Increasing Family Planning Access in Kenya Through Engagement of Faith-Based Health Facilities, Religious Leaders, and Community Health Volunteers

Health facilities managed by faith-based organizations (FBOs) are important providers of health care in Kenya but provide only a small proportion of family planning services in the country. From 2013 to 2017, the Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHAK) implemented a project with 6 FBO-managed health facilities to increase voluntary family planning services in western Kenya, in partnership with religious leaders and community health volunteers (CHVs). The project aimed to build capacity of FBO-managed health facilities, increase religious leaders' knowledge of family planning, mobilize communities, improve family planning access and referrals for services, and advocate for improved family planning commodity security from the public sector. Project impact was evaluated using facility-level service statistics, project records and reports, and feedback from religious leaders and CHVs who implemented the project. Facility service statistics showed large increases in family planning visits. Phase 1 (2013–2014) was implemented at 2 health facilities, where client visits for family planning increased sixfold (from 705 to 4,286 visits) with tenfold increases seen in client visits for pills, intrauterine devices, and implants. In Phase 2 (2015–2017), the project was expanded to an additional 4 health facilities and total client visits for family planning nearly doubled (from 7,925 to 14,832 visits). During Phase 2, new client visits for implants increased threefold, making implants the most popular family planning method. Religious leaders who implemented the project reported reaching nearly 700,000 people with family planning messages and referring more than 87,000 clients to health facilities for family planning services. The religious leaders expressed confidence in the effectiveness of the project and in their role in enhancing access to voluntary family planning. Health facilities, religious leaders, and CHVs also reported multiple challenges to implementation, including inconsistent supply of family planning commodities from county health departments. This project demonstrates the potential of FBO-managed facilities and faith leaders to increase family planning demand and service provision, as well as the importance of coordination with the public sector to ensure supply of commodities and support for FBO-managed facilities.