New Postabortion Care (PAC) Curriculum

[Mona Bormet]

FYI 

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Dear colleagues and friends, 

 

We are excited to share the launch of the 2024 Postabortion Care Curriculum via our USAID-funded MOMENTUM Safe Surgery in Family Planning and Obstetrics project. This curriculum is designed to prepare reproductive health service providers to offer client-oriented postabortion care (PAC) in partnership with the communities they serve.  

 

This revised curriculum builds on an earlier version published in 2010, authored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) PAC Working Group. The USAID-funded, EngenderHealth-led Postabortion Care Family Planning and MOMENTUM Safe Surgery in Family Planning and Obstetrics projects managed the updating and revision of this crucial resource for PAC capacity building, with support from partners who field-tested and provided feedback on the previous edition. The curriculum incorporates updates from key resources and evidence from decades of PAC programming and implementation research worldwide. We have removed outdated practices, incorporated critical clinical updates, added detailed considerations around working with youth, and streamlined the narrative to improve understanding and skills acquisition. 

 

PAC is a package of lifesaving interventions that combines maternal healthcare, including emergency treatment for complications of induced or spontaneous abortion, with voluntary contraceptive counseling and service delivery. When PAC is accessible, affordable, of high-quality, and performed by capable healthcare providers, it can prevent maternal deaths and disabilities and improve access to contraception. 

The curriculum includes: (1) a Trainer Guide with detailed information for facilitating the course; (2) a Participant Guide containing exercises and activities, practice checklists, and more; (3) a Reference Manual that supplements the trainer and participant guides by offering detailed information that participating service providers may refer to throughout the training and as they offer PAC to clients after completing the training; and (4) a series of PowerPoint slide decks aligning with the Reference Manual for trainers to employ when facilitating the course. 

The curriculum is organized by four modules: 

 

1. Module 1 explains the importance of PAC and its components, including emergency obstetric care, contraceptive care, and community mobilization. It also helps providers reflect on how their own values may affect the care they provide. 
2. Module 2 focuses on emergency treatment, detailing different uterine evacuation methods and providing guidance for managing pain and addressing complications.  
3. Module 3 focuses on contraceptive care as well as the evaluation and treatment of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections—emphasizing the benefits of integrated care. 
4. Module 4 describes key principles of infection prevention relevant to the provision of PAC. These infection prevention practices are critical to minimizing risks to clients, healthcare workers, and the community.  

 

Visit the PAC Curriculum page for details. 

 

Please let us know if you have any questions. 

 

Regards, 

Vandana Tripathi 

Director, MOMENTUM Safe Surgery in Family Planning and Obstetrics 

 

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