The Family Planning and Immunization Integration Toolkit
The Family Planning (FP) and Immunization Integration Toolkit makes evidence-based information and tools accessible to health professionals and others around the world. The toolkit includes resources related to the following aspects of FP and immunization integration:
- The global evidence
- Advocacy
- Monitoring and evaluation
- Service delivery implementation
- Social and behavior change communication
- Examples of country experiences
The toolkit was developed by the FP/Immunization Integration Working Group (co-hosted by MCHIP and FHI 360), and is accessible through the K4Health Toolkit platform (http://www.k4health.org/toolkits/family-planning-immunization-integration).
Why FP & Immunization Integration?
While the vast majority of women in the first year postpartum want to delay or prevent another pregnancy, unmet need for FP among postpartum women remains high. Births that are spaced too closely together can pose serious health risks for both mothers and children. Routine immunization visits, which provide multiple contacts with the health system during the first year postpartum, can provide a timely opportunity to link new mothers with FP information and services. A growing body of evidence suggests that integrated service delivery can lead to increases in FP uptake with no negative effect on immunization.
FP & Immunization Integration has also been recognized as a promising High Impact Practice (HIP) for family planning. The HIP Brief on Family Planning & Immunization Integration outlines the rationale for integration, integration models, the global evidence, and tips for implementation. Twenty organizations including USAID and UNFPA have endorsed the brief.
