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URC/CHS News Archives

March/April 2002

National Launch of Family Planning Communication Materials in Guatemala

Calidad en Salud, URC's Maternal and Child Health Technical Assistance and Support Contract (TASC) funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, is currently providing a wide range of technical assistance to the Guatemalan Ministry of Health (MOH), its partner non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the Guatemalan Social Security Institute (IGSS). One of several key components of this 46-month project is to improve the capacity of the Ministry of Health, 56 partner NGOs, and the IGSS to design, conduct, and evaluate behavior change interventions and communication strategies to improve child survival and reproductive health-related practices.

Development of the family planning materials followed the steps in the National Reproductive Health Program's IEC strategy model

Calidad en Salud/URC recently met a major milestone with the national launch of a comprehensive set of educational and promotional family planning materials. These high quality print and audiovisual products, designed to support the newly organized National Reproductive Health Program, were produced through a highly participatory and consensus-driven process involving more than a dozen organizations. Strategic design (including audience research and materials design and pre-test), implementation, and monitoring were coordinated by URC's communication team, led by Calidad en Salud's Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) Technical Advisor, Elena Hurtado, and IEC Materials Development Specialists, Berna Salas and Karina Arriaza. URC's Senior Technical Advisor for Behavior Change Communication (BCC), Peggy Koniz-Booher, provided additional support.

This integrated set of family planning materials represents a notable contribution by Calidad en Salud/URC to the current Guatemalan government's commitment to improving access and quality of family planning services offered through public facilities nationwide. The role of the new materials is to provide clear, concise, and accurate information concerning contraceptive options, with a special focus on the education of clients and the promotion of informed choice.

Dr. Mario Bolaños, the Guatemalan Minister of Health, displays a full set of the new family planning materials at the launch event held on November 12, 2001.

The MOH materials were unveiled at the Princess Hotel in Guatemala City on November 12, 2001, in a reception hosted by the Ministry of Health and the Inter-institutional IEC Technical Group (GTI-IEC), with representatives of both the public and private sectors. Participating in the launch were the Minister of Health, Dr. Mario Bolaños, the Director of the National Reproductive Health Program, Dr. Julio García Colíndres, other senior health officials, members of the GTI-IEC, officials of the U.S. Agency for International Development and other international agencies, representatives of leading NGOs, and members of the television, radio, and print media. The event was well-attended and received wide and positive press coverage.

The integrated set of 23 family planning print materials includes a general brochure highlighting all contraceptive methods currently available through the Guatemalan public health care system, a complementary poster highlighting available methods for health care facilities, and two distinct versions of the 10 promotional brochures (one version featuring Mayan clients in indigenous dress and the other showing ladino clients in Western dress) that present 9 individual family planning methods and postpartum contraceptive options. A total of more than 3 million print materials, produced by Calidad en Salud for the MOH, are currently being distributed nationwide during training for Ministry personnel in the use of the new materials and interpersonal communication and counseling. A number of non-governmental organizations participating in the GTI-IEC have supported the printing of an additional quantity of each material for use in their respective programs, adding their own individual logos. The Minister of Health has declared these materials the official materials on family planning. This decision contributes to a national unification of technical content and helps to ensure the consistency of family planning messages disseminated by both private and public agencies.

Two distinct sets of promotional brochures were developed to reflect both Mayan and ladino images.

In addition to these print materials, 10 reproductive health radio spots were premiered during the launching event, covering a variety of topics, including the importance of child spacing, contraceptive options, the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, and the promotion of early detection of breast and cervical cancers. Like the print materials, these public service announcements were produced by the MOH with technical assistance and the financial support of Calidad en Salud/URC. All spots were professionally recorded in Spanish and four indigenous languages, each ending with a special jingle-"Your health, your decision, our future"-created to help position and promote the new National Reproductive Health Program's promotional slogan. In 2000, when work on the integrated family planning materials began, Calidad en Salud/URC organized a national contest for the MOH to select the logo and slogan of the National Reproductive Health Program.

The integrated set of family planning print and audio materials were developed based on needs identified during the design of the National IEC Strategy for Family Planning, led by URC during the first year of Calidad en Salud. The overall design and imagery used in the integrated set of brochures resulted from a process of benchmarking and new audience research conducted by members of the GTI-IEC. The materials were adapted from a number of existing products, primarily a set of brochures produced under a separate USAID contract with Development Associates in the Dominican Republic. An innovative South-to-South collaboration facilitated by URC allowed Víctor Nolasco, the graphic artist responsible for the original artwork, to provide technical assistance in materials development to the Calidad en Salud IEC team, members of the GTI-IEC, and Milvia de León, the local graphic artist selected to produce the materials. Nolasco and Koniz-Booher had worked together in the design of the original materials in the Dominican Republic, developing a state-of-the-art process using digital photography, imagery scanning, and computer design graphics. This technology transfer greatly enhanced the local team's ability to produce quality graphic images and significantly reduced the overall production time. Imagery produced during the process is digitally available and is being incorporated into additional training and promotional materials and in other components of the National Reproductive Health Program, such as maternal-neonatal health.

