Family Planning Counseling Corners Expand in Jharkhand, India, to Help Clients Choose a Method

The Challenge Initiative (TCI) recently expanded its reach to Jharkhand state in India in response to their request for technical support to advance family planning efforts in five cities: Ranchi, Bokaro, Dhanbad, Deoghar, and East Singhbhum.

All seven MOICs showed interest and inquired about the requirements of establishing such a corner. They discussed the idea with their staff as well.

The TCI team supported them in creating a prototype layout of an FP Counseling Corner and listed the required materials. The MOICs determined that all the commodities and IEC materials listed were available. All that was required was a “sacrosanct space,” with a table, chairs, and a display featuring family planning commodities, job aids and IEC material. The MOICs made auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) responsible for managing the FP Counseling Corner, where they counsel eligible clients and help them make an informed choice when selecting a family planning method.

FP Counseling Corners are being noticed and appreciated by other government officials. The Public Health Manager of Ranchi, Mr. Shishir Roy, stated: “We are noticing the benefits of this concept because people who were previously hesitant to ask for FP commodities now take condoms or OCPs from the FP corner. As a result, FP data is increasing. We are now planning to focus on community mobilization and outreach activities, and I am confident that with TCI India’s assistance, we will achieve even better results in the near future.”

Dr. Rachit is equally happy as he reported that in his UPHC, women are no longer hesitant as they visit the FP Counseling Corner to clarify their doubts, seek answers to their family planning questions and receive counseling as well. He now wants to have a female gynecologist scheduled on particular days at the UPHC to support the provision of both maternal and child health and family planning services.

The successful demonstration of this approach drew the attention and interest of the government. TCI shared this in review meetings and advocated scaling it up in other TCI-supported cities. As a result, the FP Counseling Corner concept has now been adopted by all the remaining four intervention cities in Jharkhand, including Bokaro, Dhanbad, Deoghar and East Singhbhum.

In seeking solutions to these gaps, the idea emerged
to establish “FP Counseling Corners” at UPHCs, which
complied with the government’s privacy guidelines.