Paying for services in Laos.
The effectiveness of ensuring quality of care in reproductive health/family planning (RH/FP) services and making services accessible to people in rural areas is being demonstrated in Laos, where community people are willingly paying nominal fees for services provided under JOICFP's project.  The birth spacing project is being implemented by the Institute of Mother and Child Health (IMCH) under the UNFPA-supported regional "Capacity Building for Sustainable Community-based RH/FP Project Emphasizing Quality of Care (RAS/96/P09)."  How to reinvest funds collected for services was one of the main topics of a project review and planning workshop held in Vientiane on July 18 and 19.  The event was attended by 15 staff members directly involved in project implementation who focused on ways to effectively manage the funds.  Specifically, the participants discussed establishing a revolving fund system.  The participants noted that the project, which reaches out to remote villages with mobile teams of health care personnel, has been successful in creating awareness of RH/FP issues and motivating community people.  In many areas, community people have voiced their desire to sustain services with their own support if outside funding is withdrawn.  Neighboring villages to project communities have also expressed their interest in launching the project with their own funds.  Interviews conducted as part of a small-scale survey of project areas in Laos clearly indicated a high level of awareness of FP.  In response to this, the project personnel are now focusing on ways to build on this awareness and meet unmet needs with high-quality services and counseling.
D001208:Asia; D001210:Asia, Southeastern; D003153:Community Health Services; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D003906:Developing Countries; D004467:Economics; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005249:Fees and Charges; D005376:Financial Management; D006262:Health; D006285:Health Planning; D006296:Health Services; D007812:Laos; D009934:Organization and Administration; D011320:Primary Health Care; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D018456:Reproductive Medicine
Asia; Community Health Services; Delivery Of Health Care; Developing Countries; Economic Factors; Family Planning; Family Planning Programs; Fees; Financial Activities; Health; Health Services; Laos; Organization And Administration; Primary Health Care; Program Development; Program Sustainability; Programs; Reproductive Health; Southeastern Asia