These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Market day midwives.
    Author: Futures Group. Social Marketing for Change SOMARC.
    Journal: Integration; 1994 Jun; (40):48. PubMed ID: 12345683.
    Abstract:
    In August 1994 in Uganda, the Social Marketing for Change (SOMARC) project invited midwives to counsel clients and sell low-dose oral contraceptives (OCs), condoms, and the progestin-only OCs in local markets. They now sell these contraceptives from vendor stalls in busy markets, which allows clients to speak privately with the midwives. The midwives refer clients to their maternity clinics or to hospitals for other contraceptive methods and reproductive/maternal and child health (MCH) services. All Market Day Midwives have taken a 1-month family planning course and a course in quality of customer service. By the end of March 1994, 17 midwives served 22 marketplaces ranging from rural village markets operating once every 2 weeks to very busy, daily city markets. Some markets have 15 permanent stalls, while other midwives move within markets. Market Day Midwives have been able to add more than 1900 women to the list of women using the OC Pilplan. 65% of the new acceptors had not used any OC before Pilplan. 46% of them would be women considered to be high risk if they were to become pregnant (teenagers, women over 35, and women with many children). These midwives have been successful because they operate where the people are and they provide anonymity. Market Day Midwives have also brought in men who seek them out for family planning/sexually transmitted disease prevention services. They have sold more than 1000 Protector condoms. Another benefit of the market day approach is professional growth of the midwives. They often invest their earnings into new equipment and their private maternity clinics. They have learned the significance of advertising and the value of high-quality customer service. They look to expand into other markets and to integrate MCH products (e.g., oral rehydration) into their contraceptive business.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]