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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Increasing Access To Family Planning (Fp) And Reproductive Health (Rh) Services Through Task-Sharing Between Community Health Workers (Chws) And Community Mid-Level Professionals In Large-Scale Public-Sector Programs: A Literature Review To Help Guide Case Studies, James R. Foreit, Sarah Raifman Jan 2011

Increasing Access To Family Planning (Fp) And Reproductive Health (Rh) Services Through Task-Sharing Between Community Health Workers (Chws) And Community Mid-Level Professionals In Large-Scale Public-Sector Programs: A Literature Review To Help Guide Case Studies, James R. Foreit, Sarah Raifman

Reproductive Health

This literature review covers case studies related to community-based distribution of family planning programs, and community health worker (CHW) programs that included family planning and other reproductive health services. It offers essential processes and implications for additional operations research which look at constraints and factors critical to introducing new program procedures or strengthening existing ones.


Les Coûts Du Mariage—Les Transactions Matrimoniales Dans Le Monde En Développement, Sajeda Amin, Ashish Bajracharya Jan 2011

Les Coûts Du Mariage—Les Transactions Matrimoniales Dans Le Monde En Développement, Sajeda Amin, Ashish Bajracharya

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Au cours des deux dernières décennies, le Population Council a receuilli une multitude d'informations sur les causes et les corrélats du mariage des enfants et documenté ses effets néfastes sur le bien-être des femmes et des filles. Dans de nombreuses régions du monde en développement, la compréhension du mariage des enfants est au coeur de la conception de programmes qui favorisent des transitions saines vers l'âge adulte. Les travaux de recherche du Population Council soulignent également l'importance des rituels et des pratiques d'échange matrimoniales dans le monde et éclairent les différences considérables entre ces pratiques. Promouvoir des transitions vers l'âge …


Costos Del Matrimonio—Negociaciones Maritales En Países En Vías De Desarrollo, Sajeda Amin, Ashish Bajracharya Jan 2011

Costos Del Matrimonio—Negociaciones Maritales En Países En Vías De Desarrollo, Sajeda Amin, Ashish Bajracharya

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Durante las dos últimas décadas, el Population Council ha acumulado una cantidad de información sobre las causas y correlaciones del matrimonio infantil y documentó sus efectos adversos sobre el bienestar de las mujeres y niñas. En muchas partes de los países en vías de desarrollo, el hecho de comprender el matrimonio infantil es central a la hora de diseñar programas que promuevan transiciones saludables para la edad adulta. La investigación del Council subraya la importancia de los rituales y las prácticas de intercambio matrimonial en todo el mundo y documenta la variación considerable en estas prácticas. Promoción de transiciones a …


Piloting A Safe Spaces, Asset-Building Program For Adolescent Girls In Urban Ghana, Sarah Engebretsen, Selina F. Esantsi Jan 2011

Piloting A Safe Spaces, Asset-Building Program For Adolescent Girls In Urban Ghana, Sarah Engebretsen, Selina F. Esantsi

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Ghana’s population of 24 million is projected to reach 31.8 million in 2025. This population growth is coupled with rapid urbanization. Urban adolescent females experience a rapid decline in school enrollment, often because they need to provide economic support to families. Girls living apart from families and out of school often lack social networks and have few opportunities to build the critical skills needed for adulthood. The Population Council has a global portfolio of work reaching vulnerable adolescent girls with programs that provide a safe, girl-specific platform where girls can develop core skills, form friendships, receive and give peer support, …


Pilotage D'Un Programme Visant À Sécuriser L'Espace Et À Renforcer Les Ressources Des Adolescentes Vivant Dans Les Zones Urbaines Du Ghana, Sarah Engebretsen, Selina F. Esantsi Jan 2011

Pilotage D'Un Programme Visant À Sécuriser L'Espace Et À Renforcer Les Ressources Des Adolescentes Vivant Dans Les Zones Urbaines Du Ghana, Sarah Engebretsen, Selina F. Esantsi

