Data can be used from facility records, health information systems (HIS), and specialized surveys, such as Health Facility Assessments (HFA) and the Service Provision Assessment Survey (SPA).

For an overview of various HFA instruments, see MEASURE Evaluation/USAID/WHO (2008), and for SPA, see MEASURE DHS (2011). The data can be disaggregated by the type of facility or program (public, private, non-governmental, community-based), the types of FP methods and services available, and by other relevant factors such as districts and urban/rural location.

Data Source(s):

Facility records; HIS; specialized surveys; HFA; SPA

Purpose:

This indicator measures access to FP methods through primary health care facilities and is included among the core access indicators for the achievement of universal access to reproductive health (RH) (WHO/UNFPA. 2008). Primary health care facilities, particularly community-based facilities, often serve low-income and marginalized populations and can be entry points for health care and for FP services. The provision of FP services at the primary care level is considered an essential part of achieving universal access and relates directly to Millennium Development Goals #5. improve maternal health and #4. reduce child mortality.

Issue(s):

While this indicator measures availability of FP services in primary health care facilities as a component of access, it does not capture specific aspects of or barriers to access, for example, physical availability, cost, method mix, supply, information, availability of trained providers, and quality of services.  For these purposes, data on utilization, travel time, hours of operation, costs of services, types of methods available, stock-outs, youth friendliness, staffing, and perceived quality of care can be beneficial.

References: