Assessment of reproductive and maternal health in Ukraine.

In the fall of 2003 the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Ukraine contracted with the Population Technical Assistance Project (POPTECH) to conduct an assessment of reproductive health (RH) in Ukraine and to recommend directions for future assistance. A four-person team carried out the assessment in Ukraine from October 20 to November 7 2003. The team interviewed key informants including staff from USAID/Ukraine the Ministry of Health (MOH) USAID-supported projects and other donors. The team visited more than 25 health facilities in different regions of the country. In the assessment particular attention was given to the current state of family planning (FP) services and the use of contraception because family planning is seen by USAID as the core intervention in reproductive health. The team was apprised of past efforts under the Women’s Reproductive Health Initiative (WRHI) in Ukraine (1995–2000) to improve family planning and reproductive health and related assessments. (excerpt)