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The Bangladesh Directorate of Family Planning in collaboration with the Population Council, Pathfinder International, and John Snow, Inc. is conducting an operations research project to test the feasibility of introducing emergency contraceptive pills (ECP) in the national family planning (FP) program and to answer operational questions on implementing the use of ECP efficiently. In Bangladesh, 1.2 million births are unplanned and the number of menstrual regulation/abortions is increasing. ECP could be a good reproductive health intervention for women since it gives them a chance to avoid unwanted pregnancy. ECP does not induce abortion. In fact, it helps in reducing the number of abortions. In Bangladesh, emergency contraception is relatively new and there is general lack of knowledge even among doctors. Thus, training providers will be a critical element for the introduction of ECP. The present feasibility study, detailed in this research update, has been undertaken to answer operational questions that need to be addressed while introducing ECP in the national FP program. The study has been carried out in two districts, Tangail and Mymensingh.

This report provides findings of a rapid appraisal of the Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) training program in Uttar Pradesh, India. The appraisal was undertaken by the Population Council and State Innovations in Family Planning Agency (SIFPSA). As SIFPSA is in the process of planning a training program to strengthen the technical skills and competence of ANMs and update their contraceptive knowledge, it was felt that a rapid appraisal of the training program would help in understanding the strengths and weaknesses of previous training efforts. The ANM training initiatives of SIFPSA would then build upon the experiences gained from earlier training programs and the existing training needs of ANMs. The emphasis was on improving ANMs' technical and counseling skills by providing on-the-job practical training. The program was a three-week skill-based training, during which ANMs were attached to a CHC/PPC or a district hospital. This was followed by one week of training at an ANM Training Centre in IEC and counseling. The objective was to review how the training program was organized and how it helped improve the technical skills and competence of ANMs.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India (MOHFW), with assistance from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), launched a landmark project in India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh. The Innovations in Family Planning Services Project was implemented under the management of the State lnnovations in Family Planning Services Agency (SIFPSA), Lucknow. Conducting baseline surveys in 15 selected districts of Uttar Pradesh was the first step in the project. The Uttar Pradesh baseline survey provided critical input by generating important demographic and family welfare program data at the district level. Over and above the 15 districts surveyed, it was decided that a baseline survey would be conducted in Agra district. In Agra, interviewers collected information from 2,864 ever-married women aged 13–49 in urban and rural areas of the district. As noted in this report, the primary aim of the baseline survey was to provide information at the district level for urban and rural areas separately.