Development Plan (2009-2011)

Dr Vik Mohan

Safidy Community Health Programme: Development Plan (2009-2011)

The Safidy programme is a key component of Blue Ventures’ integrated Population-Health-Environment

(PHE) approach that empowers coastal communities

to live healthily and sustainably with their marine environments.

Safidy has been operating in the Velondriake locally

managed marine area on the southwest coast of Madagascar since August 2007. This plan to expand sexual and reproductive health services across

Velondriake is for 2009 – 2011.

Level 2 Annex Omnibus Business Centre 39-41 North Road London N7 9DP

Tel: +44 (0) 207 697 8598 Email: [email protected]

http://goto.blueventures.org/communityhealth

Blue Ventures Conservation Report

Keywords: Family planning; sexual and reproductive health; population, health and environment; Velondriake; Madagascar.

Recommended citation: Mohan, V. (2009) Safidy Community Health Programme Development Plan: 2009 - 2011. Blue Ventures Conservation, London.

Blue Ventures Conservation Report

Table of Contents

Background ...... 3 Objectives ...... 5 Implementation plan ...... 5 Objective 1: Deliver a weekly family planning clinic in the village of Andavadoaka ...... 5 Objective 2: Establish weekly satellite clinic in two additional villages, providing access to clinic services in all of Velondriake’s villages ...... 6 Objective 3: Broaden the range of contraceptives offered to include long-acting reversible contraceptive methods ...... 7 Objective 4: Identify and tackle barriers to the use of contraception in the target population ...... 7 Objective 5: Work with local, regional and national stakeholders to ensure the programme meets the needs of the population, aligns with the national agenda, and collaborates wherever possible with the work of other agencies ...... 8 Objective 6: Develop and implement a strategy to promote safer sex practices within the target population ...... 9 Objective 7: Communicate the progress and achievements of the programme to stakeholders, the medical and conservation communities, and the wider public ...... 9 Objective 8: Generate sufficient funding to ensure the financial security of the programme over the next three years (2009-2011) with a view to expansion beyond Velondriake ...... 10 Monitoring ...... 11

Blue Ventures Conservation Report

Background

With an average fertility rate of more than 5 births per woman, and nearly half of the country’s population under fifteen years of age, Madagascar has one of the fastest growing populations in the world (INSTAT, 2005). Currently, only one in five women in union has access to contraception (US Census Bureau, 2008).

The importance of addressing unmet family planning needs is clearly recognised by the government of Madagascar as well as by NGOs working within the country. A considerable commitment has been made by the government to address the challenge of providing reproductive health services. This effort has seen impressive results, particularly in urban areas, with increasing numbers of women gaining access to contraception. Few of the country’s less accessible rural areas, however, have so far benefited from this progress.

In addition, Madagascar has experienced significant increases in the incidence of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) in recent years, even in geographically isolated areas due to the increasing mobility of people within the country (Donnelly, 2004). Current HIV prevalence in Madagascar is under 2%, but this is predicted to rise if appropriate measures to prevent an HIV epidemic are not taken (Donnelly, 2004).

The remote coastal village of Andavadoaka is situated on the arid southwest coast of Madagascar, approximately 200km north of the regional capital, Toliara. Its inhabitants belong mainly to the Vezo ethnic group, a semi-nomadic people with close cultural ties to the marine environment, for whom fishing is the main livelihood, both for food and income. The region has very limited public infrastructure, and road access to Andavadoaka and neighbouring Vezo villages is very difficult. Communities depend on travel by traditional pirogues (sailing canoes) to travel between villages, with transport restricted by wind and sea conditions. Owing to their isolation, access to sexual and reproductive health services is very limited. Initial research revealed the average fertility rate in Andavadoaka to be higher than the national average, with anecdotal reports suggesting high levels of untreated STIs.

