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Full-Text Articles in Public Health
Increasing Institutional Delivery And Access To Emergency Obstetric Care Services In Rural Uttar Pradesh: Implications For Behavior Change Communication, Population Council
Increasing Institutional Delivery And Access To Emergency Obstetric Care Services In Rural Uttar Pradesh: Implications For Behavior Change Communication, Population Council
Reproductive Health
The Population Council conducted a formative in rural Uttar Pradesh (UP), India to determine the impact of the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) scheme on the current status of institutional delivery in the region, to understand the facilitating factors and barriers in delivering in a health facility, and to identify programmatic and behavior change communication (BCC) initiatives that could accelerate the adoption of institutional delivery. JSY was launched as an intervention to address the barriers to institutional delivery, through the introduction of community-based women volunteers. The study shows that with the introduction of the JSY the rate of institutional delivery jumped …
The Pregnancy Cycle Approach To Safe Motherhood, Saumya Ramarao, Sarah Raifman
The Pregnancy Cycle Approach To Safe Motherhood, Saumya Ramarao, Sarah Raifman
Reproductive Health
The Population Council's Reproductive Health program partnered with the Maternal Health Task Force (MHTF), the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH), and the PAC Consortium, to address the UN Millenium Development Goal of improving maternal health, and reducing child mortality. Specifically this brief examines the pregnancy cycle approach whereby women’s needs from facilitating a desired pregnancy to successful parturition are addressed in a range of settings—home, community and health facility. This brief covers the different stages including abortion and postabortion care, antenatal care, delivery, and postpartum and beyond.
Maternal And Neonatal Health Services In Sudan: Results Of A Situation Analysis, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Maha El-Rabbat
Maternal And Neonatal Health Services In Sudan: Results Of A Situation Analysis, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Maha El-Rabbat
Reproductive Health
This project brief is based on the results of a situation analysis (SA) study that was done collaboratively by the Population Council and Sudan Ministry of Health (MOH) with funds from UNFPA, UNICEF, and Packard Foundation. The analysis showed an uneven distribution of reproductive health (RH) staff across Sudan, and nurses and nurse midwives are the key in RH services. There was also limited access to family planning services. Antenatal care was limited, and pregnant women in the study seldom received counseling on birth spacing or birth preparedness. Birth attendants also lacked adequate knowledge and skills. Emergency obstetric care was …
Increasing Early And Exclusive Breastfeeding In Rural Uttar Pradesh: Implications For Behavior Change Communication, Population Council
Increasing Early And Exclusive Breastfeeding In Rural Uttar Pradesh: Implications For Behavior Change Communication, Population Council
Reproductive Health
The Population Council conducted a formative study in rural Uttar Pradesh, India to determine the current status of early and exclusive breastfeeding, understand the facilitating factors and barriers in adopting the desired breastfeeding practices, and identify programmatic and behavior change communication (BCC) initiatives to promote the practice. Findings indicate that efforts by Primary Health Centre staff to counsel and encourage women to breastfeed early could significantly increase adoption of this practice. The policy brief identifies barriers that reflect a lack of knowledge and misperceptions about breastfeeding, but finds that education, supportive family members, and knowledgeable health workers can facilitate breastfeeding. …
A Strategy For The Reduction Of Maternal And Neonatal Mortality, Population Council
A Strategy For The Reduction Of Maternal And Neonatal Mortality, Population Council
Reproductive Health
As part of the strategies to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality, the introduction of a minimum integrated package of maternal and newborn care including Active Management of the Third Stage of Labor (AMTSL) and Essential Newborn Care (ENC) are simple and inexpensive approaches in poor countries. This brief reports on a study conducted by the Senegal Ministry of Health and Prevention, with support from IntraHealth and the Population Council, whose objectives included: 1) evaluating the functional capacity of the targeted health structures to offer the AMTSL and ENC, 2) evaluating the knowledge and skills of the providers, and 3) identifying …
Greenstar Social Marketing Private-Sector Activities In Paiman Project: Process Evaluation Of Greenstar Social Marketing Initiatives To Improve And Expand Maternal And Newborn Health Services And Coverage, Munir Afridi
Reproductive Health
