Digital Commons Network^™

Economic Opportunities For Refugees: Lessons From Five Host Countries, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, Abdullah Al Mahmud Shohag, Eashita Haque, Md. Irfan Hossain, Joseph Falcone, Ubaidur Rob

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The majority of refugees around the world are in protracted refugee situations, living in exile for at least five years with no sign of a durable solution. There are three possible durable solutions: repatriation, local integration, and resettlement. Repatriation remains the main durable solution, but the circumstances should be conducive for return to the country of origin. In the meantime, local integration gives refugees some certainty about what to do with their lives. Local integration is a process with three interrelated dimensions: legal, economic, and social. This report examines the level and extent of local integration of refugees in terms …

Optimizing Provision Of Rights-Based Family Planning Services By Community Midwives (Cmws) In Tando Allah Yar, Iram Kamran, Rehan M. Niazi, Ramsha Hasham, Haider Safdar Abbasi

Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Choices

Community Midwives (CMWs) are a key cadre of community-level reproductive health service providers in Pakistan. CMWs provide a range of maternal and child health (MCH) services including family planning (FP), but due to a lack of supplies and training and other reasons they are currently not providing FP services. This pilot study examined the effects of providing training in client-centered FP service provision, a regular supply of free contraceptives, and necessary equipment on the uptake, outreach, and quality of CMWs’ FP services. The study was conducted in Tando Allah Yar, a district of Sindh with average provincial demographic and socioeconomic …

Evidence-Informed Planning And Action In Central Asia: Learnings From The Tajikistan Adolescent Wellbeing And Health Pilot Project, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

To address adolescent health and wellbeing in Tajikistan, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and Population Council used a hybrid human-centered (HCD) and evidence-based program design to engage adolescent girls, boys, and caregivers in a guided process of defining key issues and program areas. The design informed the development of a first-of-its-kind program model for AKF and in Tajikistan: coordinated community-based groups for adolescent girls and boys, caregivers' groups, and an institutional stakeholder community of practice in Tajikistan. Design and implementation experiences established "proof of concept" as a basis to expand the approach across the country and region. The pilot generated …

Learning Loss Among Adolescent Girls During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Rural Bangladesh, Sajeda Amin, Md. Irfan Hossain, Sigma Ainul

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Poor learning remains a central challenge in Bangladesh despite considerable progress in advancing schooling access and reducing gender gaps in education. The learning crisis is feared to have been exacerbated during extended school closures and limited alternative opportunities for schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic. This brief summarizes findings on learning loss among adolescent girls during the pandemic in rural Bangladesh.

Findings From The Violence Outcomes In Covid-19 Era Study (Voces-19): Baseline Results, Silvana Larrea-Schiavon, Lina López-Lalinde, Isabel Vieitez Martínez, Ricardo Regules, Juan Pablo Gutiérrez, René Nevárez, Cristina Macgregor, Pablo López, Nicole Haberland, Thoai Ngo

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This report presents findings from the baseline survey of the Violence Outcomes in COVID-19 Era Study (VOCES-19). The study, conducted by Population Council Mexico in collaboration with the National Institute of Youth and the National Center for Gender Equity and Reproductive Health aims to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying mitigation measures on the experience and perception of violence among 15–24-year-olds living in Mexico, as well as its effects on other social, economic, and health, related outcomes. The primary objectives for this first survey round were to gather baseline information on several outcomes of interest, assess differential …

Breakthrough Research—Social And Behavior Change Costing Community Of Practice Series Brief #4: Social And Behavior Change Costs Associated With Insecticide Treated Bed Net Distribution For Malaria Prevention, Breakthrough Research

Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Choices

Breakthrough RESEARCH is gathering, analyzing, and sharing evidence on the costs and impact of social and behavior change (SBC) interventions to support the case that investing in SBC is crucial for improving health and advancing development. A review of the SBC costing literature identified 147 studies on SBC costs, methodological shortcomings, and knowledge gaps that can be addressed in new SBC costing studies. To address these gaps, Breakthrough RESEARCH issued the “Guidelines for Costing of Social and Behavior Change Health Interventions,” which lays out 17 principles for conducting high-quality costing studies. This brief complements the guidelines and highlights important issues …

The Promise Of The Dual Prevention Pill, Sanyukta Mathur

Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Choices

Presentation at the webinar Can Fantasies Become Realties? The Quest for Multi-purpose Prevention Products

Webinar description: Multipurpose prevention technologies, or MPTs, are products designed to simultaneously prevent HIV, other STIs, and/or unintended pregnancy. Internal and external condoms are the only MPTs currently available and, while effective, they are less than desirable for many sexually active humans on the planet. Humans need and deserve a suite of options, and the more types of protection an option provides, the more likely it will be used. Expert presenters shared updates and perspectives about the MPT research pipeline, focusing on the products closest to …

Conceptual Framework Of The Drivers Of Child Marriage: A Tool To Guide Programs And Policies, Stephanie Psaki, Andrea J. Melnikas, Eashita Haque, Grace Saul, Christina Misunas, Sangram Kishor Patel, Thoai Ngo, Sajeda Amin

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This brief presents a simplified framework to provide key entry points for understanding which drivers of child marriage may be most important in particular contexts. Decision-makers such as researchers, donors, and program practitioners can use the framework to help design programs and policies tailored to these contexts.

Harnessing Data To End Child Marriage: Summarizing Learnings To-Date, Stephanie Psaki, Momoe Makino, Christina Misunas, Erica Soler-Hampejsek, Fatima Zahra

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This brief summarizes key findings from five papers that examine child marriage and interventions to address it. While the findings from each of the papers are briefly noted, the brief focuses on the importance of context in understanding the drivers and impact on child marriage. Based on key findings, the brief offers cross-cutting recommendations for research and programs.

Adolescent Girls And Covid-19: Mapping The Evidence On Interventions, Sarah Blake, Miriam Temin, Tara Abularrage, Nihal Said

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

With the COVID-19 crisis continuing to evolve, evidence on the effectiveness of short-term emergency-oriented responses and long-term mitigation strategies is expanding but still limited. There are, and will continue to be, substantial evidence gaps on programming to address risk across outcomes of importance to adolescent girls. More evidence is needed to slow the risks posed by the pandemic for this subpopulation, which can help guide gender- and age-responsive prevention and impact mitigation investments. Evidence from approaches delivered in other unstable contexts may offer important lessons for decision-making in the current context. Recognizing this, the Population Council conducted a structured review …

Identifying Factors That Support Community Health Worker Motivation, Job Satisfaction, And Retention In Haiti, Frontline Health Project, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School Of Public Health

Reproductive Health

Community health workers (CHWs) play a critical role in Haiti’s health system, by connecting communities—particularly rural and hard-to-reach populations—to healthcare services. The Frontline Health project conducted a study to better understand the types of incentive structures that can best support the CHWs in Haiti and this brief summarizes those findings.

Building A More Equitable Future For All—Annual Report 2020/21, Population Council

Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Frontline Health Achievements In Harmonizing Measurement And Generating Evidence On Community Health System Performance, Frontline Health Project

Reproductive Health

As the global health community demonstrates an increasing commitment to investing in community health workers (CHWs) to achieve universal health coverage in lower- and middle-income countries, the need to effectively measure community health system performance is paramount. Embedded in the Integrating Community Health partnership (2017–2021), with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Population Council and Last Mile Health co-led the Frontline Health (FLH) project, a four-year research, policy, and advocacy initiative aimed at developing core metrics and CHW reform processes, advancing their adoption, and promoting institutionalization of robust community health policies. This brief describes the Population Council’s …

Impacts Of Climate Change In Vulnerable Communities In Sindh, Pakistan: Voices From The Community, Kiren Khan, Mumraiz Khan, Tahira Parveen, Sabahat Hussain

Climate and Environmental Changes

Pakistan ranks among the ten countries worst affected by climate change in the world, and within the country the province of Sindh is one of the hardest-hit regions. Changing trends in temperature and precipitation have increased the frequency and severity of hazards such as flooding, droughts, and heatwaves, among a host of other environmental stresses. The present qualitative study was conducted to scope out the specific ways in which the impacts of climate change are gendered among rural communities in Sindh that have the highest exposure to hazards arising from climate change. The study probed the perceptions and experiences of …

Understanding Community Health Volunteer Incentive Preferences In Kenya, Frontline Health Project, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School Of Public Health

Reproductive Health

In Kenya, community health services are implemented through community health units. Community health volunteers (CHVs) who serve these units are chosen by the community and trained by community health extension workers. This brief summarizes qualitative and quantitative findings from the Frontline Health project’s discrete choice experiment study in Kenya, which aimed to understand incentive preferences of CHVs with the aim of improving motivation, performance, and retention of CHVs.

