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Focus On Male Youths In Addressing Alcohol And Drug Abuse Risk In The Context Of Hiv Prevention Among Young People, Population Council Jan 2011

Focus On Male Youths In Addressing Alcohol And Drug Abuse Risk In The Context Of Hiv Prevention Among Young People, Population Council

Reproductive Health

Research evidence shows that people who abuse alcohol are more likely to engage in behavior that puts them at risk of HIV infection, including having unprotected sex. In 2010, the Population Council’s APHIA II Operations Research Project collaborated with the Support for Addictions Prevention and Treatment in Africa Centre in Kenya on research to identify factors associated with alcohol and drug use among out-of-school youth in Kibera, to identify specific factors contributing to HIV risk, and to assess the impact of an intervention to link youths with an alcohol and drug abuse problem to counseling and rehabilitation services. A key …


Scaling Up The Integration Of Tuberculosis Screening Into Reproductive Health Services, Aphia Ii Or Project In Kenya Jan 2011

Scaling Up The Integration Of Tuberculosis Screening Into Reproductive Health Services, Aphia Ii Or Project In Kenya

Reproductive Health

The Population Council’s APHIA II Operations Research and Kenya’s Ministry of Health implemented a pilot project in five facilities across Nairobi Province in 2010 with the aim of improving access to care and treatment for tuberculosis (TB) for women during postnatal care (PNC) services. As tuberculosis persists in Kenya, integration of screening and referrals within postnatal care services will increase case detection and treatment for those infected. Integration of TB screening is likely to be scaled up throughout PNC and maternal and child health services in Kenya. Strong linkages between health services, training, and supervision, and simple provider tools will …


Increasing Access To Family Planning (Fp) And Reproductive Health (Rh) Services Through Task-Sharing Between Community Health Workers (Chws) And Community Mid-Level Professionals In Large-Scale Public-Sector Programs: A Literature Review To Help Guide Case Studies, James R. Foreit, Sarah Raifman Jan 2011

Increasing Access To Family Planning (Fp) And Reproductive Health (Rh) Services Through Task-Sharing Between Community Health Workers (Chws) And Community Mid-Level Professionals In Large-Scale Public-Sector Programs: A Literature Review To Help Guide Case Studies, James R. Foreit, Sarah Raifman

Reproductive Health

This literature review covers case studies related to community-based distribution of family planning programs, and community health worker (CHW) programs that included family planning and other reproductive health services. It offers essential processes and implications for additional operations research which look at constraints and factors critical to introducing new program procedures or strengthening existing ones.


Increasing Access To Safe Abortion In Rural Maharashtra: Outcomes Of A Comprehensive Abortion Care Model, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, A.J. Francis Zavier, Rajib Acharya, Shveta Kalyanwala Jan 2011

Increasing Access To Safe Abortion In Rural Maharashtra: Outcomes Of A Comprehensive Abortion Care Model, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, A.J. Francis Zavier, Rajib Acharya, Shveta Kalyanwala

Reproductive Health

This assessment of a Comprehensive Abortion Care (CAC) model was conducted by the Population Council on behalf of the Consortium for Safe Abortions in India. The goal of the Consortium is to increase access to legal, safe, and comprehensive abortion services, including post-abortion family planning, in the public health system, and especially among the rural poor. This report describes the CAC model implemented in Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, and examines the extent to which the model improved (a) the availability and quality of abortion services in public sector facilities, and (b) women’s awareness and experiences with regard to abortion services. It …


Survey Of Domestic And Work Life Experience And Reproductive Health Of Women Workers Of Selected Industrial Compounds In Ha Noi, Nguyen Thi Van Anh, Nguyen Hong Phuong Jan 2011

Survey Of Domestic And Work Life Experience And Reproductive Health Of Women Workers Of Selected Industrial Compounds In Ha Noi, Nguyen Thi Van Anh, Nguyen Hong Phuong

