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

Medicine and Health Sciences Commons

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

Articles 1 - 30 of 93

Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Are Parents Talking To Adolescents About Sexuality? Evidence From Four Slums In Ghana, Selina F. Esantsi, Francis Onyango, Gloria Quansah Asare, Emmanuel Kuffour, Placide Tapsoba, Harriet Birungi, Ian Askew Jan 2015

Are Parents Talking To Adolescents About Sexuality? Evidence From Four Slums In Ghana, Selina F. Esantsi, Francis Onyango, Gloria Quansah Asare, Emmanuel Kuffour, Placide Tapsoba, Harriet Birungi, Ian Askew

Reproductive Health

This evidence brief summarizes the essential information from a part of a larger study that assessed the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs of adolescents in four slums in two regions of Ghana. The objective of this brief is to provide evidence to support and facilitate the improvement of parent–adolescent communication on sexuality. This study echoes several other studies by providing evidence that a majority of parents are not opposed to in-school sex education for their children and welcome the idea of empowering themselves (parents) to have productive discussions with their children. Nevertheless, there is a mismatch between the proportion …


Kenya Adolescent Sexual And Reproductive Health Policy, Ministry Of Health Kenya Jan 2015

Kenya Adolescent Sexual And Reproductive Health Policy, Ministry Of Health Kenya

Reproductive Health

This document is a review and revision of the National Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy of Kenya, which involved in-depth consultations with a wide range of stakeholders through literature review, interviews, consultative meetings, and reviews of the various drafts. Many changes took place at the national and international levels that needed to be taken into account as the policy was reviewed, including the Constitution of Kenya (2010) with its attendant devolved governance structure as well as demographics, and social, economic, and technological environment. The government has made concerted efforts as part of Vision 2030 to respond to adolescents and …


Engaging The Missing Link: Evidence From Falah For Involving Men In Family Planning In Pakistan—Meeting Report, Seemin Ashfaq, Farooq Ahmed Jan 2015

Engaging The Missing Link: Evidence From Falah For Involving Men In Family Planning In Pakistan—Meeting Report, Seemin Ashfaq, Farooq Ahmed

Reproductive Health

The Population Council Pakistan, as part of the Evidence Project, synthesized evidence from both national and international sources and developed a set of research documents highlighting the importance of involving men in family planning efforts in Pakistan. This report outlines the findings of these important publications shared at the National Consultative Meeting which was held to provide evidence-based recommendations to major stakeholders who are directly involved in shaping population and health policies and programs. The aim of the meeting was to stimulate thinking and build consensus on a renewed male engagement strategy as part of the Plan of Action to …


The Balanced Counseling Strategy Plus: A Toolkit For Family Planning Service Providers Working In High Hiv/Sti Prevalence Settings (With Zika Information), Population Council Jan 2015

The Balanced Counseling Strategy Plus: A Toolkit For Family Planning Service Providers Working In High Hiv/Sti Prevalence Settings (With Zika Information), Population Council

Reproductive Health

The Balanced Counseling Strategy Plus (BCS+) toolkit, developed and tested in Kenya and South Africa, provides information and materials that healthcare providers need to offer complete, high-quality family planning counseling to clients living in areas with high rates of HIV and STIs. Content is in accordance with the 2015 WHO Medical Eligibility Criteria. The BCS+ provides evidence on clinical indications for the provision of family planning methods, counseling cards, instructions for providers, and guidance for supplemental counseling and services that family planning clients may need. This publication is the English language version with Zika information of the user's guide, trainer's …


Contraceptive Use And Fertility Intentions Among Women Living With Hiv In Kenya And Swaziland, Integra Initiative Jan 2015

Contraceptive Use And Fertility Intentions Among Women Living With Hiv In Kenya And Swaziland, Integra Initiative

Reproductive Health

At the end of 2013, an estimated 35 million people were living with HIV, and sub-Saharan Africa was disproportionately affected. With major efforts directed at expanding access to life-saving antiretroviral therapy in sub-Saharan Africa, many people are living longer with HIV, leading productive and sexually active lives. Unintended pregnancies and the potential of vertical transmission are some of the challenges faced by women living with HIV. Understanding the fertility preferences and reproductive decisions of these women is vital for informing efforts to enable them to achieve these desires effectively and safely. The “Steps to Integration” series provides a guide on …


