Number of clients served:
: clients
BlueStar Vietnam
BlueStar Vietnam
Not-for-profit
Year launched: 2008Existing or expanding (post-pilot)
Target geography
Target Population
Target income level
- Bottom 20%
- Lower-middle income (20-40%)
Health focus
- Family planning and reproductive health
- Maternal, newborn and child health
Summary
BlueStar Vietnam is a clinical social franchise that provides reproductive health (RH) services in seven provinces in all three geographic areas of Vietnam. It is the first intervention to target the private healthcare sector to promote FP and safe surgical and medical abortion services in Vietnam.Program goals
BlueStar Viet Nam aims to improve access and quality to family planning and reproductive health services across the private sector in Vietnam. The project also seeks to increase utilization of modern clinical family planning and reproductive health methods, reduce unsafe abortions and increase access to and use of preventative contraceptive methods in Vietnam. The BlueStar Vietnam demonstrated the power of result-based financing by providing family planning voucher package to 63,910 low-income women during 2010 2011, 2012 and 2013. The voucher scheme gave clients more access to Ob-Gyn examination and cervical cancer check through Visual Inspection by Acid Acetic (VIA), Intra-uterine device insertion (IUD) and safe medical abortion.
Key program components
Most of BlueStar clinics deliver the complete package of reproductive health (RH) services, including family planning (FP) counselling and gynecological check-ups and treatment, ultra sounds, MSP, MSMP, IUD, VIA, IUD insertion, STIs testing and treatment, pregnancy care, and a variety of FP products and services.
To access the nearest clinic clients can connect to a call center or search the BlueStar website. Community Health Workers (CHWs) also disseminate information about the location and services provided by clinics, and promote the Intrauterine Device (IUD) insertions plus cervical cancer screening package.
To better provide services to underserved populations, BlueStar networks private clinics in rural and peri-urban settings. Furthermore, a number of voucher schemes with the FOC services (e.g., free FP counselling and gynecological check-ups, free IUDs and visual inspection with acid acetic (VIA)-early uterus cancer screening, discount on medical abortion) have been implemented to reach the poor and near poor.
These programs have been combined with mobile health services. From 2009 to April 2014, 941 mobile services has delivered free RH services to 155,133 underserved women in rural areas of targeted project sites. In addition to providing care through its franchise clinics and mobile outreach, BlueStar also hosts an RH information page, "Client Education", on its website and allows individuals to call or text the phone number 1900 55 88 82 for more support over the phone.
All franchisees/providers joining the network undergo 122 training on clinical and non-clinical courses, including Infection prevention (IP), MSP, MSMP, VIA, IUD, FP counseling, service quality, STIs testing and treatment, and emergency preparedness. Over 2,573 providers have thus been trained and certified. Once certified, the franchisee agreement mandates that every BlueStar clinic pay a franchisee fee of USD $50/year ($100 and $150/year in Round I) that is discounted annually based on clinic contribution and situation.
The BlueStar clinics are regularly monitored to ensure quality of client care and compliance with national clinical standards. Clinics are refurbished and updated as required and are provided with support to ensure ongoing quality compliance.
Innovation has been applied in the project
- Public Private Partnership is promoted to improve efficiency, effectiveness and equity in the provision of healthcare services.
- Initiative sexual reproductive health vouchers targeting low income population to improve client access to quality services
- Revolutionized m-Health through SMS service to disseminate essential health information, refer clients by mobile phone in a confidential and convenient manner.
- BlueStar clinics to share cost in relevant activities in the Round II (club meeting, training)
Scale: 2,758,913 client visits (2008 to 2012); 1,020,737 total visits (2013 - April 2014)
Scale
Financials
Reported Results
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Parent Organizations
Yes, there is a separate organization that manages or implements this program.
- Marie Stopes InternationalNot-for-profit
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