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Findings From Landscape Analysis In Cross River On Pre-Eclampsia/Eclampsia, Population Council Jan 2016

Findings From Landscape Analysis In Cross River On Pre-Eclampsia/Eclampsia, Population Council

Reproductive Health

Maternal and newborn deaths due to pre-eclampsia and eclampsia (PE/E) are preventable, yet in Nigeria this is the most significant direct cause of maternal deaths. To appreciate the enormity of this problem at country and state levels, a landscape analysis was conducted by the Population Council in 2015 on PE/E in seven states in Nigeria. This brief presents results for Cross River State and details findings on facility capacity and preparedness, service provider knowledge and skills, quality of care, community knowledge and perceptions, and survivors’ experiences. The brief recommends increasing community awareness of the condition, improving antenatal care quality, and …


Formative Research On Assessing Barriers To Fistula Care And Treatment In Nigeria, Charlotte E. Warren, Rachel Agbonkhese, Salisu Mohammed Ishaku Jan 2016

Formative Research On Assessing Barriers To Fistula Care And Treatment In Nigeria, Charlotte E. Warren, Rachel Agbonkhese, Salisu Mohammed Ishaku

Reproductive Health

This report documents results of a systematic study of peer-reviewed and “grey” literature which identified studies relevant for understanding barriers to accessing obstetric fistula (OF) care in developing countries. To more comprehensively and holistically understand these barriers in Nigeria and potential enabling factors for alleviation, this study explored the perspectives of those involved in both identifying fistula and accessing care, such as family members and other community stakeholders including patriarchs, matriarchs, community leaders, and other opinion leaders. It also examines the cultural patterns, myths, and perspectives related to OF and how they influence women’s willingness and capacities to access surgical …


Pharmacy Workers In Kenya Need Training And Support On Medical Abortion Information And Referrals To Prevent Unsafe Service Provision, Jesse Njunguru, A. Finnie, Katharine Footman, Wilson Liambila, Kate Reiss Jan 2016

Pharmacy Workers In Kenya Need Training And Support On Medical Abortion Information And Referrals To Prevent Unsafe Service Provision, Jesse Njunguru, A. Finnie, Katharine Footman, Wilson Liambila, Kate Reiss

Reproductive Health

Despite the centrality of pharmacists in the provision of abortion services in Kenya, little is known about their medical abortion (MA) knowledge, attitudes, or practices. This policy brief reports on a study that set out to bridge this gap in the evidence. The report concludes that comprehensive training for pharmacy workers could improve the quality of MA provision and referrals, and help pharmacy workers identify opportunities to simultaneously provide clients with information on contraception and STI prevention. Such efforts would be in line with current Kenyan government policies to reduce the public health burden caused by the prevalence of unsafe …


Adolescent Sexual And Reproductive Health Situation: Insights From The 2014 Kenya Demographic And Health Survey, Francis Obare, George Odwe, Harriet Birungi Jan 2016

Adolescent Sexual And Reproductive Health Situation: Insights From The 2014 Kenya Demographic And Health Survey, Francis Obare, George Odwe, Harriet Birungi

Reproductive Health

The 2015 Kenya National Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy recognized the importance of addressing adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs for achieving the country’s development goals. Although estimates from the 2014 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) show the country registered improvements in key reproductive, maternal, and child health outcomes, adolescent outcomes likely remain poor given the challenges associated with adequately addressing their sexual and reproductive health needs. This report presents findings of further analysis of the 2014 Kenya DHS on key SRH outcomes among adolescent girls and boys 15 to 19 years old in Kenya. Understanding the …


Adapting A Health Systems Strengthening Model To Improve Access To Health Services In A Factory: A Pilot Project In Haiti, Carolyn Rodehau, David Wofford, Suzanne Brockman Jan 2016

Adapting A Health Systems Strengthening Model To Improve Access To Health Services In A Factory: A Pilot Project In Haiti, Carolyn Rodehau, David Wofford, Suzanne Brockman

Reproductive Health

The pilot intervention described in this brief took place at an apparel manufacturing company, Caribbean Island Apparel SA, located in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The project by the USAID-funded RAISE Health Initiative sought to demonstrate the value of a new management approach to workplace health services and practices in a garment factory. Specifically, the pilot looked at how the health systems strengthening model could be adapted to the private sector and could help build the factory’s capacity to manage the health staff and infirmary, institute clinical best practices, and expand the primary care roles for nurses, including providing family planning and reproductive …


Situational Analysis Of The Private Sector In The Delivery Of Family Planning Services In Egypt: Current Status And Potential For Increased Involvement, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Doaa Oraby, Benjamin Bellows Jan 2016

Situational Analysis Of The Private Sector In The Delivery Of Family Planning Services In Egypt: Current Status And Potential For Increased Involvement, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Doaa Oraby, Benjamin Bellows

