Specific topics in this course include:

• The changing policy and program environment, including resource and capacity issues in implementing the program of action agreed at the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo (ICPD) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the changing demographic, epidemiological and economic conditions in countries, and new approaches to donor support (including budget support);
• The economic and health rationales for achieving better reproductive health outcomes, and the links between these outcomes and poverty reduction at the household and community levels;
• The boundaries of reproductive health, and the priority that should be given to reproductive health in selecting interventions that need to be included in the services and information “packages” typically supported by the Health system strengthening (HSS) process;
• The principal HSS measures (new organizational approaches, including purchasing from private providers, new financing and provider-payment mechanisms), how they are expected to improve health systems, the benefits and risks they carry for reproductive health outcomes and what can be done to mitigate such risks; and
• Action plans in the form of a scorecard to apply the tools and lessons learned during the course to participants’ specific work challenges.

The course is organized so that a topic’s background, theory, analytical framework, and policy relevance are introduced, discussed, and reiterated throughout the five modules the course. Country case examples are used to illustrate how different issues play out in different contexts. Participatory learning exercises are an important part of the course and aim to facilitate participants’ understanding of issues and ability to develop ways of addressing them.

The course is free of charge – For more information please contact Alima Coulibaly ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )