Exploring peer support networks for the provision of high-quality postabortion care by private nurse-midwives in Kenya.

PRIME II collaborated with Engender Health to establish links between the public and private sectors and encourage the DPHNs who received PAC training from Engender Health to provide support for the PAC-trained private nurse-midwives. Working with NNAK and NCK the POLICY Project trained advocacy teams made up of NNAK members at the district level. These teams targeted colleagues in the public sector and community leaders to create support for private providers and delivery of PAC services at the community level. The concept of peer support/ intervision was introduced to PAC trainees towards the end of the first phase of the initiative in an effort to provide increased post-training support beyond the supervision provided by the DPHNs. In August 2001 the supervision stakeholders recommended a study to examine the peer support practices of private nurse-midwives that had evolved in some places. Documenting the current scope and practices of the clusters would provide useful information for forming such networks in the PAC program which was being expanded to other areas. Moreover the information collected on the clusters supervisory practices and factors that help or hinder good performance among the primary PAC providers would inform a new core-funded PRIME II peer support/intervision initiative. (excerpt)