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Guatemala: Covid-19 Knowledge, Attitudes And Practices—Perspectives From 144 Key Informants In 10 Indigenous Municipalities. Results From The Second Round Of Data Collection, July 21–26, 2020, Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The Population Council has a longstanding partnership with indigenous communities in rural Guatemala through the Abriendo Oportunidades program. In compliance with COVID-19 prevention protocols, as of mid-August 2020 government restrictions allowed for inter-district mobility at the national level, classes remain suspended, and businesses were allowed to operate. To better understand indigenous knowledge, perspectives, and evolution of needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Guatemala, we conducted a second round of phone interviews with 144 key informants in ten municipalities. The second round represents 75% (n = 108) of the cohort interviewed April 14–18, 2020. Thirty-six new informants were recruited to …
Mexico: Covid-19 Knowledge, Attitudes And Practices, Population Council
Mexico: Covid-19 Knowledge, Attitudes And Practices, Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This brief presents responses from the first round of data collection among adults, adolescents, and community leaders in indigenous municipalities of Chiapas and Yucatan, Mexico, June 1–30, 2020. In total, 295 people from 17 municipalities were surveyed in Yucatan, and 83 people from 15 municipalities were surveyed in Chiapas. Adults and adolescents in both states identified the groups most at risk of suffering complications. Food insecurity may be a consequence of the pandemic. Regarding livelihoods, 51% of women and 63% of men in Yucatan have lost their work and/or their primary source of income since the start of the pandemic, …
Effects Of Covid-19 On Nutrition In Bihar, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Effects Of Covid-19 On Nutrition In Bihar, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
An extended nationwide lockdown and stoppage of economic activities resulting from COVID-19 caused substantial loss of income for many families in Bihar, India. One of the significant implications is a food shortage in households and a reduction in food intake. This nutrition shock may hit females harder than males due to the deep-rooted gendered culture prevalent in India. This study's key objectives are to understand the extent of food shortage in households, any changes in food intake, and coverage of government nutrition schemes. Half of the households in Bihar reported food shortages in the past month, causing most to reduce …
Are More People Adopting Covid-19 Prevention Measures?, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Are More People Adopting Covid-19 Prevention Measures?, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Drawing on data from two rounds of COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) telephone surveys conducted in Bihar, India, this research brief sheds light on the socioeconomic differentials and changes over time in the adoption of COVID-19 preventive measures. Though the adoption of preventive measures has increased, around two-fifths of males and one-quarter of females reported that they were currently practicing all four standard preventive measures. The better educated, wealthier, and those belonging to privileged castes were more likely than others to practice these measures, as were those who perceived moderate or high risk of COVID-19 in their neighborhood. Social …
Effects Of Covid-19 On Livelihood, Employment, And Financial Resources, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Effects Of Covid-19 On Livelihood, Employment, And Financial Resources, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
COVID-19 and steps to break the chain of viral transmission led to certain economic challenges that triggered loss in livelihoods and income and constraints on financial resources in Bihar, India. Often, these effects were disproportionately experienced among the most marginalized. The key objective of this study is to assess the loss of income, livelihoods, and jobs among households in Bihar to help with program planning and implementation. Data were gathered May 13–22, 2020, from the existing study cohort of households under the UDAYA study. Interviews were conducted with a total of 794 participant households. About four-fifths of respondents said their …
Covid-19 Times: Study Protocol For Rapid Assessment Of The Situation Of Women And Children In Bihar, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Covid-19 Times: Study Protocol For Rapid Assessment Of The Situation Of Women And Children In Bihar, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
India reported its first COVID-19 case on January 30, 2020, and numbers began to rise in late March 2020. The containment measures implemented by the national and state governments, particularly the nationwide lockdown, have helped keep the COVID-19 pandemic at a relatively low level in India. Bihar, being one of the poorest states in India, is at particularly high risk of adverse health and economic effects of COVID-19 and the lockdown. The Population Council Institute, in partnership with UNICEF Bihar, is conducting a rapid longitudinal study that aims to inform the design and development of locally relevant suitable response mechanisms …
