Name of the project: SRHR and maternal health services for the marginalized population including Haor and Hard to reach areas of Jagannathpur Upzilla, Sunamganj.

Duration: October 2024 to December 2024 

Funded by: The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)

Supported By: United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

Implementation area of PHD: Jagannathpur Upazila Sunamganj District    

In Jagannathpur Upazila of Sunamganj, with a population of 0.3 million in the flood-prone Haor region, access to Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services is limited due to socio-cultural norms, inadequate infrastructure, and poverty. This increases the vulnerability of women and adolescents, particularly regarding SRHR. PHD, with support from UNFPA, aims to improve SRH services through continuation of service delivery through the five UH&FWCs in the hard-to-reach unions of Raniganj, Asharkandi, Chilaura-Haldipur, Pailgaon and Mirpur.

Midwifery-led services will mobilize community, public, and private resources to enhance maternal health. Qualified midwives will provide skilled delivery and maternal care, while local governments will be facilitated to support renovations and resource generation. Project team will maintain liaison with the Family Planning Department to ensure medicine and logistical support. Mothers’ assembly will be arranged as a one stop service point for pregnant and lactating women for enhanced maternal care and an advocacy tool to reduce social barrier. Team will facilitate strengthening support with UHFWC management committee and maintain regular communication with district and upazila level stakeholders for ensuring quality, addressing barriers, ensuring community-led sustainability. Lessons learned will be documented for potential replication of the initiative.

Outcome 2: By 2026 people, in particular the most vulnerable and marginalized, have improved access to and utilization of quality, inclusive, gender- and shock-responsive, universal and resilient social protection, social safety-net and basic social services.

Output 2.3.1 Improved availability of high quality, human rights based comprehensive, integrated sexual and reproductive health information and services across the development and humanitarian continuum, especially for the most vulnerable and marginalized women and girls

Specific Objectives:

• To ensure access to quality SRH services with special emphasis on Family Planning, safe motherhood and adolescent healthcare
• To increase demand for quality SRH services following well defined, customized and user-friendly demand generation intervention
• To strengthen community-based stakeholders using a right based approach
• To establish an effective liaison and referral network with government health and family planning authorities
• To increase the capacity of the service providers at all levels including quality service provision and demand generation
• To develop and manage a database system to capture all information, especially service provision, follow-up and outcome
• To strengthen government systems to reach the hard-to-reach population through sustainable approaches

General Objective:

• To increase access to and utilization of quality SRH services in the four hard to reach unions of Jagannathpur Upazila through strengthening community mobilization and following a Public Private Partnership approach.