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Table 2 Details of intervention components

From: A study protocol: using demand-side financing to meet the birth spacing needs of the underserved in Punjab Province in Pakistan

S.no

Intervention components

Description

1

Training on reproductive health/family planning and post-training evaluation

Medical: Reproductive health and family planning, counselling, quality of services, infection prevention, short-term family planning methods, IUD & Femplant insertion and removal.

Business: Basic budgeting skills, record keeping, stock management, branding, marketing and the voucher management. The training is followed by post-training evaluation conducted by external consultant (medical doctor).

2

Field health educator (FHE)

Field educators are local community members; they undergo training on family planning methods, voucher distribution systems and data recording. They pay door-to-door visits, raise awareness, generate referrals, conduct follow-up visits and distribute vouchers for the short-term and long-term methods to eligible women, identified through poverty scale.

3

Branding (only for intervention 1 group: Suraj)

Mid-level providers in intervention areas are branded as Suraj while marketing is done through FHE, posters, wall paintings, leaflets, etc. The Suraj logo is displayed prominently in Urdu outside all clinics.

4

Voucher for short-term and long-term contraceptive method

Vouchers are for short-term and long-term methods, and are distributed by FHE to eligible women, identified through poverty scale. They can be redeemed at any project provider. Later, the reimbursement is sent to the provider against her claim. Femplant cannot be inserted by mid-level providers as per the national health policy. Femplant clients from Suraj areas will be referred to nearby public or urban private providers.