A separate launch of Calidad en Salud-supported family planning and child health IEC materials, both print and audio, was held in December, 2001 in the main auditorium of the Guatemala Social Security Institute (IGSS). This event drew the participation of the IGSS Administrator, Ing. Eduardo José Escobar Vallecillos, key administrative staff, including Gloria Dardón de Ángel, Head of Public Relations, and Carolina de Aguirre, Chief Spokesperson, key physicians and other service delivery staff, including IGSS social workers and educators, as well as media representatives. The IGSS launch featured an integrated set of print materials adapted from the Ministry of Health materials and also included a 12-minute promotional video on family planning services offered by IGSS, 10 reproductive health and 8 immunization radio spots focusing on IGSS services (also adapted from Ministry of Health versions), a tracking card (carné) for family planning users, an immunization brochure, and signage related to family planning services that has been placed in all IGSS facilities.

For more information on URC's work in the Guatemala, contact Dawn Crosby at dcrosby@urc-chs.com, Peggy Koniz-Booher at pkoniz_booher@urc-chs.com or our Calidad en Salud team at info@calidad.com.gt.

Bilingual Education Project Launched

The Bilingual Education: Training for All Teachers Project was launched officially in Westminster, MD, on March 6 with an exhibit of projects created by students in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes at Silver Spring International Middle School in Silver Spring, MD, followed by a wine and cheese reception.

The joint five-year project between Western Maryland College (WMC) and University Research Co.-Center for Human Services (URC-CHS) is being funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Dr. Ken Pool, WMC's Dean of Graduate Education, Mr. Ryan Monroe, URC-CHS Project Coordinator, and Mr. K. Grogan Ullah, URC-CHS Project Director, spearhead the project, while Dr. Norma Varisco de García, one of the country's foremost leaders and experts in the field of Bilingual Education, serves on staff as Consultant. Training for all Teachers is guided by a vision that cultural and linguistic diversity should be appreciated and fostered in all students.

Mr. Ryan Monroe, URC-CHS Project Coordinator, and Dr. Norma Varisco de García, Consultant

In describing the project, Mr. Monroe signaled URC-CHS' intention to extend the focus beyond basic ESL teaching, adding that teachers should become aware of the many aspects of their students' lives. Teachers should learn to "look beyond" teaching ESL and take into consideration their students' other academic needs, as well as their cultural backgrounds, current environments, and the challenges and obstacles they face. The project's goals include training teachers to facilitate students' development of literacy in English as well as a love of reading and writing in their native language.

Mr. Ryan Monroe, Dr. Ken Pool, WMC Dean of Graduate Education, and URC-CHS President Mr. Charles Pecarro

URC-CHS will work in partnership with WMC to develop and implement a high quality program in Bilingual Education and English for Speakers of Other Languages at Western Maryland College. The program will offer various professional development opportunities for public school teachers and administrators, including workshops, graduate courses in bilingual education, field experiences, and an intensive summer training institute. Teachers will receive research-based tools to ensure that English Learner students in K-12 schools reach high levels of literacy and have access to the core curriculum.

For more information on Bilingual Education: Training for All Teachers, contact Mr. Grogan Ullah at groganu@cvn.net.

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URC Staff Earn Professional Recognition

Congratulations are in order for several URC staff who recently earned professional recognition through accreditation, certification, training, appointments, or publications.

Congratulations to Sucha Snidvongs, Graphic Designer in the Media Division, who won the national competition for the design of the official poster for the 2002 National Cherry Blossom Festival, which runs from March 23 through April 6. Sucha came to URC as a Cooperative Education Intern from Montgomery College. Her stunning design will be seen all over Washington, DC by the tens of thousands of visitors to the annual Cherry Blossom Festival.

Carol Cherich, Treatment Referral Facilitator at the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI), passed her National Counselor's Examination in October 2001 to become licensed by the Maryland State Board of Professional Counselors. She holds an Initial Clinical Professional Counselor License (LCPC), which authorizes Carol to practice clinical alcohol and drug counseling, clinical family therapy, or clinical professional counseling in Maryland. In addition to passing the exam, requirements for the license include completion of a master's degree in a counseling-related field from an accredited institution.

