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Bioterrorism, Public Health, And International Law, David P. Fidler

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Meeting The Sexual Health Needs Of Men Who Have Sex With Men In Senegal, Cheikh Ibrahima Niang, Moustapha Diagne, Youssoupha Niang, Amadou Moreau, Dominique Gomis, Maye Diouf, Karim Seck, Abdoulaye Sidibe Wade, Placide Tapsoba, Christopher Castle

HIV and AIDS

A study conducted in Dakar, Senegal by researchers from the National AIDS Council, Cheikh Anta Diop University, and the Horizons program obtained information on the needs, behaviors, knowledge, and attitudes of men who have sex with men (MSM). This study offers important insights into the sexuality of MSM, their vulnerability to STI/HIV, and the role of violence and stigma in their lives. The results also highlight the lack of sexual health services and information available to cover the specific needs of MSM. The results of this study were summarized during a meeting held in April 2001 in Dakar and raised …

Hiv/Aids Prevention Guidance For Reproductive Health Professionals In Developing-Country Settings, Helen Epstein, Daniel Whelan, Janneke Van De Wijgert, Purnima Mane, Suman Mehta

HIV and AIDS

While the integration of information, technologies, and services to respond to HIV/AIDS may seem closely related, there are a variety of issues that continue to create obstacles to integration. Among these are the stigmatizing nature of HIV infection and AIDS and discrimination faced by those who are infected or perceived to be infected; sexual practices and identities that remain socially unacceptable; gender roles and relations that make it difficult for women and men to access information, services, and technologies on HIV prevention; reluctance to recognize the special needs of young people; and barriers to service delivery created by broader economic, …

The Female Condom: Dynamics Of Use In Urban Zimbabwe, Horizons Program

HIV and AIDS

In July 1997, Population Services International (PSI), at the request of the Zimbabwe National AIDS Coordination Programme, launched a social marketing program for the female condom in Zimbabwe. The campaign's intended audience was women in long-term relationships. To avoid the stigma associated with condoms and the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, PSI marketed the female condom as a family planning product under the brand name Care™. Approximately one year after the start of the female condom social marketing campaign, the Horizons Program and PSI conducted a descriptive, cross-sectional study of female condom users, male condom users, and nonusers of either …

Estimating The Cost And Effectiveness Of Different Sti Management Strategies For Sex Workers In Madagascar, Horizons Program

HIV and AIDS

In Madagascar, the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is a serious public health problem, particularly among sex workers. A Horizons study conducted in 2000 found approximately two-thirds of female sex workers had an STI, although few were infected with HIV. Since the link between STIs and transmission of HIV has been well established, affordable strategies to manage STIs among sex workers need to be developed. Study investigators also assessed STI management practices in health facilities in two urban areas of Madagascar. Health practitioners were using a syndromic approach, which may be appropriate for managing certain STIs in the general …

Meeting The Sexual Health Needs Of Men Who Have Sex With Men In Senegal, Horizons Program

HIV and AIDS

Research conducted in many countries has highlighted the vulnerability of men who have sex with men (MSM) to HIV and other STIs. Yet in Africa, they receive little attention in HIV/AIDS programming and service delivery because of widespread denial and stigmatization of homosexual behavior. In Senegal, a study conducted by researchers from the National AIDS Control Program, Cheikh Anta Diop University, and the Horizons Program has provided valuable information about the needs, behaviors, knowledge, and attitudes of MSM that has important implications for program managers and policymakers working to stem the spread of HIV/AIDS. The researchers used ethnographic and survey …

Satisfaire Les Besoins De Santé Des Hommes Qui Ont Des Rapports Sexuels Avec D'Autres Hommes Au Sénégal, Horizons Program

HIV and AIDS

No abstract provided.

Microfinance And Households Coping With Hiv/Aids In Zimbabwe: An Exploratory Study, Horizons Program

HIV and AIDS

The widespread prevalence of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa adversely affects millions of households. In recent years, microfinance has been proposed as a strategy to help the households of microentrepreneurs respond to the negative economic impacts of HIV/AIDS. This attention to the potential role of microfinance builds upon earlier research that shows that microfinance institutions (MFIs) that charge commercial rates of interest and use sound business practices can become operationally self-sustainable and help improve the lives of the poor and vulnerable nonpoor. This type of MFI generally offers small loans, often combined with savings services. An MFI may also offer business …

Designing Hiv/Aids Intervention Studies: An Operations Research Handbook, Andrew A. Fisher, James R. Foreit, John E. Laing, John E. Stoeckel, John Townsend

HIV and AIDS

This handbook has several objectives and uses. First, it is designed to help HIV/AIDS researchers develop and write a detailed operations research proposal. An appropriate use of the handbook is as a resource in workshops or courses on research design and proposal development. Thus, the organization of the handbook follows that of a research proposal, starting with identifying, defining, and justifying a research problem, and ending with how to prepare a budget. Although the handbook is not an academic textbook on research methods, it does provide a review of many key concepts and important methods essential for conducting HIV/AIDS field …

