This paper is part of the Policy Series in Reproductive Health, which shares research undertaken by the Reproductive Health Working Group (RHWG). It describes the Reproductive Health Intervention Study, which designed and tested a model of essential reproductive health (RH) services. RHWG was established in 1988 as part of a special program on the health of women and children within the context of the family and community initiated by the Population Council’s Regional Office for the West Asia and North Africa region. The paper identifies a framework of basic service components that address RH and shows that their delivery is possible at the primary level. It gives an overview of this experience, which illustrates how the RH approach can be translated into actual service delivery at the primary care level in a developing country setting. The paper outlines the framework that was developed and tested in three rural primary care clinics in Giza, Egypt; presents the main achievements as well as challenges; and discusses the most salient policy implications.
Assessing the effectiveness of a comprehensive menstrual health intervention program in Ugandan schools (MENISCUS): process evaluation of a pilot intervention study