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

La population du Ghana compte 24 millions d’habitants et devrait atteindre 31,8 millions d’habitants en 2025. Cette croissance démographique va de pair avec l’urbanisation rapide. Les adolescentes qui vivent en milieu urbain connaissent rapidement une diminution du taux de scolarisation, souvent parce qu'elles doivent apporter un soutien économique à leur familles. Les filles qui vivent à l’écart de leur famille et qui ne sont pas scolarisées sont souvent dépourvues de réseaux sociaux et ont peu d'occasions d’adquérir des compétences nécessaires à la vie adulte. Le Population Council dispose d’un portefeuille mondial d’activités consacrées aux adolescentes vulnérables avec des programmes qui …


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 …


Costs Of Marriage—Marriage Transactions In The Developing World, Sajeda Amin, Ashish Bajracharya Jan 2011

Costs Of Marriage—Marriage Transactions In The Developing World, Sajeda Amin, Ashish Bajracharya

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Over the past two decades the Population Council has amassed a wealth of information on the causes and correlates of child marriage and documented its adverse effects on the well-being of women and girls. In many parts of the developing world, understanding child marriage is central to designing programs that promote healthy transitions to adulthood. Council research also underscores the importance of rituals and practices of marriage exchange around the globe and documents the considerable variation in these practices. Promoting Healthy, Safe, and Productive Transitions to Adulthood Brief No. 35 synthesizes some broad themes that have emerged from research on …


The Adolescent Experience In-Depth: Using Data To Identify And Reach The Most Vulnerable Young People—Ghana 2008, Population Council Jan 2010

The Adolescent Experience In-Depth: Using Data To Identify And Reach The Most Vulnerable Young People—Ghana 2008, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

“The Adolescent Experience In-Depth: Using Data to Identify and Reach the Most Vulnerable Young People: Ghana 2008” is part of a series of Population Council guides that draw principally on data from the Demographic and Health Surveys to provide decisionmakers at all levels—from governments, nongovernmental organizations, and advocacy groups—with evidence on the situation of adolescent girls and boys and young women aged 10–24 years. The data are presented in graphs, tables, and maps (wherever possible), providing multiple formats to make the information accessible to a range of audiences. Section I is the Foreword. Section II offers brief technical notes specific …


Life Skills: Psychosocial And Interpersonal Skills For Adolescent Girls In Urban Ghana—Mentor's Guide, Population Council Jan 2010

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 …


The Adolescent Experience In-Depth: Using Data To Identify And Reach The Most Vulnerable Young People—Ghana 2003, Population Council Jan 2009

The Adolescent Experience In-Depth: Using Data To Identify And Reach The Most Vulnerable Young People—Ghana 2003, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

“The Adolescent Experience In-Depth: Using Data to Identify and Reach the Most Vulnerable Young People: Ghana 2003” is part of a series of Population Council guides that draw principally on data from the Demographic and Health Surveys to provide decisionmakers at all levels—from governments, nongovernmental organizations, and advocacy groups—with evidence on the situation of adolescent girls and boys and young women aged 10–24 years. The data are presented in graphs, tables, and maps (wherever possible), providing multiple formats to make the information accessible to a range of audiences. Section I is the Foreword. Section II offers brief technical notes specific …


Demographic Data For Development In Sub-Saharan Africa, Wendy Baldwin, Judith A. Diers Jan 2009

Demographic Data For Development In Sub-Saharan Africa, Wendy Baldwin, Judith A. Diers

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

More demographic data are being collected throughout the developing world than ever before, but the effective use of that data to further development goals is often lacking. This working paper summarizes case studies on the demand for data in four sub-Saharan African countries, namely Ethiopia, Ghana, Senegal, and Uganda. The project’s objective was to create a detailed portrait of access and demand at the country level, and to determine whether policymakers are getting the data they need to develop sound policies. Common findings across the four countries include an increased external demand from international initiatives that has not necessarily translated …


Acceptability And Promotion Strategies For Lng-Ius In Ghana: A Public Health Assessment, Philomena Nyarko, Cletus Adohinzin, Placide Tapsoba, Selina F. Esantsi, John Townsend, Nicholas Kanlisi, Ekua Ed-Nighpense, Gloria Quansah Asare Jan 2009

