Catalogue of Practices

Responding to Women's Need for Comprehensive Reproductive Health Services and Information


The Women's Health Care Foundation (WHCF), Philippines

Objective
To improve women's health through the provision of quality comprehensive health services and correct and adequate information, education and training in reproductive health.

Scope
Established in 1980, WHCF operates three clinics and outreach services in Manila, all strategically located to make services more available to more working women, students and community residents. The uniqueness of the programs is that where services were neglected by other health facilities, WHCF provide them.

Background
WHCF is a NGO in Philippines which has been active in reproductive health areas for more than a decade. Initiated in the vision of holistic health for women, the foundation in its 16 years of operation, has provided an affordable reproductive health care services to women, men and youth in the urban areas. It has been highly successful in advocacy and networking for mobilizing policy and program support to improve reproductive health status in Philippines.

Main Activities
Clinic services range from medical consultation, reproductive health care, laboratory services including Pap smears and other health education and counseling services.

Clinic services range from medical consultations, family planning, prenatal and post partum care, diagnosis and management of minor gynaecological problems and menopausal problems, laboratory services including pap smears and sexual health, nutrition counseling. Outreach services provide regular reproductive health services and information to the under- priviledged urban poor women who without time, transport and money are unable to visit the clinic for services.

IEC activities are in the form of small group discussions with clients at the clinic premise and reproductive health issues and problems.

Knowledge and skills are provided through training for community health workers as health educators, street vendors as community based distributors, overseas contract workers, seamen and employees of business establishments, to raise awareness of reproductive health issues and rights.

 

Evaluation Findings
From the commencement of the services (1980) to sixteen years later, the foundation has successfully reached almost 400,00 people. However, an average of about 400-500 clients are served through outreach activities quarterly.

Management Features
Strategy: 
WHCF places strong emphasis on the quality of its services and services that were neglected by health facilities, WHCF fills the gap. Several management actions have been taken to ensure that services provided adhere to standards and philosophy set by the Foundation.

Human Resource Management: 
Importance is given to staff development for the competency of the organization. The staff has regular and continuous training to ensure that they deliver quality reproductive health services and relevant and current information to clients. Improvement of management / administration skills is provided for clinic managers / physicians and other administrative staff.

Mobilizing resources: Through the years, UNFPA, AUSAID, USAID and JICA have provided funds for various projects. Income generated from "fee-for-service" paid for some operations expenditure. Future WHCF income to sustain the program would come from education activities reaching more women who are able to pay for the services.

Leadership: 
WHCF strongly encourages each individual's contribution in the management and decision-making process. The areas of responsibilities are jointly agreed on and recommendations approved and adopted after a consensus is reached.

The achievements of the Foundation may be attributed to the following factors: concentrate on strengths of programs before expansion; maintain strong and persistent advocacy and networking activities; provide opportunities to upgrade staff competency and gain commitment, focus on total health needs of clients.