Greater Involvement Of Plha In Ngo Service Delivery: Findings From A Four-Country Study, Horizons Program

HIV and AIDS

At the conclusion of the Paris AIDS Summit in 1994, 42 governments issued a declaration supporting the greater involvement of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) in policy formulation and service delivery. Despite growing recognition of its importance, there has been little research that examines PLHA involvement in the delivery of prevention, care, and support services in developing countries and its effects on PLHA, others affected by HIV/AIDS, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). To address this gap, the Horizons Program and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance conducted a study of PLHA involvement in NGOs in Burkina Faso, Ecuador, Maharashtra State, India, and Zambia …

Cost Of Care And Support Services For Plha: Implications For The Financial Sustainability Of Nongovernmental Organizations, Horizons Program

HIV and AIDS

As HIV/AIDS prevalence increases, providers of care and support services will face greater demand for their services. The ability of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to help meet this increased demand will be influenced in part by their ability to control the cost of their services while generating sufficient revenue to meet expenses. The Y.R. Gaitonde Centre for AIDS Research and Education (YRG CARE) in Chennai, India, was one of the earliest providers of integrated care and support services in South India and currently serves clients from the four South Indian states. This brief highlights the key findings of a study that …

Satisfaire Aux Besoins De Santé Des Hommes Qui Ont Des Rapports Sexuels Avec D’Autres Hommes Au Sénégal, Cheikh Ibrahima Niang, Moustapha Diagne, Youssoupha Niang, Amadou Moreau, Dominique Gomis, Maye Diouf, Karim Seck, Abdoulaye Sidibe Wade, Placide Tapsoba, Christopher Castle

HIV and AIDS

A study conducted in Dakar, Senegal by researchers from the National AIDS Council, Cheikh Anta Diop University, and the Horizons program obtained information on the needs, behaviors, knowledge, and attitudes of men who have sex with men (MSM). This study offers important insights into the sexuality of MSM, their vulnerability to STI/HIV, and the role of violence and stigma in their lives. The results also highlight the lack of sexual health services and information available to cover the specific needs of MSM. The results of this study were summarized during a meeting held in April 2001 in Dakar and raised …

Access To Treatment For Hiv/Aids: Report Of A Meeting Of International Experts, Johannes Van Dam, Sherry Hutchinson

HIV and AIDS

As of December 2001, the number of people living with HIV/AIDS is estimated at 40 million, and most live in the developing world. Advances in the development and availability of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs have led to a paradigm shift in most of the industrialized world, where highly active ARV therapy has resulted in a significant reduction in the prevalence of AIDS-related morbidity and mortality. In most of the developing world, however, the focus of national programs and international support continues to be on prevention and care in the absence of ARV treatment. While the moral imperative to provide the best …

Ndola Demonstration Project: A Midterm Analysis Of Lessons Learned, Horizons Program

HIV and AIDS

This report summarizes baseline and midterm findings of an intervention pilot study conducted by Horizons, LINKAGES, National Food and Nutrition Commission, District Health Management Team, Hope Humana, and the Zambia Integrated Health Program in Ndola District, Zambia. The aim of the research is to investigate how integrating services for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMCT) of HIV into low-resource maternal and child health (MCH) and antenatal care (ANC) settings influences women’s ability to make and implement informed decisions about HIV. The intervention strengthened routine services and introduced HIV voluntary counseling and testing and PMCT counseling and services into the MCH/ANC …

Frontiers Capacity Building: An Overview, James R. Foreit

Reproductive Health

The Population Council’s Frontiers in Reproductive Health Program is a cooperative agreement with USAID to improve family planning and reproductive health service delivery through operations research (OR). Frontiers builds on more than 20 years of research to improve family planning service delivery programs. A major goal of Frontiers is to transfer skills in OR so that public and private agencies in developing countries can conduct OR and apply research findings to reproductive health programs and policies. OR addresses problems in operational effectiveness, access, quality, and efficiency by investigating facets of programs that managers can control and change. As concluded in …

Social Networks And Hiv Transmission: The Contextual Dynamics Of Hiv Risk Behaviors, Karen L. Robinson

International Journal of Global Health

Despite advances in public health, biomedical, and social sciences, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), continues to proliferate. HIV is spread by exposure to infected blood, semen, or vaginal secretions. HIV transmission most commonly occurs because of sexual activities, through the sharing of contaminated needles and other drug paraphernalia, and less frequently, from infected mothers to their newborns (CDC, 2001). From the first reported in case in June 1981 through June 2001, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported 793,026 cases of AIDS. The CDC estimates that 650,000 to 900,000 Americans …

Safety Behaviour In The Construction Industry, Nick Macdonald, Victor Hrymak

Reports

The influences on safety standards and employee safety behaviour was analysed on 18 large construction sites on the island of Ireland. The safety management and documentation of these sites was also analysed. The results are discussed at length together with comprehensive recommendations for the industry.