Acceptability And Promotion Strategies For Lng-Ius In Ghana: A Public Health Assessment, Philomena Nyarko, Cletus Adohinzin, Placide Tapsoba, Selina F. Esantsi, John Townsend, Nicholas Kanlisi, Ekua Ed-Nighpense, Gloria Quansah Asare

Reproductive Health

In response to concerns about the side effects of the IUD, the commonly known reversible, long-term method in Ghana, and to curb the shift from long-term to short-term methods, the Ghana Health Service decided to expand women’s contraceptive method choices by introducing the Levonorgestrel-releasing Intrauterine System (LNG-IUS), a hormonal IUD, into the contraceptive method mix. The LNG-IUS is a uterine contraceptive that provides effective long-term protection up to five years. Even though the product has been certified as safe and effective, it was necessary to ensure that it satisfies client’s needs and meets provider expectations. The Population Council, in collaboration …


Demographic Data For Development: Ghana, Kofi Awusabo-Asare, Wendy Baldwin, Sarah Engebretsen Jan 2009

Demographic Data For Development: Ghana, Kofi Awusabo-Asare, Wendy Baldwin, Sarah Engebretsen

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The attempts of African countries to develop their economies and to democratize their political systems have led to a renewed interest in the use of demographic and socioeconomic data for decision-making and planning. This new direction calls for clear, timely, reliable, and relevant data. At the international level, initiatives such as the African Charter on Statistics, PARIS 21, and the Health Metrics Network have emerged to provide direction and technical support for strengthening initiatives and activities that harmonize measures and improve data collection processes. This report on Ghana is part of a four-country study involving Ethiopia, Ghana, Senegal, and Uganda. …


Day Of Dialogue: Sharing Insights And Evidence On The Female Condom In Ghana, Population Council Jan 2009

Day Of Dialogue: Sharing Insights And Evidence On The Female Condom In Ghana, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This report details a female condom meeting hosted by the Population Council in Ghana on November 24, 2008. Twenty-eight participants representing 17 organizations were in attendance. Meeting presentations included: Female Condom for Programs: Historical Overview; Considerations for Female Condom Strategic Planning; FC-2 Female Condoms; The Female Condom in Ghana: Current State of Affairs; Strategic Planning for FC: What Makes Success? A question-and-answer session was included, as was an analysis exercise, in which participants discussed and outlined the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that should be considered as we move forward with the development of a strategic plan to promote the …


Profile Of Abortion Seekers In Ghana And Their Decision-Making Processes, Philomena Nyarko, Cletus Adohinzin, Saumya Ramarao, Placide Tapsoba, Ayorinde Ajayi Jan 2008

Profile Of Abortion Seekers In Ghana And Their Decision-Making Processes, Philomena Nyarko, Cletus Adohinzin, Saumya Ramarao, Placide Tapsoba, Ayorinde Ajayi

Reproductive Health

In 2006, a consortium of agencies, including the Population Council, came together to provide technical and financial support to the Government of Ghana in the rollout of comprehensive abortion care (CAC) services. The consortium collaborated with the government in expanding women’s access to modern family planning and CAC. The consortium’s program, Reducing Maternal Mortality and Morbidity (R3M), aims to reduce unwanted pregnancy and severe complications and deaths caused by unsafe abortion. The formative research in this report was undertaken to provide a profile of beneficiaries, their needs for information and services, their decision-making process in seeking care, and the quality …


Adapting Focused Antenatal Care: Lessons From Three African Countries, Harriet Birungi Jan 2008

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 …


The Female Condom In Ghana: Exploring The Current State Of Affairs And Gauging Potential For Enhanced Promotion, Reshma Naik, Martha Brady Jan 2008

The Female Condom In Ghana: Exploring The Current State Of Affairs And Gauging Potential For Enhanced Promotion, Reshma Naik, Martha Brady

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The female condom (FC) is the only safe and effective female-initiated method that provides simultaneous protection against unintended pregnancy as well as sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. An exploratory exercise was conducted by the Population Council to gain an understanding of the current and historical landscape of FC procurement, distribution, and programming in Ghana and to explore the viability of enhancing national FC promotion. The exercise revealed that a large-scale launch of the FC occurred in Ghana in 2000 and was largely successful in raising product awareness; however, uptake remained low. Momentum has waned since the initial launch and financial …