Returning Home: Effects Of Covid-19 On Migrant Households In Bihar, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Returning Home: Effects Of Covid-19 On Migrant Households In Bihar, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Many migrants from metropolitan cities in India began to return to their native homes with the rise in COVID-19 cases in the cities and the extension of the lockdown. With relaxation of travel restrictions, Bihar started receiving migrants who were returning home. The government made arrangements for them to be quarantined before they traveled to their villages and homes. The key objectives of this study are to understand the extent of return migration, the impact of lockdown on migrant household livelihoods, and the opportunities for household economic revival through social protection schemes. Among migrant households, about half may experience return …
Self-Help Groups: A Potential Pivot Of Bihar's Response To Covid-19, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Self-Help Groups: A Potential Pivot Of Bihar's Response To Covid-19, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
More than 10 million women in Bihar, India, are members of women’s self-help groups (SHGs), run by the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society, Government of Bihar. The SHGs play a crucial role in the community by providing livelihood support and income-generating activities to their members. The key objectives of this study are to document SHG leaders’ engagement in community awareness and infection-prevention activities and the extent of support they give to their members through different funds and loans for livelihoods and income generation during the COVID-19 pandemic. About half of the SHG leaders were engaged in COVID-19–related community-awareness and prevention …
Awareness Of And Receiving Social Protection Measures During Covid-19 Lockdown In Bihar, India, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Awareness Of And Receiving Social Protection Measures During Covid-19 Lockdown In Bihar, India, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Economic hardships caused by the nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have been reported across India. Social protection measures have been announced by the state and central governments to ease these hardships. The key objectives of this research brief are to examine the awareness and the social protection measures received during the COVID-19 lockdown in Bihar, and the socioeconomic differentials in receiving these measures. The majority of respondents (64%) reported a family member losing their job/income-earning opportunity and lacking resources to survive for long. Awareness of social protection schemes was high (88%). Among households, 68% reported having ration …
Demand For And Access To Family Planning Services Among Young Married Women During Covid-19 Crisis, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Demand For And Access To Family Planning Services Among Young Married Women During Covid-19 Crisis, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
In Bihar, India, as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown and men returning home in large numbers and spending more time at home in high stress conditions, the need for contraceptive services could get greater. March to May are considered the “lean season” when demand is typically low for family planning (FP) programs in states like Bihar. However, higher demand caused by the lockdown and lack of access to health facilities has created a gap between demand and uptake. This could have negative consequences such as high numbers of unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and maternal mortality. Current use of modern …
Bangladesh: Covid-19 Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices And Needs, Population Council
Bangladesh: Covid-19 Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices And Needs, Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
No abstract provided.
Migration And Covid-19: Uttar Pradesh And Bihar, Population Council Institute
Migration And Covid-19: Uttar Pradesh And Bihar, Population Council Institute
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
To control the spread of COVID-19 in India and to aid the efforts of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Population Council and other nongovernmental organizations are conducting research to assess residents’ ability to follow sanitation and social distancing precautions under a countrywide lockdown. The Population Council COVID-19 study team is implementing rapid phone-based surveys to collect information on knowledge, attitudes, and practices, as well as needs, among 1,237 young people. As noted in this brief, Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Bihar are two of the highest out-migration states in India. Migration is mostly to metropolitan areas in Delhi, …
Low Perceived Risk: A Challenge To Adoption Of Preventive Behaviors For Covid-19?, Population Council Institute
Low Perceived Risk: A Challenge To Adoption Of Preventive Behaviors For Covid-19?, Population Council Institute
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
India, with 13,387 cases reported as of April 17, currently accounts for just 0.6% of the COVID-19 cases worldwide. The nationwide lockdown may have helped contain the initial COVID-19 outbreak. However, until testing rates improve, the size of the outbreak remains unclear, and the risk of spread remains. It is critical to ensure ongoing adherence to current social distancing and handwashing behaviours to protect the population from a larger outbreak. An ongoing COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes and practices study implemented by the Population Council Institute in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh sought to assess the extent to which study participants felt personally …
