers that prevent access to services, especially in underserved population areas; empowering women and girls to make healthy reproductive choices; and enhancing public sector’s capacity to provide comprehensive family planning services.

 

“This important new program will address Zambia’s great need for better access to family planning services,” said Abt Principal Associate Ayman Mohsen, M.D., director of the Scaling Up Family Planning project. “Abt Associates’ extensive experience improving Zambia’s health system will be an asset for this project.”

 

Abt already supports the Zambian Ministry of Health through a large project funded by USAID that addresses HIV/AIDS, malaria, family planning, nutrition, maternal, newborn, and child health. The Zambia Integrated Systems Strengthening Program in 2011 helped the Ministry to implement a new performance appraisal system for health care workers, strengthened the National Malaria Control Center’s indoor residual spraying program, and supported the development of a national adolescent health strategy, among other work.

 

The Scaling Up Family Planning project will seek to improve the delivery and utilization of family planning services in up to 26 Zambian districts most in need of improvement, including those with the highest unmet need for contraceptives. The project will engage influential people, such as community leaders, men, and especially adolescents, to address major barriers to the use of family planning. The project is expected to improve services in 459 health centers and hospitals. Its in-country team of technical experts will be Zambian.

 

Abt Associates and its partners — the American College of Nurse Midwives, Systematic Inventive Thinking, RTT-Solutions, and the Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia — have nearly 20 combined years of experience in Zambia. The project staff is familiar with the current family planning context and the strengths and weaknesses of existing service delivery systems in Zambia.

 

 

Abt Associates is a mission-driven, global leader in research and program implementation in the fields of health, social and environmental policy, and international development. Known for its rigorous approach to solving complex challenges, Abt Associates was ranked as one of the top 20 global research firms in 2011 and also named one of the top 40 international development innovators.  The company has multiple offices in the U.S. and program offices in nearly 40 countries. www.abtassociates.com

 

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