Main-streaming NFP into the Department of Health of the Philippines: opportunities and challenges.

In 1994, the Department of Health (DOH) of the Philippines issued a circular which reaffirmed natural family planning (NFP) as one of the basic services to be offered in all government family planning service sites and urged family planning workers to develop competence in teaching NFP methods. Although the circular represented a major policy breakthrough for the main-streaming of NFP it found the department without the capability or experience to directly provide NFP services. The two approaches the department is taking to respond to this new policy initiative are described in this paper. The selection of these approaches was influenced by the devolution of central government authority to local government units. The approaches include developing department capability in NFP training, service provision and service installation and creating a supportive program and policy environment. DOH partnership with an NFP non-government organization (NGO) has been critical in developing NFP capability within the government sector, particularly in NFP training and service installation.