Vezo communities are struggling to provide for their growing families, with overfishing and destructive fishing practices threatening the marine environment upon which their livelihoods depend. Ensuring access to family planning services and empowering couples to make their own reproductive health choices offers them a way of living more healthily and sustainably with their marine environment. Blue Ventures, a marine conservation organisation based in Andavadoaka, therefore established a family planning service for the village in August 2007, in direct response to the community’s unmet family planning needs.

Following the successful launch of the clinic in Andavadoaka, the service received widespread demand for expansion of its scope to incorporate neighbouring Vezo communities along approximately 40km of coastline. Meeting this demand is considered a major priority for the region, and this has led to the elaboration of a plan

Blue Ventures Conservation Report to expand Blue Ventures’ sexual and reproductive health programme to reach 24 further villages that are currently working together to develop the Velondriake locally managed marine area (LMMA).

This document summarises the strategic plan for the expansion of Blue Ventures’ sexual and reproductive health services to reach all 25 villages in Velondriake.

Blue Ventures Conservation Report

Objectives

1. Deliver a weekly family planning clinic in Andavadoaka 2. Establish weekly satellite clinics in two additional villages, providing access to clinic services to all of Velondriake’s villages 3. Broaden the range of contraceptives offered to include long-acting reversible contraceptive methods 4. Identify and tackle barriers to the use of contraception within the target population 5. Work with local, regional and national stakeholders to ensure the programme meets the needs of the population, aligns with the national agenda, and collaborates wherever possible with the work of other agencies 6. Develop and implement a strategy to promote safer sex practices within the target population 7. Communicate the progress and achievements of the programme to stakeholders, the medical and conservation communities, and the wider public 8. Generate sufficient funding to ensure the financial security of the programme over the next three years (2009-2011) with a view to expansion beyond Velondriake

Implementation plan

Objective 1: Deliver a weekly family planning clinic in the village of Andavadoaka

Current position

A weekly family planning clinic is now firmly established in Andavadoaka. Patients requiring access to this service outside normal weekly clinic hours can also be seen by Blue Ventures’ medical staff on an ad hoc basis. The clinic is run by Blue Ventures’ medical officer and a trained interpreter, with good regular attendance and a high profile within the community.

Proposed actions

Continue to ensure the delivery of this service, through support of and regular Ongoing communication with Blue Ventures’ medical officer Ensure the continued use of effective interpreters in the clinic, through supporting and training the interpreter, and identifying and training possible additional staff to Ongoing assist with interpreting work

Blue Ventures Conservation Report

Objective 2: Establish weekly satellite clinic in two additional villages, providing access to clinic services in all of Velondriake’s villages

Current position

The Velondriake area comprises 25 villages along the southwest coast of Madagascar, all within 25 km of Andavadoaka. Velondriake villages are working together cooperatively, with the support of Blue Ventures, to manage their natural resources sustainably. Visits to villages within Velondriake have identified an unmet need for sexual and reproductive health services in all of these communities, and a clear desire to have access to the same service that is being provided in Andavadoaka.

Research conducted by medical students in the area has identified the villages of Tampolove and Belavenoke as possible sites for satellite clinics. The sites have been chosen on the basis of ease of access from Andavadoaka for the clinic staff, access to an appropriate building within the village from which to run the clinic, and most importantly, proximity to other surrounding villages to ensure all communities within Velondriake have easy access to a clinic.

Proposed actions

Visit villages of Tampolove and Belavenoke to establish their suitability as sites for 3 months satellite clinics Identify a member of each village to be employed in the role of community liaison, to assist in education and awareness raising work within the village, and make the 3 months necessary clinic arrangements in preparation for the visiting clinic team Acquire a motorised pirogue for the project and recruitment of a full-time boat 3 months captain to manage transport and fuel logistics Medical officer to organise and initiate monthly satellite clinics 6 months Medical officer to recruit a trained nurse capable of running the satellite clinics 12 months independently within 12 months of starting training Recruit a local programme coordinator to ensure appropriate planning and coordination of activities, provision of supplies, management of field expenses and 3 months finances, training and support of programme staff, relevant communication of programme activities to UK support staff and national partners

Blue Ventures Conservation Report

Objective 3: Broaden the range of contraceptives offered to include long-acting reversible contraceptive methods

Current position

Currently four methods of contraception are being offered at the Andavadoaka clinic: the combined oral contraceptive pill, the progestogen-only pill, condoms and injectable depo-provera. Both types of oral contraception require a pill to be taken daily. Depo-provera is an intramuscular injection given every 12 weeks.

