Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 17 of 17

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Strengthening Capacity In Hiv Operations Research: Reflections On A Project Soar Workshop In Johannesburg, South Africa, Project Soar Jan 2017

Strengthening Capacity In Hiv Operations Research: Reflections On A Project Soar Workshop In Johannesburg, South Africa, Project Soar

HIV and AIDS

Capacity strengthening (CS) to support rigorous scientific research is a globally recognized need and central to Project SOAR. Over a four-day period, SOAR conducted a CS workshop to strengthen individual and institutional capacity in HIV operations research, with a particular emphasis on the research utilization process. This brief summarizes the CS activities conducted, insights from the workshop’s organization, and participants’ views of the workshop.


Providers' Views On Prep For Adolescent Girls And Young Women In Tanzania: Findings From Implementation Science Research, Population Council Jan 2017

Providers' Views On Prep For Adolescent Girls And Young Women In Tanzania: Findings From Implementation Science Research, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

In collaboration with the Tanzania National AIDS Control Programme and CSK Research Solutions Ltd., the Population Council conducted an implementation science research study to identify key considerations among healthcare providers for oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) introduction to adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in an urban and a rural setting in Dar Es Salaam and Mbeya districts, respectively. This brief presents results from a survey and in-depth interviews conducted with healthcare providers in each setting, assessing their knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions about PrEP; willingness to prescribe PrEP to AGYW; and perceived barriers and facilitators to providing PrEP to AGYW. The …


Project Soar's Approach To Research Utilization, Project Soar Jan 2016

Project Soar's Approach To Research Utilization, Project Soar

HIV and AIDS

Project SOAR (Supporting Operational AIDS Research) conducts operations research (OR) with the aim of producing a large, multi-faceted body of high-quality evidence that can guide the planning and implementation of programs and policies for HIV prevention, care, and treatment. OR provides the needed evidence to make sound policy and program decisions at national, subnational, and service-delivery levels by identifying practical solutions to challenges delivering program services. Translating OR findings into action at these levels requires two-way information exchange between people who can apply research findings and researchers. Project SOAR’s premise is that this exchange will bring about eventual use of …


Hivcore Operations Research Workshop Summary Report, Nrupa Jani Jan 2013

Hivcore Operations Research Workshop Summary Report, Nrupa Jani

HIV and AIDS

Over the past decade, unprecedented progress has been made in the scale-up of HIV treatment, care, and support, yet substantial coverage gaps remain. Targeted operations research and program evaluation can play a significant role in ensuring efficient and effective service delivery, scaling up to reach more clients and on a broader geographical scope, enhancing quality of care, and improving the health status and health systems in developing country settings. With funding from USAID, the Population Council and partners are responding to these critical service delivery issues through HIVCore. HIVCore improves the efficiency, effectiveness, scale, and quality of HIV and AIDS …


From Problem-Solving To Research Utilization: How Operations Research And Program Evaluation Can Make Programs Better, Karen Foreit Jan 2013

From Problem-Solving To Research Utilization: How Operations Research And Program Evaluation Can Make Programs Better, Karen Foreit

HIV and AIDS

HIV treatment, care, and support, and PMTCT programs are most effective when based on the best available research evidence. This is the fundamental premise of evidence-based medicine. Equally well known is the dilemma of transforming evidence into practice, which is the subject of knowledge translation and implementation science. Even when the findings of clinical trials make their way into international and national program guidelines, they run up against competing priorities within public health and community programs, resource constraints, and institutional and human inertia. Understanding how to effectively change the approach used in program operations requires understanding how programs work in …


Shaping The Operations Research Agenda For Antiretroviral-Based Prevention Products For Women: Gels And Rings, Martha Brady, C. Elizabeth Mcgrory Jan 2012

Shaping The Operations Research Agenda For Antiretroviral-Based Prevention Products For Women: Gels And Rings, Martha Brady, C. Elizabeth Mcgrory

HIV and AIDS

This report summarizes discussions from a two-day international experts consultation meeting in 2012 on preparing for the successful introduction of women-centered antiretroviral-based HIV prevention methods. It examines the limits and expectations of operations research in antiretroviral health technologies.


Hiv Testing, Treatment And Prevention: Generic Tools For Operational Research, Carla Makhlouf Obermeyer, Sarah Bott, Patrizia Carrieri, Michelle Parsons, Julie Pulerwitz, Naomi Rutenberg, Avina Sarna Jan 2009

Hiv Testing, Treatment And Prevention: Generic Tools For Operational Research, Carla Makhlouf Obermeyer, Sarah Bott, Patrizia Carrieri, Michelle Parsons, Julie Pulerwitz, Naomi Rutenberg, Avina Sarna

HIV and AIDS

This toolkit was developed for operational research on topics related to HIV treatment and prevention. The toolkit includes a main document that is intended to serve as a basis for formulating research questions and designing operational research projects to address them as well as data collection instruments.


