Nyanwiir Ajou is a 28-year-old mother of four. She was married at the age of 13 years. After her husband got involved in a car accident that left him physically disabled, Nyanwiir became the sole bread winner of her family. She does not have a stable source of income. Nyanwiir volunteers her time and services as a counsellor at the Comprehensive Care Centre Clinic (CCC) unit in Aweil State hospital in South Sudan.
Nyanwiir visited the WISH Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) clinic at Aweil State hospital clinic for family planning services after a referral from her friend who was a family planning user. Nyanwiir sought advice from the friend as she was not ready for another child. The friend recommended that she visits the ASRH/FP clinic at Aweil State hospital, which offers free services.
At the clinic, Nyanwiir was counselled on different family planning methods. She voluntarily chose the Intrauterine Device (IUD) method. The nurses explained to Nyanwiir that the method she had chosen was a 10-year one, though she could have it removed at any time she felt prepared to have another child.
“I need my body to rest, I got married early and gave birth to my children. I need more time to search for a better job. If I am financially stable even if it is in five years, I will come back and have the method removed then get another baby. But before then I will keep the method," said Nyanwiir.
Referrals
Nyanwiir has become an advocate of family planning services. She has been referring clients from the CCC unit to the ASRH/FP clinic where they can get free services. She recently referred one mother of 10 children, who is also breastfeeding. The mother could barely fend for her family and send her children to school due to the poor economic status of the family. Even though she was fearful about getting pregnant again, she did not know how to prevent that from happening. After a chat with Nyanwiir, she went to the ASRH/FP clinic where she was counselled and opted for Jadelle as her method of choice.
Comprehensive counselling from service providers in Aweil ASRH/FP unit has effectively encouraged clients to make informed choices on long term reversible contraceptive methods, mostly implants and the IUD.
Partnerships
The Women’s Integrated Sexual Health (WISH) programme, under the strategy of ‘Leave No One Behind’, offers quality integrated and inclusive family planning and sexual and reproductive health services - to marginalized and hard to reach populations: the poor, youth under 20 and people living with a disability. WISH brings together service delivery with experts in the field of health systems strengthening and advocacy, social behaviour change communications, disability inclusion and humanitarian expertise.
One such partner is the International Rescue Committee (IRC), which works in partnership with the government in Aweil State hospital to offer services in the ASRH/FP unit. IRC provides staff, medical supplies and commodities that support family planning services at the clinic. In addition, staff from the hospital are invited for trainings organized by the WISH programme.
The IRC strategically leveraged on the existing ASRH clinic supported by UNFPA by placing the WISH team to work together and provide family planning services while also targeting the youth. There has been a notable increase in family planning services uptake in Aweil State hospital. During the reporting period, 486 Couple Years Protection (CYPs) were provided at the clinic, an increase from 362 CYPs provided in the previous quarter.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) who are an implementing partner within the hospital, also refer clients for post abortion care, thus improving the comprehensive services offered within the facility. The staff have reported teamwork and that the bulk of the work has been shared with the staff working at the ASRH/FP clinic, hence reducing workload.
By complementing different actions from different agencies and donors, the overall outcome of health services is improved within the hospital. There is improved coordination within the hospital staff in patient care management which eventually has improved on the quality of care for family planning and other health services.
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Subject
Contraception
