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The U.S. Agency for 
International
Development (USAID),
in conjunction with its
interagency working
group The PAC
Connection, has
launched this e-
newsletter to provide a
forum for sharing and
exchanging information
on USAID-funded work
on postabortion care
(PAC).
The purpose of this
publication is to:
  • Share programmatic
    experiences and
    research results
    relevant to PAC
    programs.
  • Update readers on the
    USAID Global PAC
    Resource Package,
    including materials for
    PAC programs, such
    as policy documents
    and training materials.
  • Exchange information
    about events in
    Washington and in 
    the field.

PAC Connection: Who We Are, What We Do

The PAC Connection, established in 2008, is the interagency working group of USAID-funded postabortion care (PAC) programs. The PAC Connection is open to all USAID-funded organizations and USAID Missions that are currently implementing or interested in starting PAC programs.

In This Issue:

Country Updates

 
Evidence to Action: Improving the Quality of Postabortion Care in Togo
Like others in West Africa, Togo’s public health system has been working hard to guarantee that postabortion care (PAC) services are delivered in a safe, effective, and accessible way, which includes the assurance that family planning counseling and a range of contraceptive methods are offered at the same time and location as treatment for incomplete abortion. 

© 2015 E2A Project


PAC comes on a long list of priorities that Togo must undertake to improve the health of its population. The USAID-funded Evidence to Action (E2A) Project, along with several other partners working in Togo on PAC, has therefore worked alongside the country’s Division of Family Health to keep PAC services in the spotlight and ensure all women seeking PAC have access to quality postabortion-family planning services. Read more about E2A's work on postabortion care in Togo.
 
Beginning Attempts to Integrate IUD and Implant Skills into PAC Training in a Single 10-Day Course in Mali Shows Signs of Success
© 2015 JhpiegoThe Maternal and Child Survival Program just completed a course for 12  new PAC providers from four facilities in Bamako, Kayes, Kita (Kayes region) and Bougouni (Sikasso region) in Mali in which IUD and Implant skills were included as an integrral part of PAC training. Following work in the classroom and with anatomical models, these providers counseled 128 clients in family planning (FP), inserted 56 Jadelles, removed 15, inserted 14 IUDs and nine PPIUDs, removed six, and managed six clients with abortion complications using manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) during their clinical practice. Participants also created action plans to reorganize services in their facilities to improve client flow. This first experience with integrated training was deemed effective. It allowed participants to practice their new skills with long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) when PAC caseload was low. Over the next year, USAID/Washington will be reviewing the 2010 Global PAC Curriculum to determine how skills for IUD and implant provision can be incorporated without prolonging the current recommended training time of 10 days. Look for more information in upcoming PAC Connection newsletters. For more information re: the work in Mali, contact Tsigue Pleah. For more information on USAID/Washington's plans to integrate IUD and implant skills into the Global PAC Curriculum, contact Carolyn Curtis.
 
 

Meeting & Conferences


PAC Connection Semiannual Meeting
On January 20, 2015, the PAC Connection held its semiannual meeting at the office of the Management Sciences for Health (MSH) in Arlington, VA. Nearly 25 participants from a variety of organizations attended to hear updates and discuss next steps for partner organizations implementing PAC/FP programs. The meeting included:
  • A technical update from USAID’s PAC priorities and strategy
  • An overview of the new Postabortion Family Planning Project led by EngenderHealth
  • A presentation on a recent study on FP/LARC integration into PAC services in Guinea, led by Jhpiego
  • An update on the PAC Consortium’s recent activities and upcoming plans
  • A briefing on the new PAC Resource Package website and the increase in traffic
  • A look at twenty years of evidence from postabortion care

Read the PAC Connection Semiannual Meeting Highlights.
 

Calling All Readers


Are you implementing postabortion family planning programs? We want to hear you implementation successes and challenges! Please add your information to the HIPs map so other programs can learn from your experiences.

We welcome your feedback and suggestions for articles or information you would like to see featured in this newsletter, as well as article submissions from The PAC Connection partners. We encourage you to share this newsletter with partners in the field who are implementing or may be interested in implementing PAC programs. 

To subscribe or submit comments or suggestions, please contact Elizabeth Tully at the The PAC Connection Secretariat.
Copyright © 2015 Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, All rights reserved.


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