Reproductive Health

The Population Council Viet Nam and local stakeholders undertook a collaborative project in Ha Noi entitled “Improving the health care response to gender-based violence.” The study’s objectives were: 1) to assess the knowledge and experience of female workers about gender-based violence; 2) to assess knowledge and practice of women workers on reproductive health focusing on abortion; and 3) to make recommendation for the Ha Noi Health Service to improve the women workers’ knowledge on gender-based violence, choice of contraceptive method, reproductive health care, and abortion. The women factory workers, who have higher levels of education than their peers in the …


Female Genital Mutilation Practices In Kenya: The Role Of Alternative Rites Of Passage. A Case Study Of Kisii And Kuria Districts, Habil Oloo, Monica Wanjiru, Katy Newell-Jones Jan 2011

Female Genital Mutilation Practices In Kenya: The Role Of Alternative Rites Of Passage. A Case Study Of Kisii And Kuria Districts, Habil Oloo, Monica Wanjiru, Katy Newell-Jones

Reproductive Health

This research was undertaken by the Population Council to better understand female genital mutilation (FGM) as currently practiced by the Kuria and Kisii communities in Kenya. The study investigated current attitudes and practices in relation to FGM, awareness and attitudes toward the alternative rite of passage (ARP), and factors which encourage individuals to make decisions to abandon FGM. The findings show that FGM is still a celebrated public event among the Kuria, whereas in Kisii, it is a private family affair. The study suggests that the success of ARP as an approach to abandoning FGM is strongly dependent on the …


Comprehensive Responses To Sexual Violence In East And Southern Africa: Lessons Learned From Implementation, Jill Keesbury, Ian Askew, Monica Wanjiru, Grace Chiyaba, Kate Wilson, Felly Nkweto Simmonds Jan 2011

Comprehensive Responses To Sexual Violence In East And Southern Africa: Lessons Learned From Implementation, Jill Keesbury, Ian Askew, Monica Wanjiru, Grace Chiyaba, Kate Wilson, Felly Nkweto Simmonds

Reproductive Health

The Population Council has provided technical assistance and conducted research to strengthen the evidence base on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) programming in sub-Saharan Africa, where countries have begun to recognize the importance of both preventing violence and responding to the needs of SGBV survivors. These activities have created an active network of partners from across sub-Saharan Africa, who are developing, implementing, and evaluating core elements of a comprehensive, multisectoral response model. This brief reports how network partners have significantly increased the evidence base on program responses: a range of successful approaches have been demonstrated for improving comprehensive services within …


Community Health Workers Can Effectively Provide Information And Referrals To People Living With Hiv In Their Communities, Population Council Jan 2011

Community Health Workers Can Effectively Provide Information And Referrals To People Living With Hiv In Their Communities, Population Council

Reproductive Health

A number of studies reported high levels of sexually transmitted infections among people living with HIV (PLHIV). Unfortunately, prevention interventions targeting PLHIV in the community are not common in Kenya, and most PLHIV who are not on ART have limited access to prevention information and risk-reduction counseling. The Population Council’s APHIA II Operations Research Project conducted a research project to address these gaps. This study was conducted in 2010 in collaboration with the International Center for Reproductive Health and the National AIDS and STI Control Programme. The findings show that the intervention had a number of positive outcomes and concludes …


Levels, Trends And Determinants Of Contraceptive Use Among Adolescent Girls In Kenya, Francis Obare, Harriet Birungi, Chi-Chi Undie, Monica Wanjiru, Wilson Liambila, Ian Askew Jan 2011

Levels, Trends And Determinants Of Contraceptive Use Among Adolescent Girls In Kenya, Francis Obare, Harriet Birungi, Chi-Chi Undie, Monica Wanjiru, Wilson Liambila, Ian Askew

Reproductive Health

In Kenya, recent trends in contraceptive use among currently married women aged 15–49 years show that after experiencing a stall between 1998 and 2003, the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) increased between 2003 and 2008–2009. Although the increase in CPR after 2003 is encouraging, there is limited understanding of how these changes affected adolescents, especially girls, given the unique sexual and reproductive health challenges that they face. This report is based on a secondary analysis of the Kenya Demographic and Health Surveys (KDHS) data to understand the trends, differentials, and determinants of contraceptive use among adolescent girls aged 15–19 years in …