Comparing The Effectiveness And Costs Of Alternative Strategies For Improving Access To Information And Services For The Iud In Ghana, Ivy Osei, Gertrude Voetagbe, Moses Aikins, John Gyapong, Philomena Nyarko, Harriet Birungi, Gloria Quansah Asare, Henrietta Odoi-Agyarko, Olivia Aglah Jan 2008

Comparing The Effectiveness And Costs Of Alternative Strategies For Improving Access To Information And Services For The Iud In Ghana, Ivy Osei, Gertrude Voetagbe, Moses Aikins, John Gyapong, Philomena Nyarko, Harriet Birungi, Gloria Quansah Asare, Henrietta Odoi-Agyarko, Olivia Aglah

Reproductive Health

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) was prompted to explore ways of increasing interest in the IUD through increasing awareness of this and other long-acting and permanent methods via interpersonal channels and by intensifying campaigns to dispel rumors about the method. The Health Research Unit of the GHS, EngenderHealth’s Quality Health Partners project, and the Population Council’s Frontiers in Reproductive Health (FRONTIERS) project collaborated with the GHS to test innovative approaches to increase awareness of the IUD and to improve access to the method. The study examined the general and method-specific knowledge of long-acting family planning methods among clients and providers, …


Health Systems And Maternal Mortality, Neonatal Mortality And Child Health: Review Of Selected Service Delivery Models, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, Ubaidur Rob Jan 2007

Health Systems And Maternal Mortality, Neonatal Mortality And Child Health: Review Of Selected Service Delivery Models, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, Ubaidur Rob

Reproductive Health

Effective maternal and child health services at the community level in developing countries are rarely available. In many developing countries the health systems cannot provide quality maternal and child health care services due to lack of adequate human resources; shortages of equipment, drugs, and supplies; and absence of proper referral mechanisms. Strengthening health systems is central to improving maternal and child health. A variety of targeted interventions have been implemented in the health systems of developing countries. This study was conducted to identify the health service delivery models that have contributed to the reduction of maternal, infant, and child mortality …


The Resolution Of Unintended Pregnancy Among Female Students At The University Of Ghana, Legon, Angela El-Adas Jan 2007

The Resolution Of Unintended Pregnancy Among Female Students At The University Of Ghana, Legon, Angela El-Adas

Reproductive Health

Little has been done to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of university students regarding unintended pregnancy likely because their middle-class status precludes their being considered a “deprived population.” Female students in tertiary institutions of higher learning are at an age and in a social context that makes them extremely susceptible to unintended pregnancy and the consequences of unsafe abortions. It is necessary to take steps to reduce the incidence of unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortions among this group of “high risk” women. This study sought to investigate the extent of knowledge that female students at the University of Ghana, …


Priority Setting For Reproductive Health At The District Level In The Context Of Health Sector Reforms In Ghana, Harriet Birungi, Philomena Nyarko, Ian Askew, Ayorinde Ajayi, Gifty Addico, Edward Addai, Caroline Jehu-Appiah Jan 2006

Priority Setting For Reproductive Health At The District Level In The Context Of Health Sector Reforms In Ghana, Harriet Birungi, Philomena Nyarko, Ian Askew, Ayorinde Ajayi, Gifty Addico, Edward Addai, Caroline Jehu-Appiah

Reproductive Health

This report outlines results of an in-depth assessment carried out in Ghana in order to provide a better understanding of key factors affecting reproductive health (RH) prioritization at the district level; and to make recommendations for policy dialogue, advocacy, resource allocation, and RH program implementation. In particular, the study examined whether or not districts are connecting to the central process of priority setting and reasons for not doing so. The report includes recommendations for bridging the policy implementation gap, including: ensuring that RH advocates participate in national policy dialogue; investing in systems development for procurement and delivery of drugs and …


Costs Of Reproductive Health Services Provided By Four Christian Health Association Of Ghana (Chag) Hospitals, James Boateng, Henry Surnye, Alex Mensah, Bismark Boateng, Philomena Nyarko, Nzoya Munguti, John H. Bratt Jan 2006