Technical Assistance To The Uganda Aids Commission For Operationallisation Of The Performance Monitoring And Management Plan, Frederick Makumbi, Roy Mayega, David Kisitu, Juliet Sekandi, Denis A. Bwesigye, Robert Miller, Sam Kalibala Jan 2009

Technical Assistance To The Uganda Aids Commission For Operationallisation Of The Performance Monitoring And Management Plan, Frederick Makumbi, Roy Mayega, David Kisitu, Juliet Sekandi, Denis A. Bwesigye, Robert Miller, Sam Kalibala

HIV and AIDS

The Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) has committed to rolling out and making operational a new National Performance Monitoring and Management Plan (PMMP) to monitor and evaluate the national response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The PMMP has at its core the collection and processing of 58 national indicators, 47 district output indicators, and 22 outcome indicators covering prevention, care, treatment, and social support. The rollout is challenging because at least seven organizations must collaborate at the national level, and appropriate staff at the district level need to be in place and trained in new procedures of data collection. In addition, these …


Addressing The Family Planning Needs Of Hiv-Positive Pmtct Clients: Baseline Findings From An Operations Research Study, Carolyn Baek, Naomi Rutenberg Jan 2005

Addressing The Family Planning Needs Of Hiv-Positive Pmtct Clients: Baseline Findings From An Operations Research Study, Carolyn Baek, Naomi Rutenberg

HIV and AIDS

Preventing unintended pregnancy among HIV-positive women is an effective approach to reducing pediatric HIV infection and vital to meeting HIV-positive women’s sexual and reproductive health needs. Although contraceptive services for HIV-positive women is one of the cornerstones of a comprehensive program for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT), a review of PMTCT programs found that implementers have not prioritized family planning (FP). While there is increasing awareness about the importance of FP and HIV integration, data about FP from PMTCT clients are lacking. The Horizons Program is conducting an operations research study testing several community-based strategies to reduce mother-to-child …


Empowering Communities To Respond To Hiv/Aids: Ndola Demonstration Project On Maternal And Child Health: Operations Research Final Report, Hope Humana, Linkages, National Food And Nutrition Commission, Ndola District Health Management Team, Horizons Program, Zambia Integrated Health Project Jan 2003

Empowering Communities To Respond To Hiv/Aids: Ndola Demonstration Project On Maternal And Child Health: Operations Research Final Report, Hope Humana, Linkages, National Food And Nutrition Commission, Ndola District Health Management Team, Horizons Program, Zambia Integrated Health Project

HIV and AIDS

A pre–post intervention study conducted in Zambia by Horizons and local NGOs and governmental organizations demonstrated that HIV voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) and infant feeding counseling (IFC) to mothers attending maternal and child health (MCH) clinics are vital components of any mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) reduction strategy, whether or not antiretrovirals (ARVs) are available. These interventions enable mothers to make informed and healthy decisions. Data from the Ndola Demonstration Project yielded encouraging results from efforts to improve the capacity of mothers to make informed decisions about their own health and the health of their infant. The interventions succeeded in raising …


The Abcs And Beyond: Developing An Operations Research Agenda On Comprehensive Behavior Change Approaches For Hiv Prevention: Report From A Technical Meeting, Julie Pulerwitz, Johannes Van Dam, Natalie Phillips-Hamblett Jan 2003

The Abcs And Beyond: Developing An Operations Research Agenda On Comprehensive Behavior Change Approaches For Hiv Prevention: Report From A Technical Meeting, Julie Pulerwitz, Johannes Van Dam, Natalie Phillips-Hamblett

HIV and AIDS

In April 2003, the Horizons Program sponsored a one-day technical meeting to develop and set priorities for an operations research agenda to study effective behavior change strategies for HIV risk reduction, particularly those that focus on the “ABC” behaviors: abstinence or delaying sex, being faithful or partner reduction, and condom use. Representatives from more than 20 organizations and programs involved in prevention research and programming discussed epidemiological, behavioral, psychosocial, and structural factors that may help determine the effectiveness of promoting the ABCs and other prevention programs. During the meeting, specific opportunities for collaborations and areas of particular interest for each …


Designing Hiv/Aids Intervention Studies: An Operations Research Handbook, Andrew A. Fisher, James R. Foreit, John E. Laing, John E. Stoeckel, John Townsend Jan 2002

Designing Hiv/Aids Intervention Studies: An Operations Research Handbook, Andrew A. Fisher, James R. Foreit, John E. Laing, John E. Stoeckel, John Townsend