Linking Hiv-Positive Family Planning Clients To Treatment And Care Services In Kenya, Wilson Liambila, Francis Obare, Harriet Birungi, Ruth Wayua Muia, Joyce Wanderi Maina, Mary N. Maina, Christine Awuor, Ibrahim Mohammed Jan 2011

Linking Hiv-Positive Family Planning Clients To Treatment And Care Services In Kenya, Wilson Liambila, Francis Obare, Harriet Birungi, Ruth Wayua Muia, Joyce Wanderi Maina, Mary N. Maina, Christine Awuor, Ibrahim Mohammed

Reproductive Health

A project from the Population Council’s USAID-funded FRONTIERS program found that integrating HIV counseling and testing into family planning (FP) services was feasible and acceptable to clients and providers, and led to significant improvement in the quality of care provided. However, a major limitation was that FP clients who tested HIV-positive were not actively linked to care and treatment services, including antiretroviral treatment, and screening and management of sexually transmitted infections. A new initiative aimed to design and test a referral framework for linking HIV-positive FP clients to treatment and care in selected health facilities; assess the acceptability of the …


Strengthening The Delivery Of Comprehensive Reproductive Health Services At The Community Level In Kenya, Population Council Jan 2011

Strengthening The Delivery Of Comprehensive Reproductive Health Services At The Community Level In Kenya, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The Population Council APHIA II Operations Research Project collaborated with the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation to improve the quality of services offered by community-based midwives in two districts in Western Kenya, to prepare them to offer more comprehensive maternal services through antenatal, obstetric, postpartum, and newborn care. The study found that community midwives can tremendously increase clients’ access to essential maternal health services and other reproductive health services. Therefore Ministry of Health and its partners should scale up community midwives’ activities to enable more women access these services. Furthermore, information campaigns are needed to promote the range of …


The Prevention And Management Of Hiv And Sexual And Gender-Based Violence: Responding To The Needs Of Survivors And Those-At-Risk, Sarah Raifman, Ian Askew, Sajeda Amin, Jill Keesbury, Saiqa Mullick, Judith A. Diers, Meiwita P. Budiharsana, Chi-Chi Undie, Mary Zama, Mantshi Menziwa, Sherry Hutchinson, Naomi Rutenberg Jan 2011

The Prevention And Management Of Hiv And Sexual And Gender-Based Violence: Responding To The Needs Of Survivors And Those-At-Risk, Sarah Raifman, Ian Askew, Sajeda Amin, Jill Keesbury, Saiqa Mullick, Judith A. Diers, Meiwita P. Budiharsana, Chi-Chi Undie, Mary Zama, Mantshi Menziwa, Sherry Hutchinson, Naomi Rutenberg

Reproductive Health

The Population Council seeks to understand the social, economic, political, and physical context of risks for sexual and gender-based violence and HIV. Among the top priorities of Council research are supporting and evaluating efforts to prevent violence and HIV, including creating safe spaces for adolescent girls, and working with men and boys to change gender norms within the community; and comprehensively responding to the needs of survivors (including those who are HIV-infected) by strengthening health systems and integrating services. The purpose of this guide is to provide practical guidance on the steps necessary to establish and strengthen sexual violence (SV) …


Strengthening Union Level Facility For Providing Normal Delivery And Newborn Care Services: Facility Assessment Report, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, Ubaidur Rob, A.K.M. Zafar Ullah Khan, Amar Krishna Baidya, M. Mostafizur Rahman Khan, Nargis Sultana Jan 2011

Strengthening Union Level Facility For Providing Normal Delivery And Newborn Care Services: Facility Assessment Report, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, Ubaidur Rob, A.K.M. Zafar Ullah Khan, Amar Krishna Baidya, M. Mostafizur Rahman Khan, Nargis Sultana

Reproductive Health

In Bangladesh, first-level fixed-facility services—provided at the union level through Health and Family Welfare Centers (HFWCs)—are designed to improve maternal and child health by making services available in rural areas. However, most HFWCs do not have the capacity to provide normal delivery services. HFWCs could help women receive free normal delivery services within a convenient distance from their home, if they were strengthened with necessary human resources, infrastructure, and equipment. The Population Council, with financial assistance from the UK Department for International Development (DFID), carried out a policy and research systems study to strengthen union HFWC’s provision of normal delivery …


Community Health Workers And The Media Can Be Effective In Providing Health Information To Married Adolescent Girls In The Community, Population Council Jan 2011

Community Health Workers And The Media Can Be Effective In Providing Health Information To Married Adolescent Girls In The Community, Population Council

Reproductive Health

Past research has found that married adolescent girls in Nyanza Province, Kenya, face higher risks of HIV infection than unmarried but sexually active girls their age in the province and other parts of the country. To address this challenge, the Population Council’s APHIA II Operations Research Project, in collaboration with Well Told Story and the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation, developed a study to assess the effectiveness of an intervention designed to increase married adolescent girls’ access to comprehensive reproductive health and HIV information and services in Homa Bay and Rachuonyo districts. The study found that using interactive communication …


A P4p Model For Increased Utilization Of Maternal, Newborn And Child Health Services In Bangladesh, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, Ubaidur Rob, Laila Rahman, Ismat Ara Hena, A.K.M. Zafar Ullah Khan Jan 2011

A P4p Model For Increased Utilization Of Maternal, Newborn And Child Health Services In Bangladesh, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, Ubaidur Rob, Laila Rahman, Ismat Ara Hena, A.K.M. Zafar Ullah Khan

Reproductive Health

In Bangladesh, maternal health programs are not yet reaching the desired level of facility-based obstetric care service. Most deliveries are conducted by untrained persons at home, demonstrating inequity in access to recommended maternal health care services and underutilization of existing obstetric and newborn care services. Suboptimal performance by providers is a key barrier to improving availability and quality of maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) services. To increase use of facility-based services, an operations research study of “pay-for-performance” (P4P) incentives for providers and subsidization of consumer costs was initiated in 2010. The study, part of the Government of Bangladesh–United Nations …


Strengthening Union Level Facility For Providing Normal Delivery And Newborn Care Services: Workshop Report, Ubaidur Rob, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, A.K.M. Zafar Ullah Khan Jan 2011

Strengthening Union Level Facility For Providing Normal Delivery And Newborn Care Services: Workshop Report, Ubaidur Rob, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, A.K.M. Zafar Ullah Khan

Reproductive Health

In Bangladesh, a network of government health facilities providing maternal and child health services has been established. In rural areas, first-level fixed-facility service is provided at the union level through Health and Family Welfare Centers (HFWCs). These facilities are designed to improve maternal and child health by making services available to the people in rural areas, however a full range of reproductive health services for women is not available in those facilities. At present, no evidence exists to support whether or not HFWCs can safely and cost-effectively provide normal deliveries. There is a need for a policy research initiative that …


Informe Años Dos Movil.Com: Evaluación De La Línea Final Resumen De Hallazgos Principales, Annik Sorhaindo, Xipatl Contreras, Kate S. Wilson, Sandra G. Garcia Jan 2011

Informe Años Dos Movil.Com: Evaluación De La Línea Final Resumen De Hallazgos Principales, Annik Sorhaindo, Xipatl Contreras, Kate S. Wilson, Sandra G. Garcia

Reproductive Health

This report highlights the findings of the endline evaluation of a two-year leadership project aimed at indigenous youth in Oaxaca, Mexico: Movil.com. Movil.com is a community project headed by peers and built on elements of other models. It is similar to a cascaded peer education and training model, in which nuclear leaders are trained who, in turn, train facilitators of larger groups. The Population Council office in Mexico evaluated the project at the request of the social organization that implements it, the Rosales Castellanos Women's Study Group, an NGO that has worked for more than 30 years with indigenous communities …


