Document Type

Report

Publication Date

2003

Abstract

In an effort to improve the health status of Palestinian women and their children in the West Bank and Gaza, USAID, in collaboration with the Palestinian Ministry of Health and a number of NGOs, designed and funded a 28-month pilot activity, the Pilot Health Project (PHP), that was expected to have a positive impact on the health of women and children. This report describes the results of the intervention designed to measure the effectiveness of a second home visit on low-parity women in 1) improving their knowledge and practices regarding their own health as well as the health of their newborn child; 2) increasing utilization of healthcare services postpartum, particularly the day 40 clinic visit; 3) increasing husband support; 4) increasing contraceptive use at six months postpartum; and 5) improving awareness and practice of breast and cervical cancer prevention techniques. Based on its findings, the report recommends: at least one home visit to low-parity women during the postpartum period, improving the performance of community health workers during home visits, involving husbands, encouraging mothers to seek postpartum care, catering to the needs of the mother as well as the newborn during the day 40 visit, and investigating use of mass media as a way of disseminating health information to low parity mothers.

DOI

10.31899/rh4.1221

Language

English

Project

Frontiers in Reproductive Health

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