THE NAVRONGO COMMUNITY-HEALTH AND FAMILY-PLANNING PROJECT

In 1994, an experiment was launched by the Navrongo Health Research Ce ntre that will test the demographic impact of community health and fam ily planning services in a rural, traditional area of northern Ghana. While exhaustive social research has been directed to clarifying socie tal constraints to reproductive change, relatively little is known abo ut how African cultural characteristics can be a resource to family pl anning programs. This study will clarify ways in which cultural resour ces of a traditional African society can be used in efforts to foster reproductive change. This article reviews characteristics of the study population, the design of the Navrongo experiment, and the research p lan. The Navrongo Project will be the first African experimental trial of the demographic impact of family planning.