Validity assessment of flowcharts for syndromic management of vaginal discharge.

Early detection and treatment of RTIs/STIs and promotion of community awareness through behaviour change communication (BCC) are the key issues relating to their prevention. BCC messages should include topics such as safer sex practices and appropriate and timely healthcare-seeking behaviour. In improving RTI case management to date the focus has been on diagnosis and treatment. To achieve high rates of cure drug compliance referral and treatment of partners referral linkages and education of clients are all essential (7). A number of key issues relating to strategies for controlling RTIs/STIs have been identified by the intervention team of the former Operations Research Project (ORP) on prevention and management of RTI/STD through reviewing literature visiting projects in Bangladesh and discussions with the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) and NIPHP partners. The identified issues were shared and discussed formally with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and with all the NIPHP partners in the 3rd Intervention Design Workshop in June 1998 at ICDDRB. “Validity assessment of vaginal discharge-management flowcharts” was one of the operations research issues that was prioritized in this meeting and subsequently endorsed at two meetings of the NIPHP Operations Research Working Group meetings held in August 1998. (excerpt)