Providing Family Planning And Reproductive Health Services In Factory Settings: Lessons From Port Said, Egypt, Nesrine Salama, Maryam Essam, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Elizabeth Tobey

Reproductive Health

This policy brief provides lessons for providing family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH) services in a factory setting, based on lessons learned from an Evidence Project intervention implemented in Port Said, Egypt. The number of workers in the industrial sector in Egypt is about 2.6 million, most of them of childbearing age. Women account for more than 50% of the workforce in some sectors, like the garment sector. Given the high proportions of workers of reproductive ages in factory settings, it is crucial that those workers are reached with FP information and FP/RH services.

Getting Girls Back To School In Kenya: The 4ts ('Trace, Track, Talk And Return') Initiative Implementation Report, George Odwe, Chi-Chi Undie, Ann Gachoya, Truphena Kirongo, Fredrick Kiiru, Jane Njogu

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Covid-19 pandemic led to devastating economic and social disruptions globally including in the education sector. The pandemic disrupted access to both sexual and reproductive health services and safe spaces. As a result, many girls faced vulnerabilities that inhibited access to basic education, including risks of child marriage, early pregnancy, gender-based violence, female genital mutilation/cutting, sexual exploitation, and child labor. The negative impact of Covid-19 on girls' education underscores the need for interventions addressing the effect on school re-entry and retention. Kenya has a favorable policy environment for supporting retention within, and re-entry into, schools for vulnerable girls. Notable core …

Meeting The Family Planning And Reproductive Health Needs Of Factory Workers, Evidence Project

Reproductive Health

Workplace health programming, when it exists, has typically focused narrowly on occupational health and safety compliance. Few studies have been conducted on programs for family planning/reproductive health (FP/RH) for factory workers. The Evidence Project contributed to improving workers’ FP/RH through two sets of activities: (1) advocacy efforts to improve FP/RH practices and global and corporate policies to improve workplace practices, and (2) two implementation science studies to assess the impact of workplace FP/RH programs on workers’ health. This brief summarizes that work.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Comparing Integrated And Malaria-Only Social And Behavior Change Programming In Nigeria: Initial Costing Data, Avenir Health

Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Choices

Breakthrough RESEARCH is conducting an effectiveness evaluation of social and behavior change (SBC) programming implemented by Breakthrough ACTION in Nigeria, comparing an integrated SBC program in Kebbi and Sokoto states with a malaria-only SBC program in Zamfara state. Using these results on impact, a cost-effectiveness analysis will determine which approach is more cost-effective in achieving improvements in health. This report presents estimated costs for the initial stage of the project, from April 2018 through December 2019, in the three northern states where the study is being conducted.

Breakthrough Research—Social And Behavior Change Costing Community Of Practice Series Brief #3: Capturing The Start-Up Costs Associated With Social And Behavior Change Interventions, Breakthrough Research

Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Choices

A successful social and behavior change (SBC) intervention requires the investment of time and resources in the intervention’s start-up phase, which is defined as the time from the project initiation until the project begins broad implementation. When conducting a costing study of an SBC intervention, it is useful to capture these initial costs separately and allocate them appropriately over the life of the intervention. By examining start-up costs separately, the post-start-up implementation costs can be forecasted more accurately for future budgeting purposes and for determining the appropriate costs for scaling-up interventions. This is the third in a series of briefs …

Impact Of Community-Based Girl Groups, Miriam Temin, Craig Heck

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Programs increasingly use community-based girl groups (CBGGs) to address risks and empower adolescent girls, but evidence on their impact is not always accessible to decision makers. A closer look at 30 CBGG programs in low- and middle-income countries found that CBGGs had the greatest reported success in improving health and gender attitudes and beliefs, while their effect on health behavior and status is mixed. Program implementers should consider CBGGs as a way to facilitate girls’ empowerment, with complementary measures to engage community members and to promote enabling environments for greater program impact. Increased interest and investment in CBGGs should be …

Perceptions Of Community Pharmacists, Patent And Proprietary Medicine Vendors, And Their Clients Regarding Quality Of Family Planning Services: The Integrate Project, The Integrate Project

Reproductive Health

The IntegratE Project is a four-year initiative (2017–21) implemented by the Population Council and partners that seeks to increase access to contraceptive methods by involving the private sector (community pharmacists [CPs] and patent and proprietary medicine vendors [PPMVs]) in family planning (FP) service delivery in Lagos and Kaduna States, Nigeria. The project aims to establish a regulatory system with the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria to ensure that CPs and PPMVs provide quality FP services, comply with FP regulations, and report service statistics to the Health Information Management System (HMIS). To achieve this, the project is implementing: a pilot three-tiered accreditation …

