AusAID funds IUD insertion training for Lao health workers

Twenty government health service providers from Laos recently travelled to Viet Nam to be trained in IUD insertion by Marie Stopes International (MSI). The trainees were welcomed by the manager of MSI Viet Nam's Nghe An Centre, who, in collaboration with the provincial health authorities, facilitated the five-day course.

The trainees, a mix of doctors, midwives and nurses, arrived with varying degrees of experience and skill in performing the procedure. By the end of the training, however, all were able to deliver the service to a high standard. Two days of theoretical training, including practical sessions using models, were followed by three days of hands-on experience during which more than 230 local women had an IUD fitted.

The trainees were accompanied by two representatives from the Mother and Child Health Centre of the Laos Ministry of Health who were impressed with the quality of training and the techniques used by MSI Viet Nam service providers. They also indicated they would be interested in implementing a similar approach to IUD training in Laos.

The landlocked and mountainous country of Laos is one of the poorest countries in the region. It has one of the highest rates of maternal and infant mortality in the area and access to contraceptives and family planning services is limited, particularly in the remote parts of the country.

If the training conducted by MSI Viet Nam is adopted and rolled out by the Laos Ministry of Health, it could have a significant long term impact on Laos' contraceptive prevalence rate.

www.mariestopes.org