Delivering Contraceptive Vaginal Rings—Task Sharing In The Delivery Of Family Planning Programs: Experiences From Senegal, Babacar Mane, Nafissatou Diop, Saumya Ramarao Jan 2015

Delivering Contraceptive Vaginal Rings—Task Sharing In The Delivery Of Family Planning Programs: Experiences From Senegal, Babacar Mane, Nafissatou Diop, Saumya Ramarao

Reproductive Health

The Population Council is conducting activities to facilitate the introduction of vaginal rings in sub-Saharan Africa. This report notes that the first ring to be introduced will be the Council’s Progesterone Contraceptive Vaginal Ring (PCVR), which is relevant in contexts where women practice prolonged lactation. The PCVR will also address the high unmet need for family planning (FP), especially for postpartum women. The Council aims to expand the availability and affordability of vaginal rings in Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal. One of the challenges is the lack of skilled providers. To design plans for involving mid- and lower-level health workers in …


Promoting Respectful Maternity Care Resource Package—Alternative Dispute Resolution: Resolving Incidents Of Disrespect And Abuse, Population Council Jan 2015

Promoting Respectful Maternity Care Resource Package—Alternative Dispute Resolution: Resolving Incidents Of Disrespect And Abuse, Population Council

Reproductive Health

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is a process whereby an independent and impartial third party facilitates negotiation between disputing parties, in this case to resolve incidents of disrespect and abuse (D&A) in a health care setting. In Kenya, ADR was originally used to settle land disputes and inheritance issues at the community level. The voluntary ADR mechanism brings the aggrieved parties together with an opportunity to solve problems in a locally acceptable way. ADR supports both providers’ and clients’ rights and obligations by ensuring each side is heard. This Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) resource provides guidance on the sequence of steps …


Validation Study Of Lqas-2 In Uttar Pradesh Behavior Change Management Project, Arupendra Mozumdar, Jaleel Ahmad, M.E. Khan Jan 2015

Validation Study Of Lqas-2 In Uttar Pradesh Behavior Change Management Project, Arupendra Mozumdar, Jaleel Ahmad, M.E. Khan

Reproductive Health

India’s Uttar Pradesh Behavior Change Management project studied the potential of community mobilization through Self Help Groups (SHGs) to improve healthy behaviors that may have a direct bearing on maternal, newborn, and child health outcomes. Multiple rounds of Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) surveys were undertaken to monitor project activities and take corrective measures to improve project indicators. The surveys also evaluated the diffusion of health messages in the project area. The LQAS-2 validation study aimed to examine the accuracy of LQAS-2 data and understand the process of administering the LQAS. The study, which documented the process of survey administration, …


Understanding Youth Sexual And Reproductive Health-Seeking Behaviors In Ethiopia: Implications For Youth-Friendly Service Programming, The Evidence Project Jan 2015

Understanding Youth Sexual And Reproductive Health-Seeking Behaviors In Ethiopia: Implications For Youth-Friendly Service Programming, The Evidence Project

Reproductive Health

In Ethiopia, significant attention has been given to improving youth sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, including the establishment of youth-friendly services (YFS). Yet high rates of child marriage, unmet need for family planning, and adolescent childbearing persist, particularly in rural areas where over 84 percent of the population lives. Reaching rural youth with timely SRH information and services that are relevant to their varying ages and life stages remains a challenge. The Evidence Project is examining the coverage and reach of public and NGO-supported youth SRH services in several rural regions of Ethiopia. As this activity brief notes, the …


Rights-Based Family Planning: 10 Resources To Guide Programming, Jan Kumar, Karen Hardee Jan 2015

Rights-Based Family Planning: 10 Resources To Guide Programming, Jan Kumar, Karen Hardee

Reproductive Health

The FP2020 goal of providing FP services to 120 million more women and girls that emerged from the 2012 London Summit on Family Planning refocused attention on the need to ensure that FP programs respect, protect, and fulfill human rights. The current challenge is how to operationalize human rights in existing FP programs and new projects. This resource guide reviews ten key resources available to guide programming—FP2020: Rights and Empowerment Principles for Family Planning; Ensuring Human Rights in the Provision of Contraceptive Information and Services, Ensuring Human Rights Within Contraceptive Service Delivery: Implementation Guide; Voluntary Family Planning Programs that Respect, …