Living Arrangements And Socio-Demographic Conditions Of Older Adults In Cambodia, Zachary Zimmer, Sovan Kiry Kim

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Since the takeover of Cambodia by the Khmer Rouge in 1975, analysis of social conditions in the country has been lacking. Only recently has dependable socio-demographic data become available. We use some of these data to examine living arrangements and other socio-demographic conditions among Cambodia’s older population and compare results to those recently found in Thailand and Vietnam. On balance, living arrangements in Cambodia are similar to those in neighboring countries. Older adults are likely to be living with a grown child and in a variety of arrangements involving different family members. To determine gender preference for coresident children we …

How Community Structures Of Time And Opportunity Shape Adolescent Sexual Behavior In South Africa, Carol E. Kaufman, Shelley Clark, Ntsiki Manzini, Julian May

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Recently, South Africa has led the world in rates of HIV/AIDS infection. Particularly among young adults, the prevalence of HIV has soared, now reaching 25 percent. The statistics suggest a high level of unprotected sex and risky sexual behavior even in the midst of high levels of knowledge. Research has focused on the dynamics of individuals’ and partners’ sexual decisionmaking. Little is known, however, about the larger context in which those decisions are made. What are the everyday experiences that influence risk-taking? Are young people with little to do more likely to engage in risky behavior? Do community opportunities of …

Pregnant Or Positive: Adolescent Childbearing And Hiv Risk In South Africa, Naomi Rutenberg, Carol E. Kaufman, Kate Macintyre, Lisanne Brown, Ali Mehyrar Karim

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

In communities where early age of childbearing is common and HIV prevalence is high, adolescent boys and girls may place themselves at risk of HIV to realize their childbearing preferences. In this paper, we analyze survey data from Kwa-Zulu-Natal province that explores whether an association exists between pregnancy preferences and behavioral and perceptual measures of HIV risk among adolescents in South Africa. Our analysis is based on data from 1,426 sexually active respondents aged 14-22 who participated in wave 1 of the “Transitions to Adulthood in the Context of AIDS in South Africa” study. We use logistic regression to model …

'Bus Fare, Please': The Economics Of Sex And Gifts Among Adolescents In Urban South Africa, Carol E. Kaufman, Stavros E. Stavrou

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Force or coercion are often a part of sexual relationships in South Africa, especially among adolescents. This coercion is also often pinioned by an economic exchange: gifts or favours for sex. Studies have pointed out the negative consequences of the exchanges which are often characterised by large age differences (‘sugar daddies’) or power imbalances. Perhaps more pervasive but largely ignored, gift-giving in same-age relationships also may be associated with sexual leverage, an exchange which somehow entitles one partner physical and sexual rights to the other’s body. The circumstances surrounding gifts and favours may shape young women’s and men’s sexual experiences, …

Social Organization And Reproductive Behavior In Southern Ghana, Dominic K. Agyeman, John B. Casterline

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The objective of this research is to examine the association between social organization and reproductive behavior in one setting in sub-Saharan Africa. The particular focus is on the effects of social organization on the diffusion of innovative reproductive ideas and behaviors. Social diffusion is assumed to be strongly affected by patterns of informal social interaction, and these in turn are assumed to be determined in part by the social organization of local communities (gender relations, employment activity, voluntary organizations). The research draws on data collected in six communities in southern Ghana. The analysis reveals a weaker than expected association between …

Universal Sexuality Education In Mongolia: Educating Today To Protect Tomorrow, Delia Barcelona, Laura Laski, Caitlin Gerdts

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This issue of Quality/Calidad/Qualité demonstrates how Mongolia developed a national plan to a provide a comprehensive sexual and reproductive health curriculum and media for adolescents. Among the lessons learned from the Mongolian experience were the following: 1) questions about unwanted sexual relations and sexual roles were the most pressing among adolescents, especially girls; 2) printed media are efficient and inexpensive; and 3) parental opposition was almost nonexistent in certain settings—often they expressed gratitude for this education.

Are We Not Peasants Too? Land Rights And Women's Claims In India, Bina Agarwal

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This edition of SEEDS explores the critical elements in securing effective and independent land rights for women in South Asia. The author presents a range of cooperative strategies for enabling women to retain and cultivate the land and shows how micro-credit and other programs can be redirected to increase the amount and productivity of land women control. Recognizing that new policies and political will are required to foster and sustain such experiments, the author ends with a summary of how women are organizing to place women’s access to land at the center of national and global agendas.