Integrate Project Results: Family Planning Knowledge And Quality Of Care Received From Community Pharmacists And Patent And Proprietary Medicine Vendors, The Integrate Project

Reproductive Health

In Nigeria, Community Pharmacists (CPs) and Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) are the first point of care for many common illnesses. Although CPs and PPMVs are not formally recognized as family planning (FP) service providers, 22% of modern contraceptive users report receiving their last method from a PPMV and 12% from a private pharmacy. PPMVs are popular for FP because of their widespread availability, consistent drug stocks, extended hours, personable interactions, and lack of separate fees for consultations. As the Federal Ministry of Health explores expanding its task sharing policy to include CPs and PPMVs, evidence is needed on …

Women's Perceptions On The Effects Of Covid-19 On Access And Use Of Private Sector Family Planning Services In Nigeria: The Integrate Project, The Integrate Project

Reproductive Health

In Nigeria, Community Pharmacists (CPs) and Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) are the first point of care for many common illnesses. Although CPs and PPMVs are not formally recognized as family planning (FP) service providers, 22% of modern contraceptive users report receiving their last method from a PPMV and 12% from a private pharmacy. PPMVs are popular for FP because of their widespread availability, consistent drug stocks, extended hours, personable interactions, and lack of separate fees for consultations. As in many places, the COVID-19 pandemic poses unprecedented challenges to health services in Nigeria. By limiting person-to-person contact, especially during …

Documenting The Costs Of Social Behavior Change Interventions For Health In Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Avenir Health

Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Choices

Understanding the costs associated with social and behavior change (SBC) interventions for health is critical for budgeting, price setting, program planning, and economic analysis. Breakthrough RESEARCH performed a literature review and analysis to identify, classify, and synthesize published costs associated with SBC programming in low- and middle-income countries.

Investing In Social And Behavior Change Is Cost-Effective For Improving Malaria Behaviors In Côte D’Ivoire, Breakthrough Research

Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Choices

Social and behavior change (SBC) interventions are considered an essential part of malaria prevention and treatment interventions, yet gaps in information on the cost and impact of SBC mean decisionmakers have underappreciated the value of SBC for contributing to improved health outcomes. To address this issue, Breakthrough RESEARCH has leveraged evidence from 112 studies on the impact of SBC interventions on malaria health behaviors and 70 studies on general SBC intervention costs to model the cost-effectiveness of SBC programming for malaria in the Business Case for Investing in Social and Behavior Change for Malaria.

Reducing Hiv Risk For Men And Male Partners Of Adolescent Girls And Young Women In Eswatini: Learnings From The Dreams Partnership, Ann Gottert

HIV and AIDS

No abstract provided.

Hearing From Men In Eswatini: Shifts In Hiv Risk And Service Uptake—Findings From Dreams Implementation Science Research, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

HIV prevention efforts across sub-Saharan Africa are increasingly focused on engaging men, for their own health and that of their partners and families. We examined whether and how HIV risk and protective factors are changing among men in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)—a country with a substantial HIV burden. The study is part of the Population Council’s implementation science research portfolio on the DREAMS Partnership1, a large-scale initiative to reduce new HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) and their partners.

Hearing From Men In South Africa: Shifts In Hiv Risk And Service Uptake—Findings From Dreams Implementation Science Research, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

HIV prevention efforts across sub-Saharan Africa are increasingly focused on engaging men, for their own health and that of their partners and families. We examined whether and how HIV risk and protective factors are changing among men in Durban, South Africa—a country with a substantial HIV burden. The study is part of the Population Council’s implementation science research portfolio on the DREAMS Partnership, a large-scale initiative to reduce new HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women and their partners.

Hearing From Men In Uganda: Experiences With Hiv Services And Prevention Programming, And Perceptions Of Dreams—Findings From Dreams Implementation Science Research, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

HIV prevention efforts across sub-Saharan Africa are increasingly focused on engaging men, for their own health and that of their partners and families. We examined experiences with HIV services and prevention programing among men in Uganda whose partners were enrolled in DREAMS, a large-scale initiative to reduce new HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). The study is part of the Population Council’s implementation science research portfolio on the DREAMS Partnership.