Social Mobilization Strategy, Family Advancement For Life And Health (Falah) Jan 2011

Social Mobilization Strategy, Family Advancement For Life And Health (Falah)

Reproductive Health

This document outlines social mobilization strategies at the national and community levels of the Family Advancement for Life and Health (FALAH) project in Pakistan. The project aims to improve the health and well-being of women, men, and their children through tackling the major obstacles in adoption of birth spacing to improve maternal and child health outcomes and family well-being, by increasing knowledge of the benefits of birth spacing as well as knowledge, increased demand for, and effective use of contraceptive methods. The strategy aims to achieve a significant increase in couples’ knowledge and understanding of the need for and benefits …


Sexual And Reproductive Health Needs Of Adolescents Living With Hiv In Kenya, Harriet Birungi, Francis Obare, Jane Harriet Namwebya, Ibrahim Mohammed, Margaret Gitau, Margaret Makumi Jan 2011

Sexual And Reproductive Health Needs Of Adolescents Living With Hiv In Kenya, Harriet Birungi, Francis Obare, Jane Harriet Namwebya, Ibrahim Mohammed, Margaret Gitau, Margaret Makumi

Reproductive Health

The objective of this study was to assess the sexual and reproductive health needs of adolescents living with HIV in Kenya with a view to identifying and developing interventions that integrate these needs within the existing HIV/AIDS treatment, care, and support programs in the country. The study was a result of collaboration between Population Council, APHIA II Rift Valley and Coast (Family Health International), the National AIDS and STI Control Programme, and APHIA II Nairobi and Central (Pathfinder International). Major findings indicate that many of the adolescents living with HIV are vulnerable, and that programmatic gaps exist in addressing the …


Ten Years Of The Kenya Adolescent Reproductive Health Project: What Has Happened?, Humphres Evelia, Monica Wanjiru, Francis Obare, Harriet Birungi Jan 2011

Ten Years Of The Kenya Adolescent Reproductive Health Project: What Has Happened?, Humphres Evelia, Monica Wanjiru, Francis Obare, Harriet Birungi

Reproductive Health

This evaluation by the Population Council’s APHIA II Operations Research Project sought to find out whether the adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) and HIV/AIDS activities in Kenya had been sustained over a 10-year period when the project was replicated and scaled up to cover seven provinces in the country. The evaluation had three main objectives: 1) to determine the extent to which activities of the Kenya Adolescent Reproductive Health Program (KARHP) have continued at national, provincial, and district levels; 2) to determine whether desired sexual and reproductive health outcomes (knowledge, behavior, and practices) have been sustained among in- and …


Using Youth-Friendly Communication Approaches To Communicate Hiv/Aids With Young People Is Feasible And Acceptable, Population Council Jan 2011

Using Youth-Friendly Communication Approaches To Communicate Hiv/Aids With Young People Is Feasible And Acceptable, Population Council

Reproductive Health

HIV remains a major concern in Kenya among all segments of the population, including adolescents. New ways of delivering HIV information and services are therefore needed, especially to reach young people and encourage them to take up counselling and testing to know their sero-status. The APHIA II Operations Research Project collaborated with the Ministry of Education, Well Told Story, and the National AIDS and STD Control Programme to implement a project to enhance communication in schools about HIV and create demand for early counseling and testing. The project also sought to create a supportive environment in schools for young people …


Operationalizing And Scaling Up Hiv/Rh Referrals In Kenya: The Way Forward, Aphia Ii Or Project In Kenya Jan 2011

Operationalizing And Scaling Up Hiv/Rh Referrals In Kenya: The Way Forward, Aphia Ii Or Project In Kenya

Reproductive Health

This policy brief describes the APHIA II Operations Research Project through which the Population Council and Kenya’s Ministry of Health (MOH) developed and tested an approach to systematically link HIV-positive family planning (FP) clients to treatment and care services. Key activities included provider training and testing of a referral package which showed how, where, when, and who is to make and receive referrals. This referral package consisted of a directory listing all facilities in the vicinity available for services including HIV counseling and testing, FP, STIs, tuberculosis, and well-child checks; and referral forms directing clients to appropriate receiving clinics. The …