Progesterone Vaginal Ring: A Call-To-Action To Fill Critical Gaps In Post-Partum Family Planning, Population Council Jan 2015

Progesterone Vaginal Ring: A Call-To-Action To Fill Critical Gaps In Post-Partum Family Planning, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The progesterone vaginal ring (PVR) is a safe and effective method of contraception for lactating women. It is a priority medicine on the WHO’s Essential Medicines List and is included in the Medical Eligibility Criteria for family planning providers. Developed by the Population Council, the PVR is an intravaginal ring that provides women who breastfeed at least four times a day with a contraceptive option as early as four weeks after giving birth. The PVR provides a new option to reduce unmet need among new mothers, allow women to safely space their pregnancies, and improve the health of women and …


Progesterone Vaginal Ring: Results Of An Acceptability Study In Kenya, Francis Obare, Wilson Liambila, Chi-Chi Undie, Harriet Birungi, Shiphrah Kuria, Heather Clark, Deepa Rajamani, Saumya Ramarao Jan 2015

Progesterone Vaginal Ring: Results Of An Acceptability Study In Kenya, Francis Obare, Wilson Liambila, Chi-Chi Undie, Harriet Birungi, Shiphrah Kuria, Heather Clark, Deepa Rajamani, Saumya Ramarao

Reproductive Health

The progesterone vaginal ring (PVR) is used to extend the contraceptive effectiveness of lactational amenorrhea among breastfeeding women. Previous studies have shown that contraceptive vaginal rings are safe, effective, and well accepted in varied cultural settings. However, the extent to which the ring is acceptable in the sub-Saharan African context is unknown. This study examined the acceptability of the PVR in Kenya as part of a larger project that was also conducted in Nigeria and Senegal. The specific objectives of the study were to assess the factors influencing the acceptability of the method among clients, their spouses, providers, community members, …


Progesterone Vaginal Ring: Safe For Mothers And Babies, Population Council Jan 2015

Progesterone Vaginal Ring: Safe For Mothers And Babies, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This fact sheet provides basic information on the safety and effectiveness of the progesterone vaginal contraceptive ring. It works as a contraceptive by reinforcing the inhibitory effect of breastfeeding on ovulation and extending postpartum amenorrhea. The PVR is an effective and safe contraceptive for mothers, their babies, and their sexual partners. This method vastly expands the range of contraceptive choices available for nursing women.


Marie Stopes International's Sifpo Project—Strengthening International Family Planning Organizations, October 2010–September 2015, Population Council Jan 2015

Marie Stopes International's Sifpo Project—Strengthening International Family Planning Organizations, October 2010–September 2015, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The Population Council was a partner in the Strengthening International Family Planning Organizations (SIFPO) project implemented by Marie Stopes International. SIFPO’s mandate was to increase use of voluntary family planning (FP) services globally by strengthening selected international FP organizations with global reach and an extensive, multicountry network of FP clinics for achieving maximum program impact and synergies. This report outlines the Council’s role within the project: evaluate effectiveness of MSI’s FP programs to identify successful best practices and approaches; assist MSI to disseminate the findings of some or all evaluations; strengthen MSI’s internal research and metrics capacity with thematic workshops …


Union Health And Family Welfare Centers In Chittagong And Munshiganj: Are They Ready To Provide 24-Hour Normal Delivery Services?, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, Ubaidur Rob, A.K.M. Zafar Ullah Khan, Forhana Rahman Noor, Shongkour Roy, Afsana Fatema Noor Jan 2015

Union Health And Family Welfare Centers In Chittagong And Munshiganj: Are They Ready To Provide 24-Hour Normal Delivery Services?, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, Ubaidur Rob, A.K.M. Zafar Ullah Khan, Forhana Rahman Noor, Shongkour Roy, Afsana Fatema Noor

Reproductive Health

To date, the Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP) of Bangladesh’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has established approximately 3,900 Union Health and Family Welfare Centers (UHFWCs) in rural areas providing: family planning; menstrual regulation; vaccinations; and general, reproductive, and maternal health services six days a week. About 1,500 UHFWCs have been upgraded with the necessary staff and equipment to provide normal delivery services round-the-clock in rural areas. Yet, Family Welfare Visitors (FWVs) posted at UHFWCs perform only 0.3 percent of deliveries. This means that UHFWCs and FWVs are not optimally utilized to increase the rate of institutional deliveries. …


