Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

Syrian Refugee Women In Jordan: Family Planning Preferences And Barriers In A Host Community, Hilary Smith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The aims of this pilot study were to research and analyze the availability of birth control and family planning resources among Syrian refugee women at a reproductive age. This study took place in the host community of Karak, Jordan. Syrian women are a vulnerable population based solely on their gender. But being refugee women makes them more vulnerable and sometimes, their needs do not get met. This study is important because it will look into reproductive health aspects for this vulnerable population to ensure that there is satisfaction among women about their own health. This cross-sectional study sought to answer …

A Preliminary Study Of Intergenerational Differences In Masxha Regarding Practice And Attitudes Towards Zulu Traditions During Pregnancy And Birth, Momoko Oyama

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the Zulu culture, several traditions and rituals are practiced during a woman’s pregnancy and perinatal period. However, as urbanization spreads and western influences strengthen, these rituals risk being lost. This project aims to capture existing knowledge of these traditions and to assess the intergenerational changes in practice and attitudes towards practicing the rituals.

Information on Zulu traditions practiced during a woman’s pregnancy and perinatal period was collected through two interviews and a focus group consisting of three elderly women in Masxha, a Black township in KwaZulu-Natal. Following the interviews and focus group, 32 Masxha residents were recruited to complete …

The Road Into The Future Of Health Care: The Importance Of Addressing Access To Health Facilities In Transportation Infrastructure Investment Decisions, Nicola (Nikki) Van Den Heever

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: One school of thought argues that transportation infrastructure is not an ultimate end goal of development and therefore shouldn’t be addressed within development funding decisions while the other argues that transportation infrastructure is the crucial foundation from which all development efforts are based and therefore needs to be addressed within development funding decisions. Within this framework, there is a lack of academic and other research addressing how physical access to health care for pregnant women can better be addressed when making decisions regarding funding of transportation infrastructure projects.

Purpose: To demonstrate the importance of considering access to health care …

Access Is Not Enough: Family Planning In Dar Es Salaam, Claire Burrus

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Population growth is a large problem, both globally and at local levels. The global population is growing at an unsustainable rate, particularly in developing nations. Tanzania, as a developing nation, is one of the fastest growing countries in the world, and as a result, faces many hardships related to high population. The Tanzanian government, non-governmental organizations, and private institutions have made attempts to address these concerns by encouraging family planning. Even so, the national population continues to rise. Many social and cultural factors have contributed to this phenomenon. This study was performed in the Women’s Clinic at Sanitas Hospital in …

Maternal Healthcare In Eastern Uganda: The Three Delays, Mothers Making Empowered Choices, And Combatting Maternal Mortality, Emma Gier

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Maternal and child health has been noted as an international concern and issue. While access to maternal healthcare has improved in Uganda since 2000, maternal mortality rates have remained high in the country as of 2015. However, maternal and child healthcare are inherently important in promoting sustainable and positive development. For that reason, I have explored maternal healthcare in Uganda’s Eastern region, specifically in Mbale Town and surrounding rural areas including Kween and Manafwa districts. Specifically I have looked at what factors influence women’s decision to give birth in a health centre or hospital, versus at home. I have also …

The Changing Roles And Reputations Of Dais In Rural Uttarakhand: An Investigation Into The Maternal Health Services Of Villages In Okhalkanda Block In Nainital, Jenna Davis

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The dai, once a prominent figure in Indian maternal health, now faces marginalization as the government of India adopts the goal of universal institutional delivery. Under pressure from international discourse that Skilled Birth Attendants (SBAs) were more effective at lowering Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) than Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) like dais (World Health Organization), dai training was discontinued and left in the hands of NGOs, while concurrently women and ASHAs were monetarily incentivized for every institutional birth (Park, 419). Yet in rural, isolated, or hilly areas like Okhalakanda block in Uttarakhand, institutional delivery is a long way from universal—only …