New research shows that Marie Stopes International (MSI) outreach teams in Nepal played a pivotal role in helping to dramatically reduce the country’s fertility rate. Between 2001 and 2006, the rate dropped from 4.1 to 3.1 births per woman. This reduction was due almost entirely to the drop in fertility rates in rural areas, where the outreach teams are most active.

The outreach teams from Sunaolo Parivar Nepal (SPN), MSI’s Partner in Nepal, go deep into remote, rural areas raising awareness of family planning and reproductive health issues, as well as providing access to family planning methods. Setting up mobile clinics, often in tents, the teams provide a range of modern contraceptives including intrauterine devices (IUDs), implants and condoms.

As a result of these efforts, SPN has helped to significantly increase the use of contraceptives in remote areas. By 2006, nearly one in 10 women reporting using a modern form of contraception got their contraception from SPN.

Providing permanent family planning
For those who want a permanent form of family planning (sterlisation) SPN is also able to provide that option.

Between 2001 and 2006, SPN performed 50% all female sterilisations and 45% of all (male and female) sterilisations in Nepal. The total number of sterilisations provided by SPN increased from 11,453 to 35,278 during those years.

One of those clients treated by SPN was a 36 year old man from Kalikot District:

"I’m a father of three and I wanted to have a vasectomy after my second child. But, because I live in a remote part of Kalikot District, there aren’t any hospitals nearby which offer the procedure and to get to the nearest one that did I’d have to work for a whole day to get there. As I didn’t know if it would be possible to then walk home after the vasectomy I didn’t go to have it done.

"Then, SPN brought an outreach vasectomy camp to my village and I was able to have a vasectomy very close to my home. Thank you SPN."

Offering access to safe abortion
Since abortion was legalised in Nepal, SPN has worked closely with the government to provide access to safe abortion. Between March 2004 and June 2007, SPN averted 92,800 unplanned births through safe registered abortions. Delivering more than 70% of all registered abortions in Nepal, SPN is now the largest provider of safe abortion in the country.

MSI and SPN have played a major role in expanding the use of modern contraception methods among key hard-to-reach groups of rural women and those with no formal education. It is anticipated that their continuing work in this area will achieve an even greater uptake in the next few years.

Source: Marie Stopes International