Expanding Access To Safe Abortion And Post-Abortion Care: Recommendations Of A South Asia Regional Consultation, Population Council Jan 2011

Expanding Access To Safe Abortion And Post-Abortion Care: Recommendations Of A South Asia Regional Consultation, Population Council

Reproductive Health

A South Asia Regional Consultation, organized by the Population Council with representation from governments and key stakeholders of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan, was held in New Delhi, to discuss ways of expanding women’s access to safe abortion services. The Consultation deliberated on ways of expanding the provider base for safe induced abortion so as to overcome inadequate and inequitable access to safe abortion. They also looked to expand access to services for the management of incomplete abortion and complications of unsafe abortion that persist in the region and, thereby, to reduce morbidity and mortality resulting from unsafe abortion. In …


Costing And Economic Analysis Of Strengthening Union Level Facility For Providing Normal Delivery And Newborn Care Services In Bangladesh, Sushil Ranjan Howlader Jan 2011

Costing And Economic Analysis Of Strengthening Union Level Facility For Providing Normal Delivery And Newborn Care Services In Bangladesh, Sushil Ranjan Howlader

Reproductive Health

For a long time, the reduction of the maternal mortality ratio has constituted a major challenge for the health, nutrition, and population sector of Bangladesh. The objectives of this Population Council study is to estimate the costs of the additional inputs required for strengthening Health and Family Welfare Centers (HFWC) for providing normal delivery and newborn care services, the cost-effectiveness, and the financial implications of the addition of capacity. Results clearly show that the benefit-cost ratio for the intervention will be quite high. Some additional measures on the demand side should thus adopted. Intensive behavior change communication activities including interpersonal …


A Pay-For-Performance Innovation Integrating The Quantity And Quality Of Care In Maternal, Newborn And Child Health Services In Bangladesh, Laila Rahman, Ubaidur Rob, Riad Mahmud, Azizul Alim, Ismat Ara Hena, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, Md. Hafizur Rahman Jan 2011

A Pay-For-Performance Innovation Integrating The Quantity And Quality Of Care In Maternal, Newborn And Child Health Services In Bangladesh, Laila Rahman, Ubaidur Rob, Riad Mahmud, Azizul Alim, Ismat Ara Hena, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, Md. Hafizur Rahman

Reproductive Health

The Population Council explored the possibilities of introducing a Pay-for-Performance (P4P) scheme in Bangladesh to improve maternal, newborn and child healthcare (MNCH) services. Based on the consultation and with guidance from the Government of Bangladesh, the Population Council and UNICEF provided technical assistance to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to test two P4P strategies for MNCH service providers to improve service volume and quality of care, and for poor clients to receive services subsidized through vouchers or coupons. The first strategy is a combination of pay-for-performance for providers and subsidized coupons for poor pregnant women, newborns, and under-five …


Identifying Opportunities And Challenges To Strengthen Union Level Facility For Providing Normal Delivery And Newborn Care Services: Findings From Policy Advocacy Activities, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, Ubaidur Rob, A.K.M. Zafar Ullah Khan Jan 2011

Identifying Opportunities And Challenges To Strengthen Union Level Facility For Providing Normal Delivery And Newborn Care Services: Findings From Policy Advocacy Activities, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, Ubaidur Rob, A.K.M. Zafar Ullah Khan

Reproductive Health

The Population Council/Bangladesh, with assistance from the UK Department for International Development (DFID), organized a series of advocacy meetings and workshops that were carried out as part of a policy and systems research study titled “Strengthening Union Level Facility for Providing Normal Delivery and Newborn Care Services.” The Council held one consultative meeting, one stakeholders’ meeting, two experience-sharing workshops in Jamalpur and Thakurgaon, two local-level advocacy workshops in Kurigram and Habiganj, and two roundtable dialogues with journalists from Bengali and English newspapers. This document includes five reports: Strengthening HFWCs (Health and Family Welfare Centers) for Normal Delivery and Newborn Care …