Covid-19-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Among Decisionmakers Of Indigenous Municipalities In Guatemala: Study Description, Angel Del Valle, Hannah Briggs, Benjamin Chang, Aiken Chew, Brian Medina, Gabriela Muñoz, Thoai Ngo, Elizabeth Vásquez, Corinne White, Ramón Zamora
Covid-19-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Among Decisionmakers Of Indigenous Municipalities In Guatemala: Study Description, Angel Del Valle, Hannah Briggs, Benjamin Chang, Aiken Chew, Brian Medina, Gabriela Muñoz, Thoai Ngo, Elizabeth Vásquez, Corinne White, Ramón Zamora
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Indigenous communities are often socially and economically marginalized which makes them particularly vulnerable to the impact of COVID-19. The Population Council has a longstanding partnership with indigenous communities in Guatemala through the "Abriendo Oportunidades" program. To understand the knowledge, perspectives, and needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will conduct key informant interviews with indigenous community leaders and frontline workers. Phone-based surveys will be carried out with approximately 130 key informants in the municipalities of Chisec, Patzún, San Andrés Semetabaj, San Juan Ostuncalco, San Juan Sacatepéquez, San Pedro Carchá, Santa María Chiquimula, Totonicapán, Uspantán and Sololá in April 2020. These …
Health + Equality + School Engagement: Scenarios Usa Reinvents Sex Education, Rafael Mazin, Andrea Lynch
Health + Equality + School Engagement: Scenarios Usa Reinvents Sex Education, Rafael Mazin, Andrea Lynch
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This issue of Quality/Calidad/Qualité highlights the experience of Scenarios USA, an innovative nonprofit program that has integrated a gender and rights perspective—and a critical-thinking approach—into sex education curricula, while fostering new pedagogies and greater awareness among teachers. Scenarios USA approaches sexual health not as a stand-alone issue but as intertwined with young people’s overall lives and agency. As such, the organization’s “sex ed” work is part of a broader strategy of fostering self-expression, leadership, and advocacy among youth, especially among those living in marginalized communities. The approach has made Scenarios a vanguard in the field of sexuality education. Scenarios’ experience …
Kalkidan ('Promise'): Addressing Marital Transmission Of Hiv In Ethiopia, Banchiamlack Dessalegn, Annabel Erulkar
Kalkidan ('Promise'): Addressing Marital Transmission Of Hiv In Ethiopia, Banchiamlack Dessalegn, Annabel Erulkar
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This program brief describes a Population Council initiative in three low-income areas of Ethiopia. Kalkidan (Amharic for “Promise”) is a three-year program designed to increase discussion and information-sharing on HIV and related topics between marital partners; to promote HIV prevention and health service utilization within marriage, including prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV; and to build husbands’ support of their wives, as well as investment in their health and that of their children. Kalkidan recruits and trains community-based mentors to lead parallel discussion groups of husbands and wives, who periodically come together for joint sessions. The Population Council is …
The Reproductive Health Of Young People In Egypt, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Noha Roushdy, Maia Sieverding
The Reproductive Health Of Young People In Egypt, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Noha Roushdy, Maia Sieverding
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This Population Council brief presents results from the Survey of Young People in Egypt (SYPE) on reproductive health (RH). The SYPE results underscore the need for: the assessment of state and civil society initiatives to transmit RH information; a national, comprehensive, age-appropriate reproductive health module to be integrated into the educational program; a national campaign on HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections that targets young people of reproductive age; the integration of female circumcision into a broader approach to youth reproductive health and bodily rights; specialized reproductive health services for married adolescent girls; and further research on sexuality and reproductive …
The Impact Of Water Supply And Sanitation On Child Health: Evidence From Egypt, Rania Roushdy, Maia Sieverding, Hanan Radwan
The Impact Of Water Supply And Sanitation On Child Health: Evidence From Egypt, Rania Roushdy, Maia Sieverding, Hanan Radwan
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative data, this working paper investigates whether access to improved sources of water and sanitation is an effective “treatment” for the incidence of diarrhea among children under five years of age in Egypt. Both components of the study indicate that widespread access to improved sources of drinking water and toilet facilities exists across Egypt; however, service quality remains a significant problem in many areas. In particular, cuts in water supply—and the resulting practice of storing water—are quite common; a sizable percentage of flush toilet facilities are not connected to the public sewer system; and …
First Generation Of Gender And Hiv Programs: Seeking Clarity And Synergy, Judith Bruce, Nicole Haberland, Amy Joyce, Eva Roca, Tobey Nelson Sapiano
First Generation Of Gender And Hiv Programs: Seeking Clarity And Synergy, Judith Bruce, Nicole Haberland, Amy Joyce, Eva Roca, Tobey Nelson Sapiano
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