HIV and AIDS

This handbook has several objectives and uses. First, it is designed to help HIV/AIDS researchers develop and write a detailed operations research proposal. An appropriate use of the handbook is as a resource in workshops or courses on research design and proposal development. Thus, the organization of the handbook follows that of a research proposal, starting with identifying, defining, and justifying a research problem, and ending with how to prepare a budget. Although the handbook is not an academic textbook on research methods, it does provide a review of many key concepts and important methods essential for conducting HIV/AIDS field …


Integrating Hiv Prevention And Care Into Maternal And Child Health Care Settings: Lessons Learned From Horizons Studies, Naomi Rutenberg, Sam Kalibala, Charles Mwai, James Rosen Jan 2002

Integrating Hiv Prevention And Care Into Maternal And Child Health Care Settings: Lessons Learned From Horizons Studies, Naomi Rutenberg, Sam Kalibala, Charles Mwai, James Rosen

HIV and AIDS

Many women in the developing world still lack access to high-quality HIV/AIDS prevention and care services. To address this problem, Horizons has undertaken a range of operations research efforts that examine the integration of HIV-related care in the maternal-child health setting. At a workshop held in Kenya in July 2001, participants discussed the experience to date and formulated practical strategies for improving the integration. This consultation report summarizes that discussion according to the following seven key program components: Training and Motivation to Improve the Performance of Health Workers; Supervision of HIV Services and Quality Assurance of HIV Testing; Caring for …


Trafficking And Human Rights In Nepal: Community Perceptions And Policy And Program Responses, Celine Daly, Vaishali Sharma Mahendra, Pankaja Bhattarai, Nick Langton, Jyoti Sanghera, Catrin Evans, Ratna Kapur, Dill Ram Dahal, Siobhan Crowley Jan 2001

Trafficking And Human Rights In Nepal: Community Perceptions And Policy And Program Responses, Celine Daly, Vaishali Sharma Mahendra, Pankaja Bhattarai, Nick Langton, Jyoti Sanghera, Catrin Evans, Ratna Kapur, Dill Ram Dahal, Siobhan Crowley

HIV and AIDS

In recent years, millions of women and girls have been trafficked across national borders and within countries. The trafficking problem is particularly acute in Nepal, one of the least developed countries in the world, with 42 percent of its citizens living below the poverty line. An estimated 5,000 to 7,000 girls are trafficked from Nepal to India and other neighboring countries every year, primarily for prostitution, and 200,000 Nepali girls and women are currently working in the sex industry in India. The occurrence of trafficking in Nepal is generally attributed to widespread poverty, low status of girls and women, and …


Making A Difference For Children Affected By Aids: Baseline Findings From Operations Research In Uganda, Laelia Gilborn, Rebecca Nyonyintono, Robert Kabumbuli, Gabriel Jagwe-Wadda Jan 2001

Making A Difference For Children Affected By Aids: Baseline Findings From Operations Research In Uganda, Laelia Gilborn, Rebecca Nyonyintono, Robert Kabumbuli, Gabriel Jagwe-Wadda

HIV and AIDS

Many organizations and programs have begun to provide services and support to AIDS-orphaned children in East and southern Africa. Typical program components include the provision of school fees and supplies, supplementary feeding, home-visiting programs in which community members visit and assist affected children, and vocational training. However, few of these programs have been formally evaluated for impact. This paper reports on baseline findings from a study of two programs for AIDS-affected children and their families implemented by PLAN International in the Luwero and Tororo districts of Uganda. One program, referred to as orphan support, provides educational, health, and nutritional assistance …


Peer Education And Hiv/Aids: Past Experience, Future Directions, Deanna Kerrigan, Ellen Weiss Jan 2000

Peer Education And Hiv/Aids: Past Experience, Future Directions, Deanna Kerrigan, Ellen Weiss

HIV and AIDS

Peer education typically involves training and supporting members of a given group to effect change among members of the same group. Peer education is often used to effect changes in knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors at the individual level. However, peer education may also create change at the group or societal level by modifying norms and stimulating collective action that contributes to changes in policies and programs. Worldwide, peer education is one of the most widely used strategies to address the HIV/AIDS pandemic. This report presents findings from a project designed to identify components and principles that influence HIV/AIDS peer …


The Female Condom In Zimbabwe: The Interplay Of Research, Advocacy, And Government Action, Population Council Jan 1999

The Female Condom In Zimbabwe: The Interplay Of Research, Advocacy, And Government Action, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

During the past decade, a significant increase in reported cases of HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe prompted the government, local organizations, and international donors to intensify prevention efforts. As part of this response, in November 1996 Zimbabwe’s National AIDS Coordinating Programme invited Population Services International to launch a social marketing program to promote the female condom, making this protective device widely available for the first time in Africa. After an acceptability study showed that Zimbabwean men and women liked using the female condom, leaders of these organizations encouraged public discussion and media attention, which helped pave the way to approval and introduction …