Progestogen implants can provide reliable contraception for up to three years. Intra-uterine contraceptive devices can provide contraception for up to ten years. Offering a wider range of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) has the potential for providing contraception to women without the need for frequent clinic attendance. This would overcome some of the logistical challenges associated with enhancing the programme’s outreach, currently posed by the remoteness of some of the communities within Velondriake. It would also increase the contraceptive options available to women, and reduce the risk of contraceptive failure due to inadequate compliance.

Proposed actions

Liaise with Marie Stopes Madagascar (MSM) to investigate local availability, 3 months suitability and acceptability of LARCs Based on response, train clinic staff in the use of LARCs 6 months Establish regular supply of LARCs and incorporate use of LARCs in clinics 6-12 months

Objective 4: Identify and tackle barriers to the use of contraception in the target population

Current position

Currently approximately 30-50% of women of reproductive age from Andavadoaka attend the clinic regularly. However, the need for contraception expressed in surveys of the women of the village is higher than this. A key objective for the programme is to reduce this unmet need, and an important next step is to identify and tackle the barriers to the use of contraception. This may require significant changes to the way that the service is delivered, or to the use of more proactive measures to reach those who wish to but cannot or do not attend the weekly clinic.

Blue Ventures Conservation Report

Proposed actions

Hold discussions and focus groups with key community representatives to identify 3 months barriers to the use of contraception and access to the current service Liaise with MSM and other stakeholders on possible strategies for tackling these 6 months barriers Develop and implement appropriate actions for tackling the identified barriers 12 months

Objective 5: Work with local, regional and national stakeholders to ensure the programme meets the needs of the population, aligns with the national agenda, and collaborates wherever possible with the work of other agencies

Current position

Blue Ventures is the only organisation based within Velondriake. Through regular meetings, and frequent sexual and reproductive health awareness events in Andavadoaka, programme staff currently benefit from regular feedback from local stakeholders regarding the service being provided. However, such regular meetings and events are not currently held in any other villages. Expansion of these feedback and communication events to other Velondriake villages will be an essential component of the programme’s evolution.

Channels of communication have been developed with some of the key regional stakeholders. Effective collaboration with these regional stakeholders remains at an early stage, however. At a national level, the programme is fortunate to be working in partnership with MSM. However, links have not yet been developed with other organisations working in this field.

Proposed actions

Maintain strong understanding about current needs and issues relating to sexual and reproductive health in Andavadoaka, through regular communication with key Ongoing community groups Develop a system for regular communications with satellite clinic villages 6 months Maintain regular communications with the Medical Inspector of Morombe and the Ongoing Mayor of the Region Liaise with MSM in Toliara to identify other key regional stakeholders 6 months Liaise with MSM in Antananarivo to identify other key national stakeholders 6 months Meet and start to work collaboratively with key regional and national stakeholders as 12 months appropriate

Blue Ventures Conservation Report

Objective 6: Develop and implement a strategy to promote safer sex practices within the target population

Current position

Experience from working in the region, as well as research carried out elsewhere in Madagascar, has shown that the use of condoms, and awareness about the importance of using condoms, is low. Pioneering work in Andavadoaka, involving the use of theatre to raise awareness about the importance of safer sex practices, has successfully raised awareness of this issue within the community. Anecdotal reports suggest this has led to an increase in condom use by men in the village.

