# Promoting healthy interbirth intervals through post-partum reproductive health services

> **NIH NIH R21** · EMORY UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $390,963

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The World Health Organization recommends postpartum family planning (PPFP) for birth spacing and
prevention of maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, unmet need for PPFP remains
extremely high across developing countries, including Zambia. PPFP services have not been routinely
implemented in Zambia due to lack of stakeholder involvement, limited provider training, lack of demand-
creation strategies informed by client needs and preferences, and lack of optimized operational procedures.
Additionally, the role of male involvement in PPFP uptake is critical and widely overlooked. To address these
issues, we will undertake the necessary formative work to develop and pilot test an innovative, evidence-based
intervention to improve PPFP services in Zambia. We will first conduct in-depth interviews with
key stakeholders and focus groups with government facility nurses to evaluate structural- and contextual-level
factors that influence the achievement of healthy birth intervals (Aim 1). We will also assess facility
organizational readiness to implement PPFP services via direct observation of practices and operational
workflows. We will then conduct focus groups with pregnant women and couples to evaluate individual- and
couple-level factors that influence the achievement of healthy birth intervals (Aim 2). Finally, based on
stakeholder, provider, and couple/client preferences and needs, we will develop and pilot test PPFP training
and promotional tools, workflows, and identify and engage PPFP champions (Aim 3). This is the first study to
rigorously develop PPFP demand creation and service implementation strategies in Zambia. With the renewed
interest in PPFP services from the Zambian Ministry of Health, this proposal is extremely well-timed and has
the potential to make a significant impact on PPFP services to improve birth spacing, reduce abortion, and
reduce maternal-child morbidity and mortality. Moreover, our PPFP intervention is a potentially replicable and
sustainable model that could be expanded to other sub-Saharan African countries.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10947840
- **Project number:** 1R21HD116165-01
- **Recipient organization:** EMORY UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Mubiana Inambao
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $390,963
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-20 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10947840

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10947840, Promoting healthy interbirth intervals through post-partum reproductive health services (1R21HD116165-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10947840. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*