The Population Council provided support for this process evaluation of Greenstar Social Marketing which established a healthcare private provider network (GoodLife clinics) primarily in the urban areas in 10 districts of the PAIMAN project in Pakistan. This network provides maternal and newborn health and reproductive health and family planning services and products. The information collected in this survey points to areas where Greenstar strategies are close to being fully met as well as to areas where the strategies are not being met. The detailed findings should allow Greenstar to focus on those areas most in need of attention: all groups—provider, …
Initial Assessment Of Community Midwives In Rural Pakistan, Abdul Wajid, Zubaida Rashid, Ali M. Mir
Initial Assessment Of Community Midwives In Rural Pakistan, Abdul Wajid, Zubaida Rashid, Ali M. Mir
Reproductive Health
The goal of this Population Council study, funded by USAID through the Pakistan Initiative for Mothers and Newborns (PAIMAN) project, was to assess the potential of community midwifery services in rural Pakistan in order to provide necessary evidence for future decisions regarding the training, practice, and placement of community midwives (CMWs). The introduction of a new cadre of skilled birth attendants is significant, especially at a time when Pakistan is working toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The report makes the following recommendations: 1) opportunities for practical training should be followed meticulously; 2) selection criteria should be revised especially for …
Improving The Health Care Response To Gender-Based Violence: Project Evaluation Report, Meiwita P. Budiharsana, Mai Quoc Tung
Improving The Health Care Response To Gender-Based Violence: Project Evaluation Report, Meiwita P. Budiharsana, Mai Quoc Tung
Reproductive Health
Consistent with previous studies, this study provides evidence that gender-based violence (GBV) remains a problem in Viet Nam with indications that it may be on the increase. In 2009 the Population Council Viet Nam in collaboration with the Hanoi Health Department, carried out an evaluation among the staff of Duc Giang Hospital to assess the extent to which awareness and perceptions of GBV had changed since a pilot intervention project commenced in 2005. Overall the project has been very effective in raising awareness and willingness to integrate GBV screening in the health services. This report documents the results and lists …
Effect Of Dai Training On Maternal And Neonatal Care: An Operations Research Study, Peter C. Miller, Gul Rashida, Abdul Wajid, Zeba Tasneem, Lubna Mahmood, Minhaj Ul Haque
Effect Of Dai Training On Maternal And Neonatal Care: An Operations Research Study, Peter C. Miller, Gul Rashida, Abdul Wajid, Zeba Tasneem, Lubna Mahmood, Minhaj Ul Haque
Reproductive Health
This study examines the use of training traditional birth attendants, or "dais" as they are known in Pakistan, to reduce maternal mortality. By training dais to adopt safer routine delivery, newborn care practices, and recognize and refer in case of emergencies, dais can improve maternal and neonatal health. While one group of women met with specially trained dais who received Safe Motherhood Applied Research Training (SMART), a control group met with dais who offered health services only. The objectives of this evaluation were to determine whether dais substantially improved their performance after attending the "SMART dai" training course, to determine …
Future Of Family Planning Program In Bangladesh: Issues And Challenges, Ubaidur Rob, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, A.K.M. Zafar Ullah Khan
Future Of Family Planning Program In Bangladesh: Issues And Challenges, Ubaidur Rob, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, A.K.M. Zafar Ullah Khan
Reproductive Health
Bangladesh experienced large population growth in the past, but due to a successful family planning program, the total fertility rate (TFR) declined rapidly until the mid-nineties. Over the last decade, the country experienced a slow pace in fertility decline with a small increase in the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR). This slow pace in fertility decline is causing serious concern for reaching replacement level fertility by 2015. CPR increased seven-fold from 1975 to 2000, but there was no significant increase from 2000-09, demonstrating the weakness of present program efforts. This raises concern among researchers, policymakers, and program managers about the prospect …
Assessing The Feasibility Of Home Administration Of Misoprostol In The Prevention Of Postpartum Hemorrhage In Rural Pakistan, Ali M. Mir, Abdul Wajid, Sadaf Gull
Assessing The Feasibility Of Home Administration Of Misoprostol In The Prevention Of Postpartum Hemorrhage In Rural Pakistan, Ali M. Mir, Abdul Wajid, Sadaf Gull
Reproductive Health
This report details an operations research project carried out by the Population Council as part of the Pakistan Initiative for Mothers and Newborns. The overall goal of the project was to test the feasibility of administering misoprostol for the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) in a home setting through community‐based healthcare providers, including traditional birth attendants (TBAs), or family members, in two districts of Pakistan. Furthermore, it aimed to identify common side effects of misoprostol and determine the reduction in demand for referral due to PPH after oral ingestion of misoprostol. The results provide a useful addition to the literature …
