Objective: To improve access to modern family planning methods and services in the target regions. Specifically, to increase demand for (modern) family planning services through expanding the geographic coverage and quality of the services offered. The target population was primarily women of reproductive age and their partners who live in rural areas.

Context: The project was part of the GIZ project “Fight against maternal mortality in Cameroon,” which aimed to improve the provision of sexual and reproductive health services in target regions. Specifically, it fell under component 1 “Support for family planning services.”

Health Focus was responsible for the following scope of work:

• Updating of the stakeholder analysis regarding the subject of communication in family planning, including inventory and analysis of currently existing behaviour change approaches and their effectiveness and identification of those which are most effective.
• Strengthening of public relations activities regarding the topic of family planning using the channels most likely to be successful (media, involvement of modern and traditional authorities and “role models” etc.)
• Development of a monitoring system specifically for public relations activities on the topic of family planning.
• Provision of advice on how family planning services should be organised in order to improve availability of these services and of modern contraceptives.
• Capacity building of partner structures at national, and particularly regional, levels in order to ensure the sustainability of the project interventions.
• Firmly embedding the topic of family planning in the revised communication strategy of the national Mother-Child Programme.