Cross-cultural adaptation of reproductive health services in Bolivia

The Bolivian Ministry of Health and Sports and the Integral Health Project, with the technical assistance of the Population Council’s Frontiers in Reproductive Health Program (FRONTIERS), tested several strategies to make health services in Bolivia more culturally appropriate for the country’s indigenous peoples. The goal of the project was to increase women’s access to, use of, and satisfaction with health services in general, and reproductive health services in particular, through: a) enhanced understanding and acceptance of the “other” culture; b) improving communication skills; c) facilitating and promoting use of the Quechua language in clinics; d) systematically screening clients’ health service needs; and e) establishing self-assessment and supervision mechanisms. The project also sought to promote community–provider interactions by creating advisory committees for women to voice expectations of healthcare services, and by fostering interaction between traditional health providers and the modern system. The results of this project were presented and an expert panel discussed the implications for the new activities and prepared a list of recommendations for incorporating these practices into a new health strategy