Local Visiting Nurse Association adds accessible family planning services – TelegraphHerald.com

Report on VNA Service Expansion and its Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

Program Overview

The Dubuque-based Visiting Nurse Association (VNA), a program under UnityPoint Health, has expanded its community health services to incorporate a comprehensive family planning program. This initiative is supported by a federal grant and is strategically aligned with key global development objectives.

Direct Contribution to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The new program directly addresses Target 3.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals, which aims to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services. By providing essential family planning resources, the VNA initiative promotes health and well-being within the community.

• Pregnancy and Preconception Counseling: Fosters healthier pregnancies and improves maternal and infant health outcomes.
• Reproductive Life Planning: Empowers individuals with the knowledge to make informed decisions about their reproductive health, contributing to long-term well-being.
• Infertility Counseling/Referrals: Ensures comprehensive reproductive health care by addressing infertility, a critical component of well-being.

Advancement of SDG 5: Gender Equality

This service expansion is a significant step toward achieving SDG 5, which seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Access to family planning is fundamental to this goal, particularly in relation to Target 5.6, which calls for universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights.

• Empowerment through Education: Lessons on abstinence and responsible sexual decision-making provide individuals, especially women, with the tools for autonomy over their bodies and life choices.
• Fostering Equality: Relational education and counseling support healthy relationships and shared decision-making, which are foundational to gender equality.

Broader Impacts on Interconnected SDGs

The VNA’s initiative also contributes to a wider range of Sustainable Development Goals, demonstrating the interconnected nature of health, equality, and economic stability.

1. SDG 1 (No Poverty): Access to family planning is a critical tool in breaking cycles of poverty, allowing for greater investment in education and health for each child and enhancing economic stability for families.
2. SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): By providing these services at the community level, the program helps reduce health disparities and ensures that vulnerable populations have access to essential care.
3. SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): The collaboration between a local health provider (UnityPoint Health/VNA) and a national funding source (federal grant) exemplifies the multi-stakeholder partnerships required to successfully implement and achieve the SDGs.

1. SDGs Addressed in the Article

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• The article directly addresses this goal by discussing the expansion of health services by the Visiting Nurse Association. The introduction of family planning, pregnancy counseling, and reproductive health education are core components of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

• This goal is connected through the theme of empowering individuals, particularly women, with control over their reproductive health. Providing access to family planning, reproductive life planning, and counseling are fundamental to achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls to make informed decisions about their bodies and lives.

2. Specific Targets Identified

Target 3.7: Universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services

• The article’s focus on the Visiting Nurse Association expanding its services “to include family planning” directly aligns with this target. The services mentioned, such as “one-on-one pregnancy and preconception counseling, reproductive life planning,” and “infertility counseling/referrals,” are all components of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health-care services that this target aims to make universally accessible.

Target 5.6: Universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights

• This target is addressed by the program’s aim to provide education and counseling. Services like “lessons on abstinence and responsible sexual decision-making” and “relational education and counseling” empower individuals with the knowledge and support needed to exercise their reproductive rights, which is the core objective of Target 5.6.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied

Implied Indicators for Target 3.7

• Availability and expansion of family planning services: The article’s main point that the Visiting Nurse Association “has expanded its services to include family planning” serves as a direct, albeit qualitative, indicator of increased access to these services in the Dubuque area.
• Provision of reproductive health education: The mention of offering “lessons on abstinence and responsible sexual decision-making” implies a measure of progress in providing information and education related to reproductive health.

Implied Indicators for Target 5.6

• Provision of counseling on reproductive life planning: The article states the program will offer “one-on-one pregnancy and preconception counseling” and “reproductive life planning.” The existence of these counseling services is an indicator of efforts to ensure individuals have the information and support to make autonomous decisions about their reproductive health.

4. Summary Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: telegraphherald.com