National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Contracts Management Branch, 6100 Bldg., Suite 7A07, 6100- Executive Blvd MSC 7510, Bethesda, MD 20892-7510

A -- HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH AND INTERVENTIONS IN SAFE MOTHERHOOD IN RURAL BALOCHISTAN, PAKISTAN SOL NICHD-DESPR-98-03 POC Harvey Shifrin, Contracting Officer, 301/496-4611 The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development is anticipating awarding a contract to The Asia Foundation, Pakistan for testing community based intervention strategies to improve pregnancy outcome in a rural developing country setting. The determination to use other than full and open competition was made in accordance with 41 USC 253 (c) (1), FAR 6.302-1. The purpose of this synopsis is to determine whether there are other sources capable of meeting the Government's requirements as further described. The site must have the following characteristics: located in a rural area in a developing country setting with a high maternal and infant mortality rate; consist of village clusters located within a reasonable distance to a health facility providing emergency obstetric care; have at least 16 to 20 such clusters to include 10,000 to 20,000 women of reproductive age (15 to 49 years old) to yield about 2,000 to 4,000 in each arm of the study during one year. The source must provide evidence of (1) data collected from the site on women's attitudes and knowledge and practices regarding safe motherhood; (2) identified training needs of primary providers of obstetric care, particularly Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) (3)any recently conducted situation analysis of area health services (4) a baseline survey to generate data on the outcome and output indicators such as utilization of available health services by pregnant women (prenatal care) and data on perinatal mortality. In addition to the above, the source must demonstrate an ability to perform the following: (a) Utilize existing community resources, including TBAs and local transporters. (b) Forge a working relationship between TBAs and the health facilities to provide emergency obstetric care. (c) Provide information, education and communication to rural women and their families. (d) Devise means of referral and transportation for obstetrical emergencies and establish channels of communication between the villages and the health facilities. Sources having the requisite capabilities should submit capability statements within 45 days of publication of this synopsis to: Mrs. Dorothy McKelvin, NIH, NICHD, CMB, Executive Bldg., Suite 7A07, 6100 Executive Blvd. MSC 7510, Bethesda, MD 20892-7510. Respondents should address all of the above including the specifications of the site characteristics and provide evidence of the baseline data specified as needed. See Numbered Note 22 (0318)

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