In January, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) had to initiate an emergency procurement in Rwanda for Jadelles due to high demand for the five-year contraceptive implants. The rising use of this long-term family planning method stems from in-service training for health workers conducted by the Capacity Project, the Twubakane Decentralization and Health Program and PSI, partners in the Ministry of Health’s efforts to promote family planning.

Since November 2006, the Capacity Project has trained 116 health center and hospital nurses representing 108 health facilities in seven of the ten districts assigned to the Project. These providers have inserted over 300 Jadelles.

As part of its broader objective to develop the health care workforce, the Capacity Project is building the capacity of clinical staff at hospitals and health centers to provide a full range of family planning methods and services. In addition, the Project is assisting the district health networks in ten districts to be able to plan, develop, implement and evaluate their own family planning programs, contributing to both the Ministry’s family planning goals and the government’s decentralization initiative.

February 2007