Willingness To Pay For Contraceptive Vaginal Rings In Kenya, Wilson Liambila, Deepa Rajamani, Francis Obare, Saumya Ramarao, Harriet Birungi, Heather Clark Jan 2015

Willingness To Pay For Contraceptive Vaginal Rings In Kenya, Wilson Liambila, Deepa Rajamani, Francis Obare, Saumya Ramarao, Harriet Birungi, Heather Clark

Reproductive Health

Despite progress made in reducing fertility and increasing the contraceptive prevalence rate in Kenya, many women still experience high unmet need for contraception. Part of the challenge in addressing current levels of unmet need is the limited use of contraception by women during the first 12 months postpartum. New methods are needed that offer greater ease of use, are women-initiated, and do not require significant medical provider involvement for service delivery. One such method is the Progesterone Vaginal Ring (PVR), a reversible contraceptive that according to clinical trial data is safe and effective for breastfeeding women. New product introduction strategies …


Social Accountability For Family Planning: A Case Study Of The Healthy Action Project In Uganda, The Evidence Project Jan 2015

Social Accountability For Family Planning: A Case Study Of The Healthy Action Project In Uganda, The Evidence Project

Reproductive Health

In July 2014, the Evidence Project gathered 26 experts for a two-day meeting on Strengthening the Evidence Base on Social Accountability for Improving Family Planning and Reproductive Health Programs. Participants included social accountability experts from diverse fields (governance, maternal health, family planning) as well as researchers, implementers, and activists. The meeting was one of the first public discussions that addressed social accountability in the context of family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH). Meeting participants agreed on the need for case studies of FP/RH initiatives to identify “good practices” in order to advance the application of social accountability to the FP/RH …


Willingness To Pay For Contraceptive Vaginal Rings In Nigeria, Salisu Mohammed Ishaku, Ayodeji Oginni, Godwin Unumeri, Deepa Rajamani Jan 2015

Willingness To Pay For Contraceptive Vaginal Rings In Nigeria, Salisu Mohammed Ishaku, Ayodeji Oginni, Godwin Unumeri, Deepa Rajamani

Reproductive Health

During the last two decades, Nigeria’s contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) for modern methods remained at 10 percent, one of the lowest rates in sub-Saharan Africa. Following the renewed global commitments culminating in the 2012 London Summit on Family Planning with promises to reach an additional 120 million new users of modern contraceptives worldwide, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health set a new target of raising Nigeria’s CPR to 36 percent by 2018. One way to accomplish this is by meeting the contraceptive needs of women in the immediate postpartum period and beyond. Attention is being focused on making proven contraceptive methods …


Cost And Technical Efficiency Of Integrated Hiv And Srh Services In Kenya And Swaziland, Integra Initiative Jan 2015

Cost And Technical Efficiency Of Integrated Hiv And Srh Services In Kenya And Swaziland, Integra Initiative

Reproductive Health

Policymakers and researchers have long hypothesized the potential benefits of integrating HIV prevention, treatment, and care with sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in settings with generalized HIV epidemics. In addition to improving health and social outcomes, integration of services holds the promise of increasing efficiency of service delivery and maximizing health care resources. Economic theory suggests several potential efficiency advantages at the service and programmatic levels. However, evidence on the unit cost and efficiency gains associated with integration remains scarce. The “Steps to Integration” series provides a guide on how to integrate HIV and SRH services based on findings …


The Effect Of Integrating Hiv Services On Quality Of Postnatal Care, Integra Initiative Jan 2015

The Effect Of Integrating Hiv Services On Quality Of Postnatal Care, Integra Initiative

Reproductive Health

Addressing the postnatal needs of new mothers is a neglected area of care throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Unintended pregnancies during the first 12 months following delivery, and vertical transmission of HIV during labor and delivery, are some of the challenges faced by women during the extended postpartum period. Many women want to delay or avoid another pregnancy, but are not using a modern contraceptive method. Few developing countries ensure that mothers and newborns are assessed early and monitored during the initial six-week period as recommended by WHO, which contributes to discontinuity of services received during pregnancy and delivery and limits linkages …


Offering Progesterone Contraceptive Vaginal Rings For Postpartum Women Through Integrated Family Planning And Immunization Services, Ishita Chattopadhyay, John Townsend, Saumya Ramarao Jan 2015