In the past decade, there have been expanding resources to address the underlying gender dimensions of HIV. This has been particularly urgent in sub-Saharan Africa as the female-to-male infection ratios in young populations has reached 3 to 1 and sometimes above. The phrase “gender and HIV” has become commonplace yet does not provide any specific guidance as to target audiences, content, or measurable results. It can include everything from microcredit programs for HIV-positive women, to workplace programs seeking to change negative male norms, to efforts to increase respect for diverse sexual and gender identities. This review, conducted by the Population …
National Efforts Toward Fgm-Free Villages In Egypt: The Evidence Of Impact, Ghada Barsoum, Nadia Rifaat, Omaima El-Gibaly, Nihal Elwan, Natalie Forcier
National Efforts Toward Fgm-Free Villages In Egypt: The Evidence Of Impact, Ghada Barsoum, Nadia Rifaat, Omaima El-Gibaly, Nihal Elwan, Natalie Forcier
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This report is a midterm evaluation and documentation of the process and approach of the FGM-Free Village Model implemented in Egypt by the National Council of Childhood and Motherhood with assistance from the Population Council. In a comparison of responses from women and men in intervention groups to those in nonintervention (control) villages, data analysis shows that the program has been successful in changing views and attitudes toward female genital mutilation (FGM). FGM is an entrenched generational practice, and eradicating it in a community requires concerted effort over an extended period of time. This evaluation strongly recommends that efforts be …
Romance And Sex Before Marriage Among Young Women And Men In Andhra Pradesh, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips), Population Council
Romance And Sex Before Marriage Among Young Women And Men In Andhra Pradesh, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips), Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This policy brief documents the extent of pre-marital romantic and sexual relations experienced by young men and women in Andhra Pradesh, India and the extent to which pre-marital sexual experiences among young people are informed, safe, and wanted. Findings clearly highlight that many young men and a small minority of young women in Andhra Pradesh had engaged in sex before marriage and that many of them had initiated sexual activities uninformed, had engaged in unsafe relations, and/or had experienced unwanted relations. Findings that relatively few youth had been exposed to family life or sex education emphasize the need for increased …
Premarital Sex And Schooling Transitions In Four Sub-Saharan African Countries, Ann E. Biddlecom, Richard Gregory, Cynthia B. Lloyd, Barbara Mensch
Premarital Sex And Schooling Transitions In Four Sub-Saharan African Countries, Ann E. Biddlecom, Richard Gregory, Cynthia B. Lloyd, Barbara Mensch
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Using data from the 2004 National Survey of Adolescents conducted in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi, and Uganda, this Population Council working paper investigates the timing of two key transitions in adolescence—school exit and premarital sex—among those who remain enrolled in school at the beginning of adolescence (age 12). Girls appear more vulnerable to dropout once they become sexually mature and once they engage in premarital sex. While girls were found to be less likely than boys, at any given age and controlling for other covariates, to have had premarital sex (except in Ghana), school enrollment and the timing of school …
Ethnic Differentials In Parental Health Seeking For Childhood Illness In Vietnam, Bussarawan Teerawichitchainan, James F. Phillips
Ethnic Differentials In Parental Health Seeking For Childhood Illness In Vietnam, Bussarawan Teerawichitchainan, James F. Phillips
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The recent introduction of user fees for Vietnam’s primary healthcare services has generated concern that economic policies may adversely affect health-seeking behavior and health outcomes of the poor, particularly among impoverished families who are members of socially marginalized minority groups. This Population Council working paper examines this debate by analyzing parental recall of illness and care-seeking for sick children under age 5 recorded by the 2001–02 Vietnam National Health Survey. Ethnic differentials are evident in all geographic and income levels, although adverse effects of minority status are most pronounced among poor households in remote areas. Results suggest that social equity …
The Role Of Schools In Promoting Sexual And Reproductive Health Among Adolescents In Developing Countries, Cynthia B. Lloyd
The Role Of Schools In Promoting Sexual And Reproductive Health Among Adolescents In Developing Countries, Cynthia B. Lloyd
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This Population Council working paper reviews the state of knowledge about relationships between schooling and adolescent reproductive health. With the spread of mass schooling and the growing share of adolescents who attend school, the opportunities for synergies between health and education policies and programs are growing. Data on cross-country variations in health conditions on the one hand, and variations in attendance and attainment patterns and school systems on the other hand, provide a framework for assessing alternative approaches to the promotion of adolescent sexual and reproductive health in different contexts. Disappointing findings from recent school-based reproductive health interventions in poor …
My Father Didn't Think This Way': Nigerian Boys Contemplate Gender Equality, Françoise Girard
