The Karachi Reproductive Health Project: a community-based model.

In 1994 the European Commission set aside funds for an HIV/AIDS prevention project in Pakistan. It was found that while some work was being done with high-risk groups people in low-income groups and especially women continued to be at risk due to poverty lack of information and awareness and poor health seeking behavior. Thus the Karachi Reproductive Health Project (KRHP) was established. KRHP has been working in four communities over the last 6 years in order to better understand how to promote establish and maintain the sexual health of women in low-income communities. This project reflects a community- based approach which incorporates community mobilization awareness raising and strengthening of the existing health care system. Lessons learned during this project which ranges from the level of minute details to strategic planning issues to organizational capacity issues are extensively discussed.