China. FP education at the grassroots level

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Population Communication
• Health Education

Background:

• The State Family Planning Commission (SFPC) in China aimed to improve family planning (FP) outreach.
• Existing provincial networks were insufficient for reaching remote rural areas and grassroots providers.
• Project CPR/90/P17 was initiated to strengthen rural grassroots FP publicity and education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the implementation of pilot county stations for strengthening rural grassroots family planning (FP) communication.
• To identify successes and weaknesses in the project's training and dissemination of educational materials.
• To provide recommendations for improving future FP communication strategies in China.

Main Methods:

• Establishment of 180 pilot county stations to train village/township FP workers.
• Strengthening of 29 Provincial Publicity and Education Sub-Centers through training and IEC material production.
• Evaluation of the project with assistance from a UNESCO CST Population Communication Adviser.

Main Results:

• The project achieved successes but also revealed weaknesses in implementation.
• Existing educational materials exhibited an urban, mass-media bias, not reflecting local needs.
• Training programs required improvements to be more culturally appropriate and need-based.

Conclusions:

• Training curricula should be need-based, participatory, and competency-based for cultural relevance.
• Future educational materials need regular updates, local survey integration, and broader content.
• Enhanced materials should address rumors, responsible sexual behavior, teenage pregnancy, and adolescent reproductive health.