Center for Reproductive Health Policy and Programs
Improving the lives of women and men through increasing access to contraception
Department of International Health and Sustainable Development
The Center for Reproductive Health Policy and Programs aims to increase access to quality reproductive health services in low- and middle- income countries. Through a continuous cycle of applied research and evidence-based programming, the Center works closely with government, NGO partners, and other stakeholders to achieve this objective.
The current focus of the Center’s work is the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), one of the most disadvantaged countries in the world. With an estimated population of 88 million, current projections estimate that it will grow to nearly 200 million by 2050, making it the 9th largest country in the world. The maternal mortality rate of 693 per 100,000 is the 10th highest in the world. On average, Congolese women bear 6.6 children over their lifetime.
Nearly a third of women in DRC (28%) have an unmet need for contraception, and a quarter of all births are unplanned.
Tulane is dedicated to improving reproductive health indicators in the DRC and elsewhere through strong collaboration with local partners, innovative programming, and robust research.
Drs. Julie Hernandez, Arsene Binanga and Jane T. Bertrand (left to right) in Maluku, DRC
PAST & CURRENT PROJECTS
AcQual III
Tulane operates a large-scale distribution of community-based contraceptive distribution in Kinshasa and Kongo Central. Read more.
Advance Family Planning (AFP)
This advocacy project works to strengthen government commitment and create an environment favorable to family planning. Read more.
Track20
Track20 is a global project that monitors progress toward family planning use in the 69 poorest countries in the world. Read more.
CHAI Study
This pilot study will assess the feasibility of using informal drugstore operators as a source of modern contraceptives and generate evidence supporting policy changes in the national health system for FP service delivery.
EC Research
The objective of this research was to build the evidence base on emergency contraceptive services availability and quality in small, private pharmacies operating throughout Kinshasa via a mystery client study.
Packard Project
This project aims to support Tulane’s long-time and most successful implementing partner, SANRU, as they develop and pilot their own community-based model to provide quality SRH services to youths and adolescents living in Kinshasa.
Satellite Imagery
This project used GIS (satellite imagery treatment) and micro-census to produce updated estimates of the neighborhood population in Kinshasa and provide an updated sampling frame for FP services coverage analysis.
MOMENTUM
MOMENTUM aims to improve MCH practices and post-partum contraceptive use among first-time mothers 15-24 years old and their male partners. Read more.
PROMIS-PF
Increases access to contraception at the community level in 7 provinces using an innovative nursing school model. Read more.
USAID IHP
USAID IHP works to strengthen the capacity of Congolese institutions and communities to deliver quality, integrated health services to sustainably improve the health status of the Congolese population. Read more.
Gates Project
This project will capitalize on the evidence, experience, local talent, and current infrastructure for family planning in DRC that has been built over the past ten years, and position existing actors to carry priority initiatives forward at the close of 2023.