Costs Of Reproductive Health Services Provided By Four Christian Health Association Of Ghana (Chag) Hospitals, James Boateng, Henry Surnye, Alex Mensah, Bismark Boateng, Philomena Nyarko, Nzoya Munguti, John H. Bratt

Reproductive Health

The Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) is a large faith-based NGO which currently serves an estimated 35 percent of the Ghanaian population, mainly in remote rural areas. This study built capacity within the CHAG secretariat to calculate the economic cost and cost recovery levels of selected reproductive health services in four CHAG-affiliated hospitals. Techniques learned in the study are applicable to most costing problems, not just to reproductive health. Information obtained in the study forms the basis for negotiating reimbursement under the Ghana National Health Insurance Scheme, and for setting cost recovery and containment policies. CHAG senior managers plan …


In Our Own Hands: Swaa-Ghana Champions The Female Condom, Kathleen Cravero, Michelle Skaer, Victoria Ebin, Martha Brady Jan 2006

In Our Own Hands: Swaa-Ghana Champions The Female Condom, Kathleen Cravero, Michelle Skaer, Victoria Ebin, Martha Brady

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This issue of Quality/Calidad/Qualité describes the vital role played by the Ghana branch of the Society for Women and AIDS in Africa (SWAA) in introducing the female condom, the only female-controlled method for protection from HIV. By addressing issues of gender inequity and communication within relationships, SWAA used the female condom to empower women to regain control of their bodies. Also in this issue are profiles of three other approaches to programming for the female condom from Brazil, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.


The Impact Of Immunization On The Association Between Poverty And Child Survival: Evidence From Kassena-Nankana District Of Northern Ghana, Ayaga A. Bawah, James F. Phillips, Martin Adjuik, Maya Vaughan-Smith, Bruce Macleod, Fred N. Binka Jan 2006

The Impact Of Immunization On The Association Between Poverty And Child Survival: Evidence From Kassena-Nankana District Of Northern Ghana, Ayaga A. Bawah, James F. Phillips, Martin Adjuik, Maya Vaughan-Smith, Bruce Macleod, Fred N. Binka

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Research conducted in Africa has demonstrated consistently that parental poverty and low educational attainment adversely affect child survival. Relative poverty has a pronounced effect on the survival of children, even in a setting where nearly all families are poor. Results from the research presented in the working paper lend strong support to the United Nations’ goal of reducing excess childhood mortality among the poor by directing a particular focus on immunization. Findings in this working paper show that the adverse effects of poverty disappear and that the effects of educational attainment are reduced in survival models that control for immunization …


Acceptability And Feasibility Of Introducing The Who Focused Antenatal Care Package In Ghana, Harriet Birungi, Philomena Nyarko, Margaret Armar-Klemesu, Daniel Arhinful, Sylvia Deganus, Henrietta Odoi-Agyarko, Gladys Brew Jan 2006

Acceptability And Feasibility Of Introducing The Who Focused Antenatal Care Package In Ghana, Harriet Birungi, Philomena Nyarko, Margaret Armar-Klemesu, Daniel Arhinful, Sylvia Deganus, Henrietta Odoi-Agyarko, Gladys Brew

Reproductive Health

The main objective of this study, undertaken by Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service and FRONTIERS, with USAID funding, was to examine the extent to which adaptation of the WHO focused antenatal care (ANC) package influenced quality of care received by pregnant women and its acceptability to both providers and clients. The results indicate that national-level support for focused ANC is high. The package appears to have been well accepted by both clients and providers because of its comprehensiveness and the individualized care. The process of stimulating changes in focused ANC service delivery …


Accelerating Reproductive And Child Health Program Development: The Navrongo Initiative In Ghana, James F. Phillips, Ayaga A. Bawah, Fred N. Binka Jan 2005

Accelerating Reproductive And Child Health Program Development: The Navrongo Initiative In Ghana, James F. Phillips, Ayaga A. Bawah, Fred N. Binka

