International Development Grant
Adolescent Reproductive Health
Project Number: CA-3-A032582001
Status: Closed
Country/Region:
Maximum Contribution: $4,660,265.00
Start Date: September 28, 2007
End Date: December 31, 2012
Duration: 5.3 years
Project Description
The goal of the project is to improve the quality and delivery of reproductive health services appropriate to the needs of adolescents and to increase adolescents' access to these services. It aims to improve the capacity and utilization of client-centered reproductive health care for adolescents by providing integrated health services and increasing the capacity of adolescents to take ownership of their reproductive health and to provide input into policy formulation relating to adolescent reproductive health. About 46 percent of adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 are married in Bangladesh. In rural areas about 85 percent of the girls are married before they reach the age of 16. One third of adolescent girls aged 15-19 have commenced child-bearing and have maternal mortality rates that are four times higher than the national average. The project implementation targets three areas and aims to benefit approximately 200 000 adolescents directly and 600 000 indirect beneficiaries including community members government field-level workers and officials of non-governmental organizations.
Progress & Results Achieved
Results achieved as of the end of the project (December 2012): (i) 217 100 adolescent (60% girls and 40% boys) in five rural areas and in the cities of Dhaka and Chittagong received life skills training; (ii) 500 000 stakeholders such as religious leaders community leaders school teachers health service providers and parents received training to better support adolescents; (iii) 378 650 Behavioural Change Communication sessions to develop communication strategies that use a variety of approaches to help people initiate and sustain healthy behaviours regarding reproductive health were held at the community level (57% girls 43% boys) with 12 people participating in each session on average; (iv) 85 health facilities provided adolescent-friendly health counselling services to 70 235 adolescents (42 396 girls and 27 839 boys); (v) 85 health facilities provided gender-sensitive adolescent-friendly health services to over 68 012 married and unmarried adolescents (11 038 married teenagers of which 8 212 were girls and 2 826 were boys and 56 974 unmarried teenagers of which 41 701 were girls and 12 273 were boys); (vi) 80 429 adolescents (27 154 boys and 53 275 girls) were able to access adolescent reproductive health services; (vii) 479 385 parents (296 368 mothers and 183 017 fathers) participated in sessions on parenting adolescents and (viii) the project also influenced the development of the Action Plan of the National Adolescent Reproductive Health Strategy. According to an end-of-project evaluation these results contributed to adolescents adopting healthier practices such as better menstrual hygiene practises and reduced smoking being more aware of the importance of avoiding child marriage and having greater confidence.
Key Information
Executing Agency:
Plan International Canada
Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada
Program:
OGM Indo-Pacific
Last Modified:
September 19, 2025
Development Classifications
DAC Sector:
Aid Type: Donor country personnel
Collaboration: Bilateral
Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation
Selection Mechanism:
Pre-APP