Proposed actions

Investigate the most effective interventions for the adoption of safer sex practices, through a review of the literature and liaison with local, regional and national 6 months stakeholders Develop specific interventions designed to facilitate the adoption of safer sex 12 months practices Pilot these interventions in Andavadoaka 12-18 months Based on an evaluation of the pilot project, deliver appropriate interventions 24 months throughout Velondriake

Objective 7: Communicate the progress and achievements of the programme to stakeholders, the medical and conservation communities, and the wider public

Current position

The delivery of sexual and reproductive health services for coastal villages is an essential way of enabling these communities to manage their resources sustainably, and is a novel undertaking for a marine conservation organisation. Experience has demonstrated that it is possible to successfully integrate these family planning services into conservation work within a rights-based framework, and Blue Ventures has developed a replicable model for this. A key contribution that this programme can make to marine conservation and sustainable development is to enable other organisations working in these fields to develop similar initiatives.

Given the innovative nature of this programme, and the integrated approach to reproductive health and sustainable resource management that it represents, a key objective is to communicate the impact of the

Blue Ventures Conservation Report programme and raise awareness of these issues to as wide an audience as possible. Communicating to the public health and conservation communities in particular is likely to lead to further opportunities for collaborative working, learning through the sharing of expertise, implementation of similar projects elsewhere and identifying sources of funding. In addition, keeping all donors and partners informed of the programme’s progress is very important.

Currently, communications on the progress of the programme has been limited to annual report writing, and ad hoc communications with members of the public health and conservation communities.

Proposed actions

Produce and publish annual reports on the Blue Ventures website, signposting Ongoing partners and funders to the reports Investigate the most appropriate way of communicating with the public health community, to include writing in medical journals, presenting at medical conferences 6 months and meetings Investigate the most appropriate way of communicating with the conservation community, and the marine conservation community in particular, to include writing 6 months in scientific journals, presenting at conservation conferences and meetings Identify and support those with the skills and interest in communications to raise awareness about the programme to as wide an audience as possible using a variety 6 months of media

Objective 8: Generate sufficient funding to ensure the financial security of the programme over the next three years (2009-2011) with a view to expansion beyond Velondriake

Current position

The programme is very fortunate to have the full support of the Blue Ventures team, and consequently running costs can be kept to a minimum. We are grateful for the financial support we have received so far, as this has ensured the programme’s short-term viability. As the programme grows, as outlined in this plan, the costs will inevitably rise. Also, while the site costs so far have been covered in full, the hidden costs of managing the programme from the UK have not formally been acknowledged or calculated. These costs will also rise with the growth of the programme.

In the medium- to long-term, in order to manage the programme effectively, recruiting and employing a member of staff in the UK to take responsibility for coordinating the project will be important to ensure that it

Blue Ventures Conservation Report continues to run effectively. Fundraising efforts will need to be increased in order to meet these costs, and ensure the programme’s sustainability. A UK-based programme coordinator will be able to expand fundraising activities, with the intention that this role will cover its own costs and raise substantial additional revenue for the programme.

Proposed actions

Explore and pursue opportunities for funding from organisations interested in sexual Ongoing and reproductive health, STI/HIV prevention, population and sustainability Raise awareness about the programme and the need for funding through the media, Ongoing and through scientific and health channels

Monitoring

In order to ensure and provide evidence that the programme’s aims are being met, a variety of monitoring processes are being put into place.

Objective Method of evaluation Frequency of monitoring Increase use of contraception by Monitor clinic activity, attendance Weekly the community and contraceptive uptake

Household surveys Biennially Raise awareness of issues relating Clinic exit questionnaires Every 6 weeks to sexual and reproductive health Provide a service that meets the Client satisfaction questionnaires Every 6 weeks needs and expectations of the clients Reduce unmet need for Household surveys Biennially contraception in the community Reduction in maternal mortality Census data 3-5 yearly Reduction in infant mortality Census data 3-5 yearly