Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 30 of 53
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 …
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 …
Life-Skills Education Leads To Improved Effect On Adolescents' Sexual Behavior, Population Council
Life-Skills Education Leads To Improved Effect On Adolescents' Sexual Behavior, Population Council
Reproductive Health
The Kenya Adolescent Reproductive Health Project (KARHP) was a three-pronged program implemented in schools, communities, and health facilities, to provide information and services to adolescents in order to improve their reproductive health outcomes. This operations research summary from the Population Council sought to discover whether the activities started under the project and desired reproductive health outcomes had been sustained in the 10-year period since inception, and to identify challenges experienced in sustaining the model. Although the survey suggests that the efforts to sustain KARHP/ASRH activities may be having desirable behavioral outcomes among adolescents, there is a need to strengthen these …
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 …
Understanding Adolescent Girls' Protection Strategies Against Hiv: An Exploratory Study In Urban Lusaka, Joseph Simbaya, Martha Brady, Allison Stone, Maya Vaughan-Smith
Understanding Adolescent Girls' Protection Strategies Against Hiv: An Exploratory Study In Urban Lusaka, Joseph Simbaya, Martha Brady, Allison Stone, Maya Vaughan-Smith
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This report provides a descriptive analysis of how adolescent girls and young women in Lusaka, Zambia construct notions of risk and safety, perceive reproductive health and HIV risks, and identify behaviors and actions they can take to protect themselves. Findings suggests stronger social support networks, improved access to the range of reproductive health services and products, and safe and supportive spaces for girls would be beneficial. The report points to several areas for potential program attention, including more focused attention on the structural and environmental drivers of girls’ vulnerability.
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 …
Assessing Abortion-Related Experiences And Needs In Four Districts Of Maharashtra And Rajasthan, 2006, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, A.J. Francis Zavier, Shveta Kalyanwala
Assessing Abortion-Related Experiences And Needs In Four Districts Of Maharashtra And Rajasthan, 2006, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, A.J. Francis Zavier, Shveta Kalyanwala
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Recognizing the urgent need to enable rural women to acquire accessible and high-quality abortion services in India, a consortium of organizations—including the Population Council—has come together with the goal of increasing access to legal, safe, and comprehensive abortion services, including postabortion family planning, in the public health system, especially among the rural poor. One of its key activities was to develop a comprehensive and evidence-based abortion care model suitable for rural women. The aim of this report is to shed light on community-level perspectives about abortion services and probe the experiences of women who had undergone abortion, to better understand …
Mainstreaming Emergency Contraception Pills In Kenya, Jill Keesbury, Monica Wanjiru, Katherine Maina
Mainstreaming Emergency Contraception Pills In Kenya, Jill Keesbury, Monica Wanjiru, Katherine Maina
Reproductive Health
To improve access to emergency contraception (ECP) and ensure that adequate information is provided to all users, the Kenyan Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation, the Population Council, and Population Services International-Kenya undertook a three-year effort to mainstream ECP in Kenya. This brief presents the results of this initiative and discusses strategies for further strengthening ECP provision. Kenya has emerged as a leader in ECP programming in the region and has demonstrated that it is possible to strengthen ECP services in both the public and private sectors while at the same time increasing public awareness, knowledge, and use of the …
Improving Quality Of Health Care For Gender-Based Violence Victims At Health Facilities In Viet Nam, Mai Quoc Tung, Meiwita P. Budiharsana, Nguyen Thi Phuong Lan, Jane H. Patten
Improving Quality Of Health Care For Gender-Based Violence Victims At Health Facilities In Viet Nam, Mai Quoc Tung, Meiwita P. Budiharsana, Nguyen Thi Phuong Lan, Jane H. Patten
Reproductive Health
This report presents the results of the May 2009 baseline (pre-intervention) assessment among health care providers (HCPs), and the July 2010 pre- and post-Training of Trainers assessments among HCPs, in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and Da Nang, regarding the issue of quality of care for victims of gender-based violence (GBV) at health facilities in Vietnam. The views of HCPs detailed in this report represent an important foundation for project development and implementation in the study locations. The pre- and post-Training of Trainers questionnaire aimed to assess the HCPs on the topics covered in the training course. The results showed …
The Role Of Traditional Leaders In Preventing And Addressing Sexual And Gender-Based Violence: Findings From Kwazulu-Natal, Northwest And Limpopo Provinces In South Africa, Mantshi Teffo-Menziwa, Saiqa Mullick, Prince Cedza Dlamini
The Role Of Traditional Leaders In Preventing And Addressing Sexual And Gender-Based Violence: Findings From Kwazulu-Natal, Northwest And Limpopo Provinces In South Africa, Mantshi Teffo-Menziwa, Saiqa Mullick, Prince Cedza Dlamini
Reproductive Health
The Population Council, in partnership with the Ubuntu Institute, embarked on a program to engage traditional Leaders in three South African provinces (North West, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo) to address sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in rural communities. The overarching goals of the program were to strengthen linkages between the Population Council and traditional communities, generate and share strategic information on SGBV, strengthen prevention and response to child sexual assault, engage new partners to address prevention of and access to SGBV services, and expand access to comprehensive post-rape services by working with traditional leadership structures. Some of the key findings reflect …
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 …
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 …
Encouraging Abandonment Of Fgm/C Among The Somali Community In Wajir, Kenya, Population Council
Encouraging Abandonment Of Fgm/C Among The Somali Community In Wajir, Kenya, Population Council
Reproductive Health
This report summarizes key achievements of a two-year project to foster community‐wide abandonment of FGM/C by developing and testing the feasibility of working closely with communities highly resistant to external influences. The diagnostic study aimed to identify culturally appropriate empowerment strategies for women and youth in the Somali community.
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 …
Ethiopia Gender Survey: A Study In Seven Regions, Annabel Erulkar, Abebaw Ferede, Worku Ambelu, Woldemariam Girma, Helen Amdemikael, Behailu Gebremedhin, Berhanu Legesse, Ayehualem Tameru, Messay Teferi
Ethiopia Gender Survey: A Study In Seven Regions, Annabel Erulkar, Abebaw Ferede, Worku Ambelu, Woldemariam Girma, Helen Amdemikael, Behailu Gebremedhin, Berhanu Legesse, Ayehualem Tameru, Messay Teferi
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
“Ethiopia Gender Survey: A Study in Seven Regions” is a 2009 population-based survey. Over 8,000 Ethiopian women aged 15 to 49 were interviewed to examine a better understanding of HIV behavior, gender issues and reproductive health in Ethiopia. The information serves as the baseline survey for four initiatives in Ethiopia related to adolescent health and development, gender-based violence, women’s empowerment, and female genital cutting/ mutilation.
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 …
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 …