Reproductive Health

The recent increase in Egypt’s total fertility rate, along with stalling contraceptive rates and persistent unmet need for family planning (FP), highlights a need to explore new venues for providing FP services. The specific objectives of this study are to determine the size, scope, and scale of private-sector FP providers (private physicians, nongovernmental organization clinics, and private pharmacies); examine the policy and regulatory environment for private provision of FP products and services; and assess business, financing, and training needs of the private health sector and the potential for expanding its role in FP service provision. To improve current trends in …


Building A National Pro-Choice Alliance In Mexico: Evaluation Of The Alliance Media Campaign To Promote Access To Safe, Free, And Legal Abortion Services, Population Council Jan 2016

Building A National Pro-Choice Alliance In Mexico: Evaluation Of The Alliance Media Campaign To Promote Access To Safe, Free, And Legal Abortion Services, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The Population Council and Alliance partners designed a legal abortion media campaign aimed at informing women in Mexico City of their legal right to a safe, free elective abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. The impetus for the campaign was the apparent lack of knowledge regarding the legality of abortion in Mexico City among low-income, marginalized women of reproductive age combined with the inadequate number of Mexico City Ministry of Health facilities equipped to provide services to women living in an expansive metropolitan area such as Mexico City. This brief presents results of an evaluation that show that …


Acceptability And Feasibility Of Introducing Strengthened School-Based Sexual And Reproductive Health Information And Services In Accra, Ghana, Terence Adda-Balinia, Philip Teg-Nefaah Tabong, Maya Teye, Philip Baba Adongo, Placide Tapsoba, Harriet Birungi Jan 2016

Acceptability And Feasibility Of Introducing Strengthened School-Based Sexual And Reproductive Health Information And Services In Accra, Ghana, Terence Adda-Balinia, Philip Teg-Nefaah Tabong, Maya Teye, Philip Baba Adongo, Placide Tapsoba, Harriet Birungi

Reproductive Health

An initial study conducted by Population Council under the Strengthening Evidence for Programming on Unintended Pregnancies (STEP UP) project in 2012 assessed the knowledge and reproductive health needs of adolescents living in selected slums in Brong Ahafo and Greater Accra regions with the view of informing an improvement in adolescent sexual health (ASRH) programming in Ghana. The study concludes that stakeholders generally believed there was the need for enhanced adolescent sexual and reproductive health services in school as the present system of delivering these services were not sufficiently addressing ASRH needs. The use of trained psychologists and health workers was …


L’Expérience De Femmes Ayant Subi Une Grossesse Non Désirée Au Sénégal : Une Étude Qualitative [Compte Rendu De La Rencontre De Partage Des Résultats], Fatou Mbow, Nafissatou Diop, Babacar Mane Jan 2016

L’Expérience De Femmes Ayant Subi Une Grossesse Non Désirée Au Sénégal : Une Étude Qualitative [Compte Rendu De La Rencontre De Partage Des Résultats], Fatou Mbow, Nafissatou Diop, Babacar Mane

Reproductive Health

Dans le cadre du projet Strengthening Evidence for Programming on Unintended Pregnancy (STEP UP), et sur financement de DFID, une étude qualitative a été menée dans la région de Dakar au Sénégal par le Population Council en partenariat avec la Taskforce sur l’expérience des femmes ayant subi une grossesse non désirée suite à un viol ou un inceste pour apporter la voix de ces femmes au débat sur la légalisation de l’avortement médicalisée. Une rencontre plus large, dont ce rapport est la synthèse, a été organisée en janvier 2016 par la Direction de la Santé de la Reproduction et de …


The Consumer Perspective: A Consultation With Senior Health Officials From Developing Countries On Standards Of Evidence For Reproductive And Maternal Health Care, The Evidence Project, Step Up Research Programme Consortium Jan 2016

The Consumer Perspective: A Consultation With Senior Health Officials From Developing Countries On Standards Of Evidence For Reproductive And Maternal Health Care, The Evidence Project, Step Up Research Programme Consortium

Reproductive Health

The Population Council (through the STEP UP consortium and the Evidence Project) and the High Impact Practices (HIP) Collaboration, together with other partners, held a series of three consultative meetings around the topic of standards of evidence in reproductive and maternal health. This report details the third and final meeting held in Bellagio, Italy in February 2016. The meeting brought together developing-country decisionmakers to vet, from the research “consumer” perspective, the recommendations that emerged from the second consultation and to elicit further recommendations on how to better generate and package evidence to meet the needs of decisionmakers. Also in attendance …


L’Expérience De Femmes Ayant Subi Une Grossesse Non Désirée Au Sénégal : Une Étude Qualitative, Fatou Mbow, Nafissatou Diop, Awa Diop Dabo, Awa Tounkara Cissé, Seynabou Ba Diakhaté Jan 2016