Deaths Of Women Of Reproductive Age: In-Depth Analysis Of Data From The Pakistan Demographic And Health Survey 2006-07, Pakistan Initiative For Mothers And Newborns (Paiman)
Deaths Of Women Of Reproductive Age: In-Depth Analysis Of Data From The Pakistan Demographic And Health Survey 2006-07, Pakistan Initiative For Mothers And Newborns (Paiman)
Reproductive Health
The Population Council, a partner of the Pakistan Initiative for Mothers and Newborns project, was responsible for undertaking operations research and a program evaluation to revisit and conduct an in-depth analysis of 1,085 verbal autopsies. The analysis had the following objectives: to identify psycho-socio-cultural issues present in the lives of the women whose verbal autopsies were reviewed, to reassess category of maternal death, and to unpack the indirect maternal deaths. The review yielded important information as to the social determinants of women’s deaths in Pakistan. The major psychological and cultural factors identified with the deaths included poverty, neglect, ignorance, disenfranchisement, …
Poverty, Marriage Timing, And Transitions To Adulthood In Nepal: A Longitudinal Analysis Using The Nepal Living Standards Survey, Ashish Bajracharya, Sajeda Amin
Poverty, Marriage Timing, And Transitions To Adulthood In Nepal: A Longitudinal Analysis Using The Nepal Living Standards Survey, Ashish Bajracharya, Sajeda Amin
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This working paper examines the influence of household poverty experienced during early childhood on early marriage and outcomes in schooling and workforce participation during adolescence for girls in Nepal. Much of the evidence concerning these relationships is drawn from cross-sectional data that cannot be used, and has not been able, to address causality. This Population Council study uses longitudinal data from the Nepal Living Standards Survey (NLSS), a two-wave panel in which the waves were conducted eight years apart to address these questions. Analyzing the data by household-wealth quintiles reveals surprisingly nonlinear results indicating that these associations are largest for …
Youth In India: Situation And Needs 2006-2007—Executive Summary, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips), Population Council
Youth In India: Situation And Needs 2006-2007—Executive Summary, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips), Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This executive summary presents, in brief, findings from the Youth in India: Situation and Needs study, a subnational study undertaken by the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai and the Population Council, New Delhi to collect information on key transitions experienced by youth in India, including those related to education, workforce participation, sexual activity, marriage, health, and civic participation. The magnitude and patterns of young people’s sexual and reproductive practices before, within, and outside of marriage, as well as related knowledge, decisionmaking, and attitudes, is also assessed. The project was implemented in six states of India, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, …
Youth In India: Situation And Needs 2006–2007, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips), Population Council
Youth In India: Situation And Needs 2006–2007, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips), Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This report is the result of a subnational study undertaken by the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai and the Population Council, New Delhi as part of a project to collect information on key transitions experienced by youth in India. The project was implemented in six states of India, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu. The report offers a roadmap for programs and priorities that aim to address young people’s needs. More than 50,000 young people were interviewed in the study, providing a robust picture of youth in India and a wealth of evidence on almost …
Rapids Evaluation Final Report 2005-2009 Key Findings, Louis Apicella, Katie D. Schenk, Hena Khan
Rapids Evaluation Final Report 2005-2009 Key Findings, Louis Apicella, Katie D. Schenk, Hena Khan
HIV and AIDS
RAPIDS (Reaching HIV/AIDS Affected People with Integrated Development and Support) is an intervention funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and is designed to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS in Zambia. The overall goal of RAPIDS is to improve the quality of life of Zambians affected by HIV and AIDS by expanding successful community-based models of home-based care and support to orphans and vulnerable children and people who are chronically ill, as well as through interventions targeting youth with livelihood opportunities and life-skills training, focusing on initiatives supporting abstinence and being faithful.
