PATH has developed this comprehensive suite of scientific communications materials to support evidence-based introduction and scale-up of DMPA-SC and self-injection (SI).

This lesson is intended for health care providers learning to counsel family planning clients about DMPA-SC and self-injection in the context of informed choice. Developed by the Injectables Access Collaborative, the lesson incorporates key content from the more in-depth DMPA-SC self-injection empathy-based counseling developed by the PSI Delivering Innovation in Self-Care (DISC) project. The lesson can be incorporated into a comprehensive training on DMPA-SC or adapted as a refresher training for experienced providers.

Please contact FPoptions@path.org with questions or comments.

Developed by the PSI Delivering Innovation in Self-Care (DISC) project, this training package is intended to guide ministries of health, family planning/reproductive health projects, and any implementing organization that is interested in integrating an empathy-based approach to improve health providers’ quality of care.

The training content addresses risks of preventable client “drop-off” during the initiation stage of women’s self-injection journey by using empathetic counseling to instill client confidence and address common concerns such as fear of the needle. In addition to supporting providers’ service delivery, the training modules can support improved health system functioning by putting the client’s experience front and center and by bringing more structure and guidance to the supportive supervision process, enabling providers to build their competencies after the training sessions.

For more information on integrating this training curriculum in your family planning program, please contact the PSI DISC project at disc.info@psi.org.

Lessons learned from training and support for health workers in the public and private sectors

Malawi has made significant progress in scaling up DMPA-SC and self-injection in the public sector with 100% of service delivery points activated. The country has also learned valuable lessons through private sector pilots and is in the process of finalizing new guidelines to authorize pharmacies and drugstores to provide self-injection training to clients. The country’s approach is widely appreciated as an example of effective government-led and partner-supported scale-up involving both the public and private sector.

This webinar hosted by the PATH-JSI DMPA-SC Access Collaborative Learning and Action Network on August 3, 2022 featured public and private partners’ insights on national scale-up of DMPA-SC and self-injection, with a focus on provider training and supportive supervision as well as strong cross-sectoral partnerships. Speakers included representatives from the Malawi Ministry of Health Reproductive Health Directorate, Clinton Health Access Initiative, FHI 360, and Population Services International.

Drawing from program data and research, panelists discussed practical lessons learned from Malawi’s national scale-up of public-sector provider training, public provider reflections on integrating self-injection, and experiences from a private sector provider training pilot. These lessons may benefit governments and public and private partners in other contexts who are in the process of introducing or scaling up DMPA-SC for self-injection.

The Training Resource Package (TRP) for Family Planning’s Progestin-Only Injectable module includes sessions V and VI which are focused on DMPA-SC and self-injection, as well as a number of related handouts and resources. Developed in partnership with the Access Collaborative, these materials are intended for training health care providers who offer progestin-only injectable contraception (“injectables”) in the public or private sector.

The TRP website features training information and materials for a wide range of family planning methods. This includes curriculum components and tools for trainers to design, implement, and evaluate family planning and reproductive health training.

DMPA-SC is a three-month injectable contraceptive that is easy to use and uniquely suited for self-injection. Demonstration and practice injections are a key part of training programs for both health workers and self-injection clients. Based on lessons learned in five countries, this memo summarizes PATH’s recommendations regarding devices for injection demonstration and practice, injection practice models, and waste disposal.

Supportive supervision plays a critical role to ensure high-performing health workers have the appropriate knowledge, skills, and motivation in order to deliver quality family planning (FP) services and informed choice counseling. This package includes three supportive supervision tools that can be used by regional or district health teams when conducting supervision visits at health facilities that offer FP services:

1. Supportive supervision checklist to assess provision of family planning counseling
2. Observation checklist to assess health workers counseling clients on DMPA-SC self-injection
3. Remote supervision of family planning providers (includes family planning and self-injection)

Tools #1 and #2 can be used together or separately, depending on whether or not the supervision visits include follow-up with providers recently trained to counsel clients on DMPA-SC self-injection.

Tool #3 is intended for use in situations where in-person supervision is not possible; the supervision exercise can be conducted through phone or video. This tool includes guidance and instructions for supervisors who plan to conduct supervision remotely.

The tools are intended to serve as guides and can be adapted for specific settings as needed. For more information, contact FPoptions@path.org.

The DMPA-SC Access Collaborative hosted this April 21, 2021 webinar highlighting lessons learned to date through four years of data-driven technical assistance and coordination to ensure that women have increased access to self-injection as a contraceptive option, delivered through informed choice programming. The discussion focused on key topics for the introduction and scale-up of self-injection—and self-care interventions more broadly—at the country level including:

• Policy and advocacy for new product introduction.
• How to coordinate scale-up of a new product.
• Using data to inform program introduction and scale-up.
• Effective innovations and adaptations in provider training.

This discussion was moderated by Monica Mutesa, Zambia Country Coordinator, DMPA-SC Access Collaborative, PATH. Speakers included:

• Caitlin Corneliess, Project Director, DMPA-SC Access Collaborative, PATH
• Adewole Adefalu, Nigeria Country Coordinator, DMPA-SC Access Collaborative, JSI
• Allen Namagembe, Uganda Deputy Director, DMPA-SC Access Collaborative, PATH
• Avotiana Rakotomanga, Madagascar Country Coordinator, DMPA-SC Access Collaborative, JSI
• Alain Kabore, Regional Technical Advisor, DMPA-SC Access Collaborative, PATH

For more information, please contact FPoptions@path.org.

By leveraging digital training tools, family planning programs can integrate new approaches that help reduce the costs, time, and inconvenience associated with traditional classroom training. The Access Collaborative has developed digital training resources for health workers and clients learning to administer DMPA-SC.

A 10-lesson DMPA-SC eLearning course for health workers is available for free in English and French and can be taken on computer or mobile device with internet access. Content includes informed choice counseling, calculating the injection date, conducting follow-up visits, and training clients to self-inject.

In addition to the eLearning course, PATH and JSI have developed short 5- to 7-minute DMPA-SC training videos for both self-injection clients and health workers. Currently available in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish, the videos can be translated or adapted to fit your program context.

If you are interested in introducing DMPA-SC digital training approaches in your program, please contact the Access Collaborative at FPoptions@path.org.

These short training videos are intended for both self-injection clients and health workers learning to administer the contraceptive DMPA-SC. The 5-minute self-injection video provides instructions for women who have made the decision to self-inject DMPA-SC in the context of informed choice counseling. The 7-minute training video is for health workers who are administering DMPA-SC injections to women. Both are available in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish at the links below.

If you are interested in customizing these videos for your family planning program, we can make the voiceover scripts and video files available. For more information, please email FPoptions@path.org.