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

Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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

Articles 1 - 26 of 26

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

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 …


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 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 …


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 …


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 …


Making Hiv Services More Responsive To Young Children And Infants In Nyanza, Monica Wanjiru Jan 2011

Making Hiv Services More Responsive To Young Children And Infants In Nyanza, Monica Wanjiru

Reproductive Health

Health workers in Kenya often miss opportunities to discuss pediatric HIV with clients and to track exposed children in order to initiate treatment. To address this problem, the Population Council’s APHIA II Operations Research Project collaborated with the Christian Health Association of Kenya, Catholic Relief Services, and the Kendu Adventist Hospital to improve HIV testing and treatment services for children at the hospital. The project recommended that pediatric HIV services be strengthened and included as an essential service at all levels of healthcare facilities in order to reach more children, including as one of the roles of the community health …


Service Improvements And Community Education Lead To Increase In Uptake Of Hiv Services For Infants And Young Children, Population Council Jan 2011

Service Improvements And Community Education Lead To Increase In Uptake Of Hiv Services For Infants And Young Children, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The Population Council’s APHIA II Operations Research Project in Kenya collaborated with Kendu Adventist Hospital and the Christian Health Association to launch a study to examine the effect of improved services and awareness-creation on the uptake of HIV testing and treatment services for children and infants exposed to HIV. The study showed that community education and improvements in individual case tracking can increase the proportion of infants exposed to HIV who are tested for HIV and put on appropriate treatment. The policy brief recommends that health facilities streamline services to ensure that as many exposed infants as possible are identified …


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 …


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 …


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

Reproductive Health

To improve access to, and use of, facility-based obstetric and newborn care services in rural areas, the Government of Bangladesh is implementing two innovative performance-based financing programs: demand-side financing (DSF) and pay-for-performance (P4P). Both programs have contributed to the increase in institutional deliveries, yet not enough women receive the recommended care during pregnancy and delivery. DSF and P4P are implemented in parallel and have their own merits and limitations. As described in this brief, a two-day workshop was organized in 2011 in Dhaka to identify the lessons learned and limitations of P4P and DSF models and scopes for cross-learning. Both …


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 …


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 …


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 …


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 …


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 …


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 …


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 …


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 …