Capacity building

Training in desigining, organizing, monitoring and evaluation of reproductive and child health programmes

In February 2001, the Diploma Course in Reproductive Health Management started at Karnatak University in Dharwad, Karnataka, India. This diploma course is a collaboration between the PRC Groningen, the J.S.S. Institute of Economic Growth in Dharwad and Karnatak University. The course aims to train participants in the design, organization, monitoring and evaluation of reproductive and child health programmes in the government and non-governmental sector, thus contributing to the Reproductive and Child Health programmes of the Government of India and reproductive health projects by NGOs, and to the improvement in the reproductive health status of the community.

The specific objectives of the course are:

• to provide a broad understanding of the core areas of reproductive health and related aspects
• to develop, through field-intensive practical training, the individual ability to assess the reproductive health needs of a community, to evaluate reproductive health programmes and projects of the government, private and NGO sectors, to devise management strategies to achieve improved coverage and services quality
• to impart knowledge and skills to conceptualize reproductive health research questions, to design a community-based study to investigate the problem, to collect relevant data from the field, to analyze the data and to present it in a policy or scientific context

The Diploma Course takes one year and consists of four separate courses ("papers")

1. Introduction to Reproductive Health
2. Reproductive Health Risk Analysis and Management
3. Reproductive Health Programme Management
4. Reproductive Health Research Methods

According equal importance to practical training and theoretical orientation, a range of teaching methods are used, including formal lectures, faculty consultations, group discussions, critical literature review, computer training, field visits, intensive fieldwork, preparation and presentation of analytical reports. The courses are taught by a pool of resource persons drawn from the three collaborating institutions and other national and international visiting faculty.

More information about the diploma course can be obtained from the coordinator of the International Diploma Reproductive Health Management (IDIRHEM) at Dharwad, Professor C.G. Hussain Khan, or from Professor Inge Hutter at the University of Groningen.

Contact address

International Diploma Reproductive Health Management (IDIRHEM)

Kousali Institute of Management Studies Building

Karnatak University, Dharwad 580 001

Karnataka, India

Telephone: 0836 - 747 121 (Ext. 335)

Source information: International Diploma in Reproductive Health Management Prospectus