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Articles 1 - 7 of 7
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Kenya: Training Can Enhance Providers' Management Of Fgm/C And Willingness To Advocate Against The Practice, Population Council
Kenya: Training Can Enhance Providers' Management Of Fgm/C And Willingness To Advocate Against The Practice, Population Council
Reproductive Health
In 2004, FRONTIERS collaborated with UNICEF on a study of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Kenya’s Somali community and on ways of managing maternal care for cut women. The study showed that the health-care system in North Eastern Province, where many Somalis live, is ill prepared to deal with women who have been cut, particularly infibulated women who are pregnant or delivering. The study recommended improving providers’ ability to counsel and treat pregnant cut women as part of an overall improvement of maternal care, and strengthening providers’ role as behavior change agents within communities. In 2005, FRONTIERS launched an intervention …
Kenya And Ethiopia: Community And Religious Leaders Are Effective Advocates For Hiv Testing For Young Couples, Population Council
Kenya And Ethiopia: Community And Religious Leaders Are Effective Advocates For Hiv Testing For Young Couples, Population Council
Reproductive Health
Early marriage is common for girls in much of sub-Saharan Africa. A common belief is that marriage protects them from HIV, but studies show that married girls are at much higher risk from HIV and from maternal morbidity and mortality. FRONTIERS conducted operations research in Ethiopia and Kenya to assess the acceptability and feasibility of community-based interventions to raise awareness of the HIV risks of early marriage and promote the use of HIV counseling and testing (C&T) services by couples. The studies were an initial phase in a planned four-year intervention; this brief reports on the feasibility of the approach. …
Multisectoral Youth Rh Interventions: The Scale-Up Process In Kenya And Senegal, Stephanie Joyce, Ian Askew, Anta Fall Diagne, Nafissatou J. Diop, Humphres Evelia
Multisectoral Youth Rh Interventions: The Scale-Up Process In Kenya And Senegal, Stephanie Joyce, Ian Askew, Anta Fall Diagne, Nafissatou J. Diop, Humphres Evelia
Reproductive Health
As in many developing countries, young people in Kenya and Senegal (aged 10–20) account for about 25 percent of the population. To ensure their future contribution to their countries, it is of vital strategic importance to safeguard their welfare. Rapid social change in both countries exposes youth to sexual and reproductive health (RH) risks, including unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections including HIV, and sexual violence. Beginning in 1999, the Population Council’s FRONTIERS program conducted operations research studies that tested the feasibility, acceptability, and cost of a public-sector, multisectoral intervention to enhance young people’s RH knowledge and behavior. Study findings showed …
Adapting Focused Antenatal Care: Lessons From Three African Countries, Harriet Birungi
Adapting Focused Antenatal Care: Lessons From Three African Countries, Harriet Birungi
Reproductive Health
In 2001, the World Health Organization issued guidance on a new model of antenatal care (ANC) called goal-oriented or focused antenatal care (FANC), for implementation in developing countries. The new model reduces the number of required antenatal visits to four, and provides focused services shown to improve maternal outcomes. FANC emphasizes helping women maintain normal pregnancies by identifying existing health conditions, detecting emerging complications, promoting health, preparing for a healthy birth, and educating clients on postpartum care including nutrition, breastfeeding, and family planning. Trials conducted in Argentina, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand proved that FANC was safe and was a …
Kenya: Islamic Scholars Find No Religious Justification For Fgm/C, Population Council
Kenya: Islamic Scholars Find No Religious Justification For Fgm/C, Population Council
Reproductive Health
In 2004, FRONTIERS undertook a study on the cultural basis of female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C) in Kenya’s Somali community. The study showed universal support for FGM/C, and indicated that one of the major justifications is the perception that Islam requires female as well as male genital cutting. Interviews with informants showed that belief in the religious justification overrides arguments about the health and human rights aspects and the knowledge that it is illegal in Kenya. In 2005, FRONTIERS launched an intervention to engage the community in discussions about FGM/C to clarify the religious position. FRONTIERS arranged symposia involving …
Malaria In Pregnancy Pilot Projects Nationally Adopted In Kenya And Malawi, Population Council
Malaria In Pregnancy Pilot Projects Nationally Adopted In Kenya And Malawi, Population Council
Reproductive Health
Kenya and Malawi have developed national policies to prevent malaria in pregnancy. Measures to prevent malaria among antenatal clients were shown to be sustainable several years after pilot interventions ended. In Malawi, the approach has been expanded nationwide. In most malaria-endemic areas of Africa, women in their first and second pregnancies have the highest risk of acquiring malaria and, consequently, of malaria-associated anemia and low birth-weight. Two USAID-funded interventions aimed at strengthening the prevention and management of malaria in pregnancy were pilot-tested at the district level in Kenya (1998–2002) and Malawi (1998–2004). As noted in this brief, the goal was …
Kenya: Integrating Services For Fp And Hiv Improves Quality And Hiv Testing, Population Council
Kenya: Integrating Services For Fp And Hiv Improves Quality And Hiv Testing, Population Council
Reproductive Health
The Kenyan government’s reproductive health policy highlights service integration and quality of care. While integrating counseling and testing (C&T) for HIV into family planning (FP) can potentially increase the range of services to clients at risk from sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV, few studies have documented the feasibility, effects, or costs of such integration. From 2005–07, the Population Council worked with the Kenyan Ministry of Health to test the feasibility of two models for integrating C&T into existing FP services. Both models featured client education on HIV prevention during FP visits. Providers were trained to routinely use the Balanced …