POPULATION ADVISOR PROJECT MINISTRY OF PUBLIC HEALTH ...

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seen quickly following the conference as many donor organizations
requested Chadian candidates to attend other conferences and
training activities.
9. The conference provided each Chadian participant (200) with
reference materials on each topic discussed. The Population
Advisor had spent the last year collecting these materials from
family planning organizations so that each participant could
collect a sizeable reference library in family planning. Each
presentation was also printed professionally and distributed during
the conference.
10. Of the 46 presenters in the conference, 27 of these were
Chadian. This collaboration between the Chadian presenters and
the international experts provided a forum of pride and a willing
exchange of experiences and information. The Chadian presenters
also felt a strong sense of "ownership" in how family planning
would develop in Chad.
11. The Conference proceedings and speeches were all published
in a book to preserve the historical and timely event of this first
family planning conference in Chad.
12. The press, TV and radio covered this conference before,
during and after the event. In fact, Info-Tchad, a bi-weekly
journal, as well as Al-Watan, a weekly newspaper, began reprinting
selected topics presented at the conference for all to read.
Please refer to Appendix V for a complete summary of major
outcomes of the conference, conference program and a list of
conference participants.
VII. Conclusions and Recommendations
1. The HIID/USAID family planning project was unquestionably
a success and all objectives (plus more) were accomplished. The
outcomes of the first family planning conference legitimized the
need, desire and acceptability for family planning as part of
maternal and child health care - a health rationale and not a
demographic rationale. At the end of the project there was a very
strong momentum to move quickly and institute family planning
services.
2. The project instituted a wide-range of activities which
helped to build support for the project's goals, as well as to
develop a viable coalition of family planning advocates across all
sectors of the government and its institutions.
3. However, the needs and timing of the project have now
changed and new strategies will require implementation by creative
managers and administrators. For example, in instituting a family