Dr. M. Rashad Massoud, Associate Project Director for the Quality Assurance Project, was recently appointed to a second two-year term on the Editorial Committee of the International Journal for Quality in Health Care, published by The International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua). Rashad was also invited by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and The British Medical Journal to co-chair the 8th European Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care, which will be held in Bergen, Norway in May 2003.

Articles Published

Dr. Lynne Miller Franco, Quality and Service Delivery Advisor and Infectious Disease Surveillance Coordinator on the Partnerships for Health Reformplus Project, will publish an article in the April issue of the journal, Social Science and Medicine (Volume 54, Issue 8). The article, entitled "Health sector reform and public sector health worker motivation: a conceptual framework," was co-authored by Lynne's colleagues at PHRplus, Sara Bennett and Ruth Kanfer.

In December 2001, Dr. Bart Burkhalter, Director of Operations Research for the Quality Assurance Project, published with colleagues J. Stephen Robinson, Barbie Rasmussen, and Ristianto Sugiono, a summary of their article, "Low-cost on-the-job peer training of nurses improved immunization coverage in Indonesia" in International Family Planning Perspectives (Volume 27, Issue 4). The article summarizes a longer study published in February 2001 in The Bulletin of the World Health Organization.

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New White Ribbon Alliance Website

The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood (WRA) is pleased to announce the launch of their new website: http://www.whiteribbonalliance.org.

The White Ribbon Alliance is a group of organizations and individuals that have combined forces to raise international awareness about the need to make pregnancy and childbirth safe for all women and infants. The Alliance's goal is to make or keep this issue as a priority of international organizations and governments. University Research Co., LLC is proud to be an organizational member of the Alliance.

The new White Ribbon Alliance website features simple navigation through buttons across the top of each page, to access the following main sections:

The Alliance Secretariat, NGO Networks for Health, is located in Washington, DC, USA. Since May 1999, the Alliance has grown to include approximately 200 individual and organizational members, representing 19 countries: Armenia, Cambodia, Canada, Georgia, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Kiribati, Madagascar, Malawi, Mongolia, Nepal, Nigeria, Togo, Ukraine, United States, Vietnam, and Zambia.

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Sisters Together National Campaign Launch

by Janis Berman

Taking steps toward a healthier lifestyle can be fun…a message illustrated when women came with their friends and families to the Franklin D. Reeves Center in Washington, DC on October 20, 2001 to celebrate the national kick off of Sisters Together: Move More, Eat Better. Sisters Together is a national media-based program that encourages African-American women to reach and maintain a healthy weight by becoming more physically active and making healthy food choices. URC partnered with Educational Services, Inc., to develop and implement the campaign as a part of the Weight-control Information Network (WIN), a national information service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Over 300 participants took part in launch activities, including a fitness walk led by celebrity guest and fitness guru Donna Richardson. A health fair following the walk featured healthy cooking demonstrations, hand dancing, and giveaways, with face painting and balloons for kids.

Describing the event, Jaime Holbrook, URC's WIN Outreach and Education Specialist said, "The launch was a wonderful community event where people had a chance to learn and socialize. Donna Richardson was an excellent leader and really got women excited about the walk -- Everyone had a great time."

NIDDK initiated the country-wide program in our Nation's Capital to call attention to health risks caused by high rates of overweight and obesity among African-American women. Statistics have shown that nearly 70 percent of Black women are overweight or obese, and that those affected are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and some cancers.

The Sisters Together pilot program was launched in Boston in 1994 as a way to "increase awareness among Black women, 18 to 35, about the health benefits of regular exercise and healthier eating," explained Leslie Curtis, MA, WIN Project Officer. Curtis noted that the national campaign will build upon the success achieved by the pilot program by broadening the campaign's audience with a national media effort. National and local newspapers, magazines, and radio stations will serve as channels to further raise awareness among Black women about the health benefits of regular physical activity and healthy eating. URC outreach specialists on the WIN Project helped implement the Sisters Together strategy to effectively reach an audience of African-American women ages 18 and over.

In addition to developing the campaign strategy, WIN staff created the campaign centerpiece: four culturally relevant brochures that offer a range of tips in support of the Sisters Together goal:

For those interested in developing a community health awareness program or in learning more about the project, The Sisters Together: Move More Eat Better Program Guide, the brochures, and a variety of other publications may be downloaded free of charge from the WIN website (http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/win.htm).

For more information about URC's work in the Sisters Together campaign, please contact Jaime Holbrook at jaimeh@esilsg.org.

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