Summary

Founded in April 2008, Marie Stopes International Malawi’s BlueStar health network delivers services in family planning, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, malaria, and tuberculosis.

Key program components

Consisting of 79 clinics or maternity homes, the franchises utilize community health workers targeting low income persons and women for their services. Services include contraceptives and male circumcision. Recent successes include the introduction and improvement of quality standards, diversification of service provision at general medicine practices through the inclusion of family planning methods, and the establishment of a referral system to refer tubal ligation clients to Banja La Mtsogolo centres. Three full time staff support the franchise program. Quality assurance (QA) and performance monitoring methods include:

• Site visits (4/year)

• Internal audits (1/year)

• External audits (1/year)

• Client exit interviews (1/year)

• Provider surveys (1/year)

• Mapping studies (1/year)

• Franchisee performance benchmarking, provider self-assessments, and mystery clients.

The program reports that their quality technical assistance checklist and client exit Interviews are the most useful tools to assess quality of services. Future plans include scaling up in the central and northern regions of Malawi.

49,807 total visits (Recorded in 2012), 64,300 total visits (Recorded in 2013).