Offering Progesterone Contraceptive Vaginal Rings For Postpartum Women Through Integrated Family Planning And Immunization Services, Ishita Chattopadhyay, John Townsend, Saumya Ramarao

Reproductive Health

This technical report describes a model for providing the Population Council’s Progesterone Contraceptive Vaginal Ring (PCVR) through integrated FP/Immunization (FP/I) services, the core components of the model, the types of inputs required, and the steps for introduction and scale-up. It describes how the PCVR can be offered to breastfeeding women in the first year following childbirth. A methodology for implementation of the PCVR-Family Planning/Immunization model (also referred to as PCVR-FP/I) has been designed to introduce the PCVR in the context of accessibility, choice, equity, and, quality. A proposed structure to introduce and integrate the PCVR has been outlined and described …


Expanding Young People's Access To Integrated Services In Malawi, Integra Initiative Jan 2015

Expanding Young People's Access To Integrated Services In Malawi, Integra Initiative

Reproductive Health

In sub-Saharan Africa, uptake of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services among young people remains low, placing millions of young people at risk of poor reproductive health outcomes and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. The “Steps to Integration” series provides a guide on how to integrate HIV and SRH services based on findings from the Integra Initiative, managed by the International Planned Parenthood Federation in partnership with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the Population Council. Issue 7 of the series focuses on expanding young people’s access to integrated services in Malawi. Conclusions include: improving the quality …


Delivering Contraceptive Vaginal Rings—Task Sharing Policies And Practices In The Delivery Of Family Planning Services: Experiences From Nigeria, Godwin Unumeri, Salisu Mohammed Ishaku Jan 2015

Delivering Contraceptive Vaginal Rings—Task Sharing Policies And Practices In The Delivery Of Family Planning Services: Experiences From Nigeria, Godwin Unumeri, Salisu Mohammed Ishaku

Reproductive Health

Despite tremendous progress over the past decades in family planning and fertility reduction, more than 220 million women have unmet need for contraception globally. The government of Nigeria pledged over $11 million to procure contraceptive commodities for distribution in the public sector from 2011–2015, to increase the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) that had stalled at 10 percent for almost two decades. The Population Council is facilitating the registration, introduction, and scale-up of the Progesterone Contraceptive Vaginal Ring (PCVR), designed particularly for breastfeeding women, in the sub-Saharan African countries of Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal. In Nigeria, restrictive policies regarding matching health …


Promoting Respectful Maternity Care Resource Package—Maternity Open Days: Clarifying Misconceptions About Childbirth, Population Council Jan 2015

Promoting Respectful Maternity Care Resource Package—Maternity Open Days: Clarifying Misconceptions About Childbirth, Population Council

Reproductive Health

Fear of disrespect and abuse along with misconceptions about procedures required to assist women during childbirth often negatively influence the decision to seek care at a health facility. Maternity Open Days provide an opportunity for pregnant women and their families to interact with health care providers and visit maternity units to demystify birthing practices and mitigate fears regarding childbirth in a facility. Such an approach brings together women, their families, and providers to enable pregnant women to understand what happens in a maternity unit. This brief is part of a Respectful Maternity Care Resource Package developed by the Kenya Heshima …


Invest In Urban Youth Sexual And Reproductive Health To Achieve A Demographic Dividend In Africa, Joyce Mumah, Jessica Brinton, Carol Mukiira, Caroline W. Kabiru, Chimaraoke O. Izugbara Jan 2015

Invest In Urban Youth Sexual And Reproductive Health To Achieve A Demographic Dividend In Africa, Joyce Mumah, Jessica Brinton, Carol Mukiira, Caroline W. Kabiru, Chimaraoke O. Izugbara

Reproductive Health

The future of Africa depends on its ability to harness the potential of its young people. Making the right investments in youth—particularly those in urban areas—can enable the region to experience substantial economic growth and sustainable national development for current and future generations. This policy brief reports on a number of recommendations to help African governments and Ministries of Health and Education realize the demographic dividend; incorporate economic empowerment programs into urban programming and budget allocation; integrate training on the provision of quality and effective youth-friendly services for health workers; and revitalize school health programming.