Training And Support Of Developing-Country Population Scientists: A Panel Report—Summary And Recommendations, Jane Menken, Ann K. Blanc, Cynthia B. Lloyd

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

From its earliest days, the Population Council has recognized the importance and value of training population scientists from developing countries. Since 1952, the Council’s social science fellowship program has sustained a commitment to this goal; approximately 1,500 fellowships have been awarded for pre- and postdoctoral training in population studies. While the demand for population scientists remains strong, the field has changed substantially since those early years and a review of the program was needed. The Mellon Foundation funded a project in 2000 to assess future needs for training and support of population scientists from developing countries and assembled an international …

Enquête Sur Les Intoxications Au Monoxyde De Carbone Causées Par L'Utilisation Des Appareils Et Petits Outils À Moteur À Combustion Interne Au Québec, Guy Sanfaçon, Marion Schnebelen

Rapports de recherche scientifique

À chaque année au Québec, un nombre important d’intoxication au monoxyde de carbone (CO) se produit suite à l’utilisation d’appareils et petits outils à moteur à combustion interne. Ces intoxications involontaires sont la cause de décès et de nombreux traitements en caisson hyperbare. Une étude effectuée par le comité provincial sur la prévention des intoxications au CO a démontré qu’environ 11 % des 1244 cas d’intoxications involontaires non professionnels mettaient en cause des appareils ou outils à moteur. De plus, d’après les statistiques du Centre Anti-Poison du Québec (CAPQ) de 1999 concernant les cas d’intoxication au CO, 868 cas involontaires …

Résistance Des Vêtements De Protection Aux Mélanges De Solvants Industriels : Développement D'Un Outil De Sélection, Gérald Perron, Jacques E. Desnoyers, Jaime Lara

Rapports de recherche scientifique

L’objectif de ce travail était de comprendre le comportement des mélanges de solvants sur la résistance des matériaux protecteurs et de développer un modèle de prédiction de la résistance des matériaux aux solvants industriels. Dans ce but, deux techniques ont été développées, l'une consistant à mesurer le gonflement dynamique à partir des mesures d'allongement d’une membrane polymérique et l'autre pour mesurer la perméation par volumétrie. La technique d'allongement dynamique s’est avérée très utile pour la mesure des coefficients de diffusion et pour obtenir les paramètres tridimensionnels de solubilité de Hansen. La technique volumétrique, comme celle de l’allongement dynamique, est applicable …

Prévention Par La Photothérapie Des Troubles D'Adaptation Au Travail De Nuit, Diane B. Boivin, Francine O. James

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Click here for the English version of this report

Au Québec, on estime qu'un tiers des emplois permanents sont comblés en dehors des heures conventionnelles. On note en particulier une prédominance du travail de nuit à plein temps dans les secteurs qui requièrent (hôpitaux, protection publique) ou qui choisissent (manufactures) 24 heures de service par jour. Il est bien connu que le travail de nuit ou en rotation s’accompagne de privation importante de sommeil, de troubles de vigilance et de performance, et d’un risque accru d’accidents graves en milieu de travail. De plus, ces troubles d’adaptation s’accroissent avec l’âge alors …

Étude Préliminaire De La Friction Des Planchers Recouverts De Matière Grasse, André Massicotte, François Quirion

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Au cours des cinq dernières années, les chutes par glissades ont été la cause de plus de 32000 cas de lésions professionnelles au Québec. Ce type d’accidents est généralement associé à une mauvaise résistance au glissement des planchers, particulièrement dans les services alimentaires où les planchers sont exposés à la matière grasse.

De juin à novembre 2001, QInc a réalisé une étude préliminaire visant à évaluer l’impact de l’entretien et de l’encrassement sur la résistance au glissement des planchers de grès exposés à la matière grasse et à l’usure depuis plusieurs années.

Une procédure a été mise au point afin …

Effets Des Pics De Concentration Sur La Neurotoxicité Du Styrène Dans L'Industrie De Plastique Renforcé De Fibre De Verre : Phase 1, Adolf Vyskocil, Robert Tardif, Claude Viau, Gaétan Carrier, Michel Gérin, Ross Thuot, Bernadette Ska, Alan Rossner, Jean-Pierre Farant, Alice Turcot

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Introduction

La question de la révision de la valeur d'exposition moyenne pondérée sur 8 h (VEMP) pour les sujets professionnellement exposés au styrène est en ce moment l’objet d’une attention particulière de la part des organismes réglementaires. La valeur de la VEMP au Québec est actuellement de 213 mg/m³ (50 ppm). Les effets neurotoxiques sont considérés comme les effets critiques. Certains auteurs proposent d’abaisser la VEMP suite à la mise en évidence d’effets neurotoxiques à l’occasion d’études effectuées chez des travailleurs de l'industrie du plastique renforcé de fibre de verre (IPRFV) où l’on a pris en considération que les …