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Successive global health and development agendas have been embraced by African governments—Alma Ata in 1978, the Bamako Initiative in 1987, the 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development, and more recently the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)—only to be followed by widespread implementation failure. This paper presents an approach to program development in Ghana that is using research to accelerate policy implementation. Originally launched in 1994 as a participatory pilot project of the Navrongo Health Research Centre, a controlled experimental study was initiated in 1996 to assess the fertility and child-survival impact of alternative community health and family planning service …


Transferring Ghana's System Of Evidence-Based Health Program Development: Program For An Initial Exchange With Sierra Leone And Burkina Faso, Frontiers In Reproductive Health Jan 2005

Transferring Ghana's System Of Evidence-Based Health Program Development: Program For An Initial Exchange With Sierra Leone And Burkina Faso, Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

Ghana’s Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) experiment demonstrated that mobilizing community volunteerism, in combination with retraining and redeploying nurses to village-based locations reduced childhood mortality rates in that country. Thus, CHPS has become the government’s primary strategy for realizing universal access to health care. This report provides a description of an initial exchange organized by the Ghana Health Service, the Navrongo Health Research Centre, and the Population Council to explore ways of transferring and adapting these evidence-based strategies to other countries in the region. The exchange included representatives from the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation and the …


An Assessment Of Trends In The Use Of The Iud In Ghana: National Results Dissemination And Utilization, Ivy Osei, John Gyapong, Monica Wanjiru, Ian Askew Jan 2005

An Assessment Of Trends In The Use Of The Iud In Ghana: National Results Dissemination And Utilization, Ivy Osei, John Gyapong, Monica Wanjiru, Ian Askew

Reproductive Health

The overall aim of this study was to inform the Ghana Health Service, USAID, and other partners involved in providing family planning services in Ghana about future directions that could be taken to reinvigorate the IUD within the context of a family planning service based on the principles of free and informed choice. The Health Research Unit conducted the study, with technical assistance from FRONTIERS and funding from USAID. The findings showed that the declining interest in and use of the IUD as a family planning method could be attributed to several factors, including negative perceptions and false beliefs about …


Improving The Ghanaian Safe Motherhood Programme, Ivy Osei, Bertha Garshong, Gertrude Banahene, John Gyapong, Placide Tapsoba, Ian Askew, Clement Ahiadeke, Richard Killian, Edward Bonku, Perle Combary, William Sampson Jan 2005

Improving The Ghanaian Safe Motherhood Programme, Ivy Osei, Bertha Garshong, Gertrude Banahene, John Gyapong, Placide Tapsoba, Ian Askew, Clement Ahiadeke, Richard Killian, Edward Bonku, Perle Combary, William Sampson

Reproductive Health

Prior to the Ghana Ministry of Health scaling up the country’s Safe Motherhood program, they requested support from the Population Council’s USAID-funded Frontiers in Reproductive Health program to undertake an operations research study to evaluate and compare the cost-effectiveness of two training approaches and other performance improvement interventions. The study measured and compared changes in provider knowledge and skills and the costs of implementing a three-week residential vs. self-paced learning (SPL) approach. The SPL approach costs more per trainer than the traditional residential approach, both in financial costs alone and when opportunity costs are added, however, a cost-effectiveness analysis showed …


The Effect Of Community Nurses And Health Volunteers On Child Mortality: The Navrongo Community Health And Family Planning Project, Brian Wells Pence, Philomena Nyarko, James F. Phillips, Cornelius Debpuur Jan 2005

The Effect Of Community Nurses And Health Volunteers On Child Mortality: The Navrongo Community Health And Family Planning Project, Brian Wells Pence, Philomena Nyarko, James F. Phillips, Cornelius Debpuur

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This report presents the child mortality impact of a trial of primary health-care service-delivery strategies in rural Ghana. After adjustment for sociodemographic factors, under-five mortality in areas with village-based community-nurse services fell by 16 percent during the five years of program implementation compared with mortality before the intervention. Reductions were observed in infant (6 percent), early child (20 percent), and late child (41 percent) mortality. Community involvement and training of a local health volunteer were associated with an 11 percent increase in mortality, primarily driven by a 124 percent increase in early child mortality. Areas with both nurses and volunteers …