RESUMO
On March 30, 2020, the Government of Nigeria implemented its first COVID-19 related lockdown. We worked with two humanitarian projects in Nigeria, the Integrated Humanitarian Assistance to Northeast Nigeria (IHANN II) in Borno State and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees South-South Health and Nutrition Intervention (UNHCR-SS-HNIR) for Cameroon Refugees and vulnerable populations in Cross River State, to document the programmatic adaptations to Family Planning/Reproductive Health (FP/RH) services in response to COVID-19 and identify successes and challenges of those adaptations. A mixed methods approach including quantitative analysis of data from routine programmatic activities, qualitative data from in-depth interviews (IDIs) with project staff and process documentation of programmatic activities and modifications was used to 1) identify modifications in FP/RH services due to COVID-19, 2) understand staff perception of their utility and impact, and 3) gauge trends in key FP/RH in-service delivery indicators to assess changes prior to and after the March 2020 lockdown. Monitoring data shows notable declines in service utilization after lockdowns in antenatal care, postnatal care, and outreach campaigns, followed by a return to pre-lockdown levels by July 2020. Results show projects introduced numerous COVID-19 precaution strategies including: community sensitization; triage stations and modification of service flow in facilities; and appointment scheduling for essential services. Findings from IDIs speak to a well-coordinated and implemented COVID-19 response with project staff noting improvements in their time management and interpersonal communication skills. Lessons learned included the need to better sensitize and educate communities, maintain FP commodities and increase support provided to health workers. Deliberate adaptations in IHANN II and UNHCR-SS-HNIR projects turned challenges to opportunities, ensuring continuity of services to the most vulnerable populations.
RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Postpartum family planning is still little known and little practised by most couples in Cameroon. However, just after childbirth, many couples wish to postpone their second birth. This study aims to determine the level of competence and the education need of couples in immediate postpartum family planning in the Biyem-Assi health district, Cameroon. METHODS: We performed a KAP survey (knowledge, attitudes and practices) in the Biyem-Assi health district. Data were collected using two questionnaires with 40 questions, written in french, one addressed to women in couples and during the post-partum period and the other addressed to men in couples and having at least one child. Collected data were entered in the software CSPro version 6.2 and then analyzed using the software SPSS version 20.0. RESULTS: A total of 300 subjects with a sex ratio of 1 were surveyed. More than half (56.7%) had an approximate knowledge of family planning in the immediate postpartum period. Thirty six percent of the respondents believed that the immediate postpartum period was not an appropriate time to use a modern method of contraception. The interaction between contraceptives and breast milk (65.4%) and female infertility (26.3%) were the main reasons reported. Immediate postpartum contraception of 60.5% of couples living in the Biyem-Assi health district was inadequate. Therefore, the level of competence in the immediate postpartum family planning was insufficient (32.6%) and low (23.3%) in most of the respondents. CONCLUSION: Some prejudices and misconceptions about modern contraceptive methods persist in the Biyem-Assi health district population and these are an obstacle to contraceptive practice in general and during the immediate postpartum period in particular. Awareness and education efforts of couples to improve their competence in contraception during the immediate postpartum period are necessary.