L’Expérience De Femmes Ayant Subi Une Grossesse Non Désirée Au Sénégal : Une Étude Qualitative, Fatou Mbow, Nafissatou Diop, Awa Diop Dabo, Awa Tounkara Cissé, Seynabou Ba Diakhaté

Reproductive Health

Dans le cadre du projet Strengthening Evidence for Programming on Unintended Pregnancy (STEP UP), et sur financement de DFID, une étude qualitative a été menée dans la région de Dakar, au Sénégal, par le Population Council en partenariat avec la Taskforce pour développer une meilleure compréhension de la vie des femmes ayant subi une grossesse non désirée suite à un viol ou un inceste et apporter leur voix au débat sur la légalisation de l’avortement médicalisé. Actuellement, qu’elles décident de garder la grossesse non désirée ou de s’en débarrasser, dans tous les cas, leur vie en est affectée. En interdisant …


L’Expérience De Femmes Ayant Subi Une Grossesse Non Désirée Au Sénégal : Une Étude Qualitative, Fatou Mbow, Nafissatou Diop, Seynabou Ba Diakhaté, Awa Tounkara Cissé, Fatou Ndiaye Turpin Jan 2016

L’Expérience De Femmes Ayant Subi Une Grossesse Non Désirée Au Sénégal : Une Étude Qualitative, Fatou Mbow, Nafissatou Diop, Seynabou Ba Diakhaté, Awa Tounkara Cissé, Fatou Ndiaye Turpin

Reproductive Health

No abstract provided.


Ending The Medicalization Of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting In Egypt, Sarah Ghattass, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Salma Abou Hussein Jan 2016

Ending The Medicalization Of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting In Egypt, Sarah Ghattass, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Salma Abou Hussein

Reproductive Health

This policy brief examines the extent of medicalization of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Egypt, the characteristics of girls who were cut by medical personnel, factors that may have contributed to increased medicalization, and potential interventions that could influence both physicians and the public to completely abandon the practice. The data show that younger cohorts of women, those from higher wealth quintiles, higher levels of education, and living in urban regions are more likely to have been cut by medical personnel. More importantly, the analysis shows that despite medicalization being more common among young women with the above-mentioned characteristics, it …


A State-Of-The-Art Synthesis On Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: What Do We Know Now?, Bettina Shell-Duncan, Reshma Naik, Charlotte Feldman-Jacobs Jan 2016

A State-Of-The-Art Synthesis On Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: What Do We Know Now?, Bettina Shell-Duncan, Reshma Naik, Charlotte Feldman-Jacobs

Reproductive Health

Efforts to end female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) are a rising priority on many national and global agendas. Thus it is imperative to have a clear understanding of the scale and scope of the practice, and where it occurs, as well as the dynamics of change and the broader context surrounding it. This state-of-the-art synthesis offers a snapshot of the most recent data available as of July 2016 and the most relevant contextual information on key FGM/C issues in clear, nontechnical language that can help inform policymakers, donors, program planners, and other key stakeholders. The data point to “hot spot” geographic …


Evidence To End Fgm/C: Research To Help Girls And Women Thrive, Population Council Jan 2016

Evidence To End Fgm/C: Research To Help Girls And Women Thrive, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This factsheet describes a new Population Council–led research program, funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, which will join the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on FGM/C: Accelerating Change and the Girl Generation in the Campaign to End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) within One Generation. The program will generate high-quality evidence to influence strategic investment, policy, and programming to end FGM/C. This five-year program will work in 6–9 sub-Saharan African countries to dramatically expand the body of evidence on the most effective approaches to ending FGM/C. The research program will be organized around four themes: building the picture of where, …


Evidence To End Fgm/C: Research To Help Girls And Women Thrive [Arabic], Population Council Jan 2016

Evidence To End Fgm/C: Research To Help Girls And Women Thrive [Arabic], Population Council

Reproductive Health

[In Arabic] This factsheet describes a new Population Council–led research program, funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, which will join the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on FGM/C: Accelerating Change and the Girl Generation in the Campaign to End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) within One Generation. The program will generate high-quality evidence to influence strategic investment, policy, and programming to end FGM/C. This five-year program will work in 6–9 sub-Saharan African countries to dramatically expand the body of evidence on the most effective approaches to ending FGM/C. The research program will be organized around four themes: building the picture …


Root Causes And Persistent Challenges In Accelerating The Abandonment Of Fgm/C, Jacinta Muteshi-Strachan Jan 2016

Root Causes And Persistent Challenges In Accelerating The Abandonment Of Fgm/C, Jacinta Muteshi-Strachan

Reproductive Health

No abstract provided.