Understanding The Reproductive Health Needs Of Adolescents In Selected Slums In Ghana: A Public Health Assessment, Selina F. Esantsi, Francis Onyango, Gloria Quansah Asare, Emmanuel Kuffour, Placide Tapsoba, Harriet Birungi, Ian Askew Jan 2015

Understanding The Reproductive Health Needs Of Adolescents In Selected Slums In Ghana: A Public Health Assessment, Selina F. Esantsi, Francis Onyango, Gloria Quansah Asare, Emmanuel Kuffour, Placide Tapsoba, Harriet Birungi, Ian Askew

Reproductive Health

Over the past decade, adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) concerns have increasingly been on the development agenda of the government of Ghana. This concern has been driven by such factors as early age of sexual debut, early childbearing, and prevalence of HIV/AIDS among this subgroup of the population. The overall objective of the study was to generate evidence on the knowledge, perceptions, and practices regarding ASRH among slum communities in Ghana. The findings of the study indicate a need for intensifying efforts to inform and educate adolescents living in the slums about responsible and healthy attitudes toward sexuality, delaying …


Peer Mentoring: An Effective Strategy For Integrating Hiv And Srh Services, Integra Initiative Jan 2015

Peer Mentoring: An Effective Strategy For Integrating Hiv And Srh Services, Integra Initiative

Reproductive Health

Mentoring is an innovative approach to improving provider skills without compromising service delivery by harnessing the potential of existing providers. In Kenya, a peer-mentorship approach was designed and tested to improve service providers’ skills, knowledge, and capacity to provide high-quality integrated HIV and SRH services. A central component was to understand providers’ opinions on mentoring, so as to build a practical and sustainable mentorship model. The “Steps to Integration” series provides a guide on how to integrate HIV and SRH services based on findings from the Integra Initiative, managed by the International Planned Parenthood Federation in partnership with the London …


Health Facility Guidelines And Management Benchmarks: Improving Workplace Health Services And Health Management In Factories, Farms And Other Workplaces In Low- And Middle-Income Countries, David Wofford, Marat Yu, Lauren Shields, Maria Pontes Jan 2015

Health Facility Guidelines And Management Benchmarks: Improving Workplace Health Services And Health Management In Factories, Farms And Other Workplaces In Low- And Middle-Income Countries, David Wofford, Marat Yu, Lauren Shields, Maria Pontes

Reproductive Health

This document contains a set of voluntary health and management guidelines for corporations and their supply chains to promote continual improvement and application of good practices, better access to men’s and women’s health services, and more effective use of health resources at workplaces in the developing world. It is focused on both quality of health services provided at the workplace and adequacy of company policies and management systems to ensure that workers have access to health services. The main goals of the guidelines are to: 1) help enterprises—multinational companies and their supplier or subsidiary companies in developing countries—improve the management …


Investigating The Low Patterns Of Modern Contraceptive Use In Pakistan, Iram Kamran, Zeba Tasneem, Tahira Parveen, Yasmin Zehra Zaidi Jan 2015

Investigating The Low Patterns Of Modern Contraceptive Use In Pakistan, Iram Kamran, Zeba Tasneem, Tahira Parveen, Yasmin Zehra Zaidi

Reproductive Health

This report documents the study “Investigating the Low Patterns of Modern Contraceptive Use in Pakistan” conducted by the Population Council Pakistan in 2014 as part of an extensive research project to determine why use of modern contraceptives in the country remains so low despite large unmet need. The family planning (FP) scenario in Pakistan has changed significantly in recent years, and it is now recognized that the reasons most often cited for unmet need require reappraisal, with qualitative research required for a deeper understanding of the attributes, experiences, reservations, and preferences that women, men, and service providers associate with specific …


Fertility Transitions In Kenya And Ghana: Trends, Determinants And Implications For Policy And Programs, Ian Askew, Baker Ndugga Maggwa, Francis Onyango Jan 2015

Fertility Transitions In Kenya And Ghana: Trends, Determinants And Implications For Policy And Programs, Ian Askew, Baker Ndugga Maggwa, Francis Onyango

Reproductive Health

The literature on fertility transitions in the sub-Saharan Africa region suggests that an early transition was observed across nearly all age groups, socioeconomic groups, and countries. This workshop report analyzes fertility transitions in Ghana and Kenya which are influenced by a multiplicity of factors, with marked similarities and differences between each country. Paradoxically, these analyses and critiques of policy and programming experiences suggest that, if enabling women and couples to achieve their wanted fertility rates within a rights-based approach that reduces inequities as well as reducing TFR toward replacement level are the goals of a national family planning program, then …