Youth In India: Situation And Needs 2006-2007—Executive Summary, Andhra Pradesh, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips), Population Council
Youth In India: Situation And Needs 2006-2007—Executive Summary, Andhra Pradesh, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips), Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This study, implemented by the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai and the Population Council, New Delhi is the first-ever subnationally representative study conducted to identify key transitions experienced by married and unmarried youth in India. In recognition of the importance of investing in young people, several national policies and programs formulated since 2000 have underscored a commitment to addressing the multiple needs of this group in India. Effective implementation of policies and programs, however, has been handicapped by lack of evidence on young people’s situation and needs. This study focused on married and unmarried young women and unmarried young …
Emergency Contraception: Idea To Program, Saumya Ramarao, John Townsend, Sarah Raifman
Emergency Contraception: Idea To Program, Saumya Ramarao, John Townsend, Sarah Raifman
Reproductive Health
This report summarizes the role of the Population Council in generating evidence, providing technical leadership, and demonstrating at scale that emergency contraception (EC) can be easily integrated into national family planning programs and other reproductive health services. Since the 1990s, the Population Council, along with other partners, has contributed to the changes seen in the provision and availability of EC, now available in over 140 countries around the world. While much progress has been made in the campaign for access to EC, the Council is committed to improving existing methods of service delivery and to leading advocacy efforts and research …
Increasing Appropriate Complementary Feeding In Rural Uttar Pradesh: Implications For Behavior Change Communication, Population Council
Increasing Appropriate Complementary Feeding In Rural Uttar Pradesh: Implications For Behavior Change Communication, Population Council
Reproductive Health
The Population Council conducted a formative study in rural Uttar Pradesh, India to determine current complementary feeding practices among children aged 6–23 months; understand the facilitating factors and barriers in adopting appropriate complementary feeding practices; and identify programmatic and behavior change communication (BCC) initiatives that could promote the adoption of appropriate complementary feeding practices. The qualitative study shows that women and family members did not feed a measured quantity of food to their children. A lack of knowledge and lack of communication created barriers to initiating complementary feeding. The policy brief recognized education and antenatal care as facilitating factors and …
Increasing The Practice Of Thermal Care To Prevent Newborn Hypothermia: Implications For Behavior Change Communication In Rural Uttar Pradesh, Population Council
Increasing The Practice Of Thermal Care To Prevent Newborn Hypothermia: Implications For Behavior Change Communication In Rural Uttar Pradesh, Population Council
Reproductive Health
The Population Council conducted a formative study in rural Uttar Pradesh, India to assess current newborn bathing practices and the methods adopted to keep the baby warm immediately after birth; explore the beliefs that guide these customs and practices; identify the barriers and facilitating factors in adopting healthy newborn care practices, such as skin-to-skin contact (STSC); and identify programmatic and behavior change communication (BCC) initiatives that could accelerate the adoption of newborn care practices. Barriers included misconceptions about the consequences of bathing a newborn and a lack of awareness among mothers and health workers about STSC. Facilitating factors included contact …
Community Mobilization For Postabortion Care In Kenya: Baseline Evaluation Report, Chi-Chi Undie, Saumya Ramarao
Community Mobilization For Postabortion Care In Kenya: Baseline Evaluation Report, Chi-Chi Undie, Saumya Ramarao
Reproductive Health
Maternal health complications, including those arising from unsafe abortion and miscarriage, are a leading cause of morbidity among women in Kenya. These realities necessitate interventions to prevent unintended or unwanted pregnancies and to ensure access to quality care for women with postabortion complications. In response to this need, the RESPOND Project designed an intervention package aimed at increasing awareness and use of postabortion care (PAC) services and improving family planning, reproductive health, and maternal health outcomes. As part of the intervention, RESPOND works with districts and communities to: strengthen service delivery points to provide PAC services; conduct community mobilization to …
Integration Of Services In Senegal, Population Council
Integration Of Services In Senegal, Population Council
Reproductive Health
With financial support from USAID and technical support from IntraHealth, The Population Council, Siggil Jigeen Network, and Helen Keller International, Senegal’s Ministry of Health and Prevention has built a package of integrated services called SMNI/PF/PALU. Integrating services allow women to access a wider range of information and care during the same visit and thus increases the utilization of services while also improving their quality and efficiency. Findings in this report indicate that integration of services is a central feature of SMNI/PF/PALU’s success. In conjunction with integrated service delivery models, program activities which strengthen systems and support efficient implementation of services …
Brief Report: Activities And Achievements Of The P4p Project—Introducing Pay-For-Performance (P4p) Approach To Increase Utilization Of Maternal, Newborn, And Child Health Services In Bangladesh, Population Council
Reproductive Health
A pilot study was initiated in Bangladesh for testing Pay-for-Performance for providers and clients in improving maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) services by addressing supply and demand-side barriers. With funding from UNICEF, the Population Council provided technical assistance for the operations research study implemented by the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of Bangladesh. Necessary and key human resource placement and training on integrated management of childhood illness, emergency operations centers, newborn care, infection prevention, and waste management are important for better performance in all facilities. In spite of existing barriers, …
