Marie Stopes Collaboration

MARIE STOPES UGANDA (MSU) is a non-Governmental Organisation affiliated to Marie Stopes International of the UK, a British charity whose aim is to enable people to exercise their fundamental human right to determine the size and spacing of their family and to improve on the quality of their families. The initial funding for Marie Stopes Uganda was provided by Marie Stopes International, and the European Union.

MSU clinics offer general medical services, full laboratory facilities, antenatal and postnatal care, modern contraceptive methods, detection and treatment of sexually transmitted illnesses.

The clinics also offer outpatient treatment for HIV related illnesses at all clinics. MSU outreach services offer counseling services as well as permanent and temporary family planning methods to communities unable to access clinics located in the town centers.

Additionally Marie Stopes International was contracted by the STI Project of the Ministry of Health to implement a condom social marketing programme. This programme is being implemented by MSI-Uganda a sister organization of Marie Stopes Uganda.

Marie Stopes centers were opened with a long-term strategy to support and complement the efforts of the national family planning programme, working within a network of providers, with support from Ministry of Health. Marie Stopes centers in addition operate a Community based distribution outreach service targeting particularly undeserved populations and facilitating access to a broader mix of contraception methods including condoms.

Value:

Client care and high quality services provision are at the core of MSU's philosophy. To ensure that these key criteria area attained MSU operates by maintaining the following fundamental values: professionalism, commitment, integrity, confidentiality, client choice, transparency, privacy, safety and dignity.

Progress to Date:

MSU was established over 10 years ago and has since established a high quality client-centered, effective and sustainable clinics, which provide compassionate, low-cost services that are acceptable and accessible to local communities. Marie Stopes clinics registered nearly 75,000 client visits in 2001.

Services Offered:

They are as follows:

General diagnosis and treatment of gynecological and medical ailments

• Health Education
• Immunisation
• Antenatal Care
• Postnatal Care
• Counseling
• Temporary and Permanent Family planning: Vasectomy and Bilateral Tubal Ligation
• Control and management of sexually transmitted diseases and prevention of HIV transmission
• Out patient treatment of HIV related illnesses
• Treatment of infertility and sub-fertility
• Screening for cancer of the cervix
• Comprehensive laboratory services
• Community based distribution of condoms, contraceptives and motivation of clients for services.

Technical and Logistical Support:

MSU buys contraceptives from MOH. Drugs and other supplies are purchased from the open market. MSU also receives technical support from Marie Stopes International and MOH.

Sustainability Plans:

The establishment of clinics is made possible by the contribution of funds through donors and MSI. Costs are usually funded for a period of 3 years by which the clinic is expected to be self-sustaining.

To be self-sustaining, the clinics charge a fee for services to recover the cost of providing the service. Any profits generated are utilized to start the additional services or clinics wherever possible. Several MSU clinics are self-funded as they have achieved sustainability after the initial 3 years.

Funding from donors assist with covering the cost of training staff to build capacity and high quality in the services. As many clients have little money charges are very modest. This makes expanding the services difficult, therefore, alternative income generating activities are undertaken where possible.

Interagency Collaboration:

MSU has formed strategic alliances with other agencies working in the field of sexual and reproductive health. As well as working positively with the MOH, other partners include: Commercial Market Strategies (CMS), Population Secretariat, Family Planning Association, DISH project, The AIDS information Center (AIC), Straight Talk Foundation, Mama FM, The AIDS support Organisation, PEARL and many others.

2001 Performance:

Last year, approximately 75,000 client visits were registered at all the MSU clinics. Additionally, the clinic teams and outreach teams performed very well in permanent methods of family planning, and performed 3,382 tubal ligations and 412 vasectomy operations for men and women wishing for permanent family planning methods.

Constraints:

Existing levels of income generated by clinics is modest, and additional expansion of outreach services to reach more communities is desirable. Therefore donation of funding to fund transport costs to reach the distant clients from PHC community outreach and provide continuing medical training and skills upgrading to staff in this changing medical environment is always welcome.

For further details:

Health Care services

Marie Stopes Collaboration