My Father Didn't Think This Way': Nigerian Boys Contemplate Gender Equality, Françoise Girard
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
One of the lessons emerging from adolescent programs around the world is the need to create settings where young men can question things that are often seen as unquestionable, such as what it means to be a man. This issue explores the Conscientizing Male Adolescents (CMA) program in Nigeria which, unlike many programs targeting adolescent boys that emphasize short-term activities aimed at preventing disease and unwanted pregnancy, is a long-term program focusing on sexism and critical-thinking skills. An initial evaluation indicates that such programs affirm that we do know how to engage young men, and that historically reinforced gender attitudes …
What About Us? Bringing Infertility Into Reproductive Health Care, Okonofua Friday, Bishakha Datta
What About Us? Bringing Infertility Into Reproductive Health Care, Okonofua Friday, Bishakha Datta
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Infertility is a major reproductive health problem throughout much of the world. Despite the prevalence and seriousness of infertility, the population and reproductive health field has largely neglected this problem. National policies and international donor organizations have been one-sided in their focus on programs designed to prevent unwanted pregnancies. This issue of Quality/Calidad/Qualité, with clinic-based narratives and case reports from India and Nigeria, illustrates what is involved in trying to address the problem of infertility in developing countries. A possible framework for incorporating limited infertility care into a family planning or reproductive health program includes providing education and counseling, preliminary …
Training And Support Of Developing-Country Population Scientists: A Panel Report—Summary And Recommendations, Jane Menken, Ann K. Blanc, Cynthia B. Lloyd
Training And Support Of Developing-Country Population Scientists: A Panel Report—Summary And Recommendations, Jane Menken, Ann K. Blanc, Cynthia B. Lloyd
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
From its earliest days, the Population Council has recognized the importance and value of training population scientists from developing countries. Since 1952, the Council’s social science fellowship program has sustained a commitment to this goal; approximately 1,500 fellowships have been awarded for pre- and postdoctoral training in population studies. While the demand for population scientists remains strong, the field has changed substantially since those early years and a review of the program was needed. The Mellon Foundation funded a project in 2000 to assess future needs for training and support of population scientists from developing countries and assembled an international …
From Patna To Paris: Providing Safe And Humane Abortion, Carmen Barroso, Martha Brady, Batya Elul, Shelley Clark, Sneh Vishwanath, Sunanda Rabindranathan
From Patna To Paris: Providing Safe And Humane Abortion, Carmen Barroso, Martha Brady, Batya Elul, Shelley Clark, Sneh Vishwanath, Sunanda Rabindranathan
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
With access to safe, legal abortion under severe constraint or debate in many parts of the world, less attention has been paid to the issue of quality of abortion care. This issue of Quality/Calidad/Qualité explores two programs that operate in very different settings but with a shared commitment to providing high-quality abortion care in a context of broader reproductive health services: the Clinique d’Orthogénie of Broussais Hospital in France and Parivar Seva Sanstha in India. In both programs, each woman or girl who arrives for abortion receives crucial basic care, including: appropriate medical treatment to ensure complete abortion and safe …
Women Street Vendors: The Road To Recognition, Monique Cohen
Women Street Vendors: The Road To Recognition, Monique Cohen
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This issue of SEEDS explores the experience of women working and organizing as urban street vendors at a time when both the volume of demand and the number of vendors are expected to grow. As municipalities seek to change laws that affect how street vendors ply their trade, it is clear that vendors must have a seat at the table. Local-level organizational efforts need to be consolidated at the national level to cement vendors’ hard-earned gains as rights in national laws and policy. A 1995 meeting in Bellagio conceived an international alliance of street vendors—StreetNet—which aims to promote the exchange …
Using Cope To Improve Quality Of Care: The Experience Of The Family Planning Association Of Kenya, Janet Bradley, Judith Bruce, Soledad Diaz, Carlos Huezo, Kalimi Mworia
Using Cope To Improve Quality Of Care: The Experience Of The Family Planning Association Of Kenya, Janet Bradley, Judith Bruce, Soledad Diaz, Carlos Huezo, Kalimi Mworia
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This is the first of several editions of Quality/Calidad/Qualité that describe methodologies designed to assist family planning program managers and staff to self-assess the quality of services they are providing. These tools give program sponsors an opportunity to identify shortfalls in their service environment and propose solutions. This issue focuses on AVSC International's COPE (client-oriented, provider-efficient) methodology, a self-assessment tool that has now been used in 35 countries around the world. The report examines the experience of the National Family Planning Association of Kenya, provides some lessons learned, and demonstrates that these self-assessment exercises are, in fact, resulting in system-wide …