Guidelines For Pilot Study On Introducing Pay-For-Performance (P4p) Approach To Increase Utilization Of Maternal, Newborn And Child Health Services In Bangladesh, Directorate General Of Health Services (Dghs), Population Council, Unicef
Guidelines For Pilot Study On Introducing Pay-For-Performance (P4p) Approach To Increase Utilization Of Maternal, Newborn And Child Health Services In Bangladesh, Directorate General Of Health Services (Dghs), Population Council, Unicef
Reproductive Health
The Population Council launched a pilot study to test two Pay-for-Performance (P4P) strategies to improve MNCH services in Bangladesh. This document presents guidelines for offering incentives to providers, distributing coupons, and forming P4P and/or Coupon Committees and Quality Assurance Groups. The guidelines were developed over the course of five policy-level and consensus-building workshops with national and local-level program managers and service providers, organized under the leadership of the DGHS, in consideration of the local context and sustainability in case of nationwide replication in the country. These guidelines will come into effect upon receiving approval from the DGHS, Ministry of Health …
Future Demands For Services From Public Health Facilities In Uttar Pradesh, Population Council
Future Demands For Services From Public Health Facilities In Uttar Pradesh, Population Council
Reproductive Health
A Population Council-led consortium in India conducted a study to assess (a) the expected workload of public health facilities, and (b) the extent to which the demand for contraception could be met by the existing health facilities in Uttar Pradesh, following the implementation of behavior change communication (BCC) activities. This policy brief recommends that BCC efforts create demand for services and address perceptions that it is “not necessary” to access health care services. BCC must play a greater role in motivating women to move to facilities not just for institutional delivery but for other services as well. BCC can also …
Increasing Complete Immunization In Rural Uttar Pradesh: Implications For Behavior Change Communication, Population Council
Increasing Complete Immunization In Rural Uttar Pradesh: Implications For Behavior Change Communication, Population Council
Reproductive Health
The Population Council conducted a formative study in rural Uttar Pradesh, India to determine the current rate of compliance for recommended schedules of child immunization, identify the barriers and factors facilitating the uptake of full immunization, and identify behavior change communication (BCC) initiatives that could accelerate adoption of this practice. This policy brief identifies a number of barriers to immunization: low risk perception, lack of faith in vaccines, lack of knowledge about vaccines, fear of side effects, lack of family support, and lack of knowledge about location and type of services available. The brief also identifies several facilitating factors and …
Transition To Marriage And Parenthood Among Youth In India, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips), Population Council
Transition To Marriage And Parenthood Among Youth In India, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips), Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This Population Council policy brief documents the magnitude of early marriage and early childbearing in India and sheds light on young people’s marriage-related planning and preparedness for married life, and the nature of married life. While child marriage is particularly evident among young women, it is notable that significant proportions of young men too have married below the legal minimum age at marriage for males. Findings call for multi-pronged efforts to eliminate the practice of early marriage among young men and women, and to support newlywed young women. Ensuring that these programs reach young people and the influential adults in …
Referral Mechanism Improves Uptake Of Art Services For Hiv+ Fp Clients, Population Council
Referral Mechanism Improves Uptake Of Art Services For Hiv+ Fp Clients, Population Council
Reproductive Health
An operations research intervention by the Population Council in Kenya aimed to design a referral framework for linking HIV‐positive family planning (FP) clients to treatment and care in selected health facilities. The project also assessed the acceptability and effectiveness in increasing the number of eligible HIV‐positive FP clients receiving HIV care and treatment services. This summary details the effort to improve the linkage between FP services and comprehensive care centers that led to a dramatic increase in the proportions of HIV-positive clients in FP clinics who go on to receive HIV/AIDS treatment and care services at the same facility. Recommendations …
Urban Family Planning Program Of Bangladesh: Issues And Challenges, Ubaidur Rob, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, A.K.M. Zafar Ullah Khan
Urban Family Planning Program Of Bangladesh: Issues And Challenges, Ubaidur Rob, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, A.K.M. Zafar Ullah Khan
Reproductive Health
Extremely inadequate government primary health care (PHC) structure exists in cities in Bangladesh. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) play an important role in providing basic health and family planning services to a limited proportion of the urban population. However, NGO programs are time-bound and subject to the availability of development assistance. Bangladesh has one of the highest rates of growth of urban populations among developing countries. For this teeming urban population, there is no structured family planning service. To ensure continuous family planning services in urban areas it is critical to develop a sustainable primary health care structure with the thrust on …
Life Skills: Psychosocial And Interpersonal Skills For Adolescent Girls In Urban Ghana—Mentor's Guide, Population Council
Life Skills: Psychosocial And Interpersonal Skills For Adolescent Girls In Urban Ghana—Mentor's Guide, Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
School dropout is common among urban adolescent girls in Ghana, leading to increased social isolation and high rates of teenage pregnancy. The curriculum described in this mentor’s guide is one component of the Population Council’s “Safe Spaces” asset-building program for vulnerable adolescent girls in urban Ghana. The curriculum consists of 20 Life Skills sessions, which each take 90 minutes to complete. The program approach used is based on giving girls a safe, girls-only space where they can meet friends and learn about important topics under the guidance of a female mentor. The number of sessions completed per week or per …