Adapting, Scaling Up, and Sustaining a Family Planning and Reproductive Health Model: The Willows Foundation Outreach Program in Turkey

Demet Gural, Willows Foundation
Hacer Nalbant, Istanbul University
Aysen Bulut, Istanbul University
Janet M. Turan, University of California, San Francisco
Elaine M. Murphy, Population Reference Bureau (PRB)

The world is keenly interested in how successful family planning/reproductive health (FP/RH) models can be adapted to other settings and scaled up. Building on lessons of Matlab and other community-based approaches, Willows Foundation’s community-outreach and referral program has increased poor urban women’s access to FP/RH information and services in Turkey. Over 800,000 women were reached by 979 field educators between 1999 and 2005; the project worked simultaneously to improve government health services. In 2004-2006, the program was externally evaluated in six urban areas of Turkey to assess the effects of the program on both clients and project staff regarding contraceptive use, FP/RH knowledge, familiarity with and use of preventive services. The evaluation details the successes of this scaled-up and intensive model of community-based education, counseling and referral. In establishing links between poor women and government services, the project provides important insights into both obstacles and needs regarding women’s access to health services.