Innovative Financing Through Pay-For-Performance For Providers To Improve Quality Of Care In Bangladesh: Transforming Research Into Action, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, Ubaidur Rob, Laila Rahman, Ismat Ara Hena Jan 2011

Innovative Financing Through Pay-For-Performance For Providers To Improve Quality Of Care In Bangladesh: Transforming Research Into Action, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, Ubaidur Rob, Laila Rahman, Ismat Ara Hena

Reproductive Health

To improve access to and use of facility-based obstetric and newborn care, the Government of Bangladesh is implementing two innovative performance-based financing programs, namely demand-side financing (DSF) and pay-for-performance (P4P). With the purpose of identifying the lessons learned, limitations of the P4P and DSF models, and scopes for cross learning, a two-day workshop was organized in Dhaka. This workshop report, prepared by the Population Council, resulted in several recommendations to modify DSF and P4P schemes. In Bangladesh, the need for continuing performance-based financing programs to meet MDGs and other health indicators is beyond argument, but it is urgently required to …


Increasing Access To Safe Abortion In Rural Rajasthan: Outcomes Of A Comprehensive Abortion Care Model, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, A.J. Francis Zavier, Rajib Acharya, Shveta Kalyanwala Jan 2011

Increasing Access To Safe Abortion In Rural Rajasthan: Outcomes Of A Comprehensive Abortion Care Model, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, A.J. Francis Zavier, Rajib Acharya, Shveta Kalyanwala

Reproductive Health

This report describes an assessment by the Population Council of the Comprehensive Abortion Care (CAC) model implemented in Tonk district, Rajasthan. Findings highlight that at the time of the baseline survey, the availability of abortion services was limited; also evident was the poor quality of abortion-related care. Given this context, and given the short duration of implementation, the changes achieved by the intervention are promising. The district-level CAC model succeeded in strengthening facilities, training providers, and increasing women’s access to safe abortion services at the Primary Health Centre level. Community-level activities were less successful, attributable to a considerable extent to …


Introduction Of Medical Abortion In Ghana, Emmanuel Kuffour, Selina F. Esantsi, Placide Tapsoba, Gloria Quansah Asare, Ian Askew Jan 2011

Introduction Of Medical Abortion In Ghana, Emmanuel Kuffour, Selina F. Esantsi, Placide Tapsoba, Gloria Quansah Asare, Ian Askew

Reproductive Health

To significantly expand women’s access to modern family planning and comprehensive abortion care services a provisional license was awarded to Marie Stopes International-Ghana by the Ghana Food and Drugs Board for the introduction and provision of the first medical abortion regimen (mifepristone and misoprostol) in Ghana. The Population Council conducted this study to document the introduction process; findings from the study will provide much needed evidence to inform policy decisionmaking and the scale-up phase. Overall the study has shown that medical abortion is a viable option for Ghanaian women--an overwhelming number of those who have benefitted from the procedure are …


Integrating Tuberculosis Case Finding And Treatment Into Postnatal Care, Charity Ndwiga, Harriet Birungi, Chi-Chi Undie, Shiphrah Kuria, Joseph Sitienei, Sam Ochola Jan 2011

Integrating Tuberculosis Case Finding And Treatment Into Postnatal Care, Charity Ndwiga, Harriet Birungi, Chi-Chi Undie, Shiphrah Kuria, Joseph Sitienei, Sam Ochola

Reproductive Health

Under the USAID funded FRONTIERS program, the Population Council conducted a study in six health facilities in Western Kenya that demonstrated that screening for TB within an antenatal care (ANC) setting is feasible and acceptable among the service providers. However, a major challenge remains: although TB detection is encouraged among ANC clients within the maternal and child health clinics in the country, providers in these settings fail to appreciate the need for a continuum of care from pregnancy through to the postnatal period. In order to address this gap, the APHIA II Operations Research Project developed and tested an intervention …