TCI-supported quality improvement initiatives boosted the accessibility and quality of adolescent and youth-friendly health services in Benin.
In Benin, a significant unmet need for family planning is particularly prevalent among adolescent girls ages 15-24. A recent journal article in Global Health: Science and Practice outlines how The Challenge Initiative (TCI) supported local health system leaders in evaluating and enhancing the quality of family planning and adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health (AYSRH) services for young people, fostering increased contraceptive uptake.
The authors state that issues related to the quality of health services contribute to low rates of modern contraceptive use among young people in Benin. They also emphasize that adolescent girls often receive inadequate care and support compared to adult women.
Between June 2019 and March 2021, TCI provided support to health districts in Zou to conduct three cycles of quality assessments (QAs) using a checklist tailored to the local context. Sixty-five service delivery points (SDPs) were evaluated for quality and then classified into poor, moderate, or good to excellent based on assessment scores. TCI then supported SDP managers in devising remedial action plans for each SDP following each QA cycle, as well as providing supportive supervision.
The initial QA cycle revealed that 52% of evaluated SDPs attained a classification of good to excellent. This figure increased to 74% by the second QA cycle. However, amidst disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the quality of adolescent- and youth-friendly health services experienced a decline during the third QA cycle, with only 40% of SDPs achieving the good to excellent category. Notably, between the first and second QA cycles, there was a discernible improvement in contraceptive uptake for adolescents and youth in SDPs classified as having good or excellent service quality compared to those with lower quality.
Despite the challenges due to COVID-19, the report demonstrates that quality improvement initiatives can boost the use of contraceptive services for adolescents and youth. It also offers valuable insights for health workers, policymakers, and researchers. The authors noted:
The findings reinforce the importance of investing in quality improvement strategies to maximize the use of sexual and reproductive health services among adolescents and youth.”
“Implementing Quality Improvement Initiatives to Improve the Use of Adolescent and Youth-Friendly Health Services in Zou, Benin” was written by: Josephat Avocè, Mamadou Kandji, Vanessa Mitchell, Koami Maurice Mensah, Hugues Gnahoui, Hawa Talla, René Jean Firmin Nakoulma, Cheikh Ibrahima Diop, Moussa Faye, Fatimata Sow and Krishna Bose.