Evidence To End Fgm/C Research Programme: Presentation At The Sixtieth Session Of The Un Commission On The Status Of Women, Jacinta Muteshi-Strachan Jan 2016

Evidence To End Fgm/C Research Programme: Presentation At The Sixtieth Session Of The Un Commission On The Status Of Women, Jacinta Muteshi-Strachan

Reproductive Health

No abstract provided.


The Fgm/C Research Programme, Jacinta Muteshi-Strachan Jan 2016

The Fgm/C Research Programme, Jacinta Muteshi-Strachan

Reproductive Health

No abstract provided.


Routine Screening For Intimate Partner Violence: A Guide For Trainers, Odongo Odiyo, Chi-Chi Undie, Margaret Mak'anyengo Jan 2016

Routine Screening For Intimate Partner Violence: A Guide For Trainers, Odongo Odiyo, Chi-Chi Undie, Margaret Mak'anyengo

Reproductive Health

This the first regional document devoted to building the capacity of providers to respond to intimate partner violence (IPV). The training guide is a follow-on initiative to the 6th Best Practices Forum in Health of the East, Central and Southern Africa (ECSA) Health Community, held in August 2012. This Forum brought to the fore research findings from the region centering on the acceptability and feasibility of IPV screening, and culminated in the passage of a resolution by Health Ministers that prescribes the integration of gender-based violence screening into healthcare settings in the ECSA region. This training guide responds to this …


The Africa Regional Sgbv Network Learning Brief Series: Learning Updates From South Africa (Brief #1), Population Council Jan 2016

The Africa Regional Sgbv Network Learning Brief Series: Learning Updates From South Africa (Brief #1), Population Council

Reproductive Health

The Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment Programme (TVEP) is one of the largest community-based organizations in Southern Africa with projects that focus on preventing and responding to sexual and gender-based violence and HIV. From 2011–12, 40 percent of all sexual offences in South Africa involved children as victims, according to crime statistics. Over half of the rape cases reported to TVEP in rural Vhembe are children below the age of 18. TVEP is adapting its “Zero Tolerance Village Alliance” (ZTVA) model for children and schools. The ZTVA model is designed to inspire men and women in communities to commit themselves to taking …


Screening For Sexual And Gender-Based Violence In Emergency Settings In Uganda: An Assessment Of Feasibility, Chi-Chi Undie, Harriet Birungi, Jane Harriet Namwebya, Wossen Taye, Lilian Maate, Margaret Mak'anyengo, Anne Katahoire, David Apollo Kazungu, Darlson Kusasira, Zahra Mirghani, Joanina Karugaba Jan 2016

Screening For Sexual And Gender-Based Violence In Emergency Settings In Uganda: An Assessment Of Feasibility, Chi-Chi Undie, Harriet Birungi, Jane Harriet Namwebya, Wossen Taye, Lilian Maate, Margaret Mak'anyengo, Anne Katahoire, David Apollo Kazungu, Darlson Kusasira, Zahra Mirghani, Joanina Karugaba

Reproductive Health

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is a global predicament to which over a third of women worldwide are exposed. Its negative consequences for reproductive, maternal, adolescent, and mental health are well-documented, however there is sparse evidence for the feasibility of SGBV screening interventions in emergency contexts. Employing a descriptive case study design, this study assessed the feasibility of implementing SGBV screening and referral protocols within health facilities in the emergency setting in Western Uganda. Providers from two health facilities were trained to screen female clients routinely for current exposure to intimate partner violence and lifetime exposure to nonpartner sexual violence. …


The Africa Regional Sgbv Network Learning Brief Series: Learning Updates From Uganda (Brief #7), Population Council Jan 2016

The Africa Regional Sgbv Network Learning Brief Series: Learning Updates From Uganda (Brief #7), Population Council

Reproductive Health

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in humanitarian contexts is recognized by the UN Refugee Agency as a global concern and as a priority in its programming. Crisis-affected populations often face multiple forms of SGBV at multiple time periods (during conflict, during flight from conflict, and within post-conflict settings). The Africa Regional SGBV Network, set up in 2006, is addressing SGBV in humanitarian contexts in East and Southern Africa. This Learning Brief is one in a series of two that share critical findings on effective responses to the issue in Uganda. This brief highlights the endline evaluation which measured the effectiveness …


The Africa Regional Sgbv Network Learning Brief Series: Learning Updates From Kenya (Brief #4), Population Council Jan 2016

The Africa Regional Sgbv Network Learning Brief Series: Learning Updates From Kenya (Brief #4), Population Council

Reproductive Health

In an attempt to improve the reporting of child sexual abuse (CSA) and children’s access to services, the Gender-Based Violence Recovery Center (GBVRC) of Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) in Nairobi, Kenya, is exploring the feasibility of routine screening for CSA in healthcare and school settings. Based on the findings, and in collaboration with the Population Council, the GBVRC is developing a response to CSA that takes into account the contextual realities. The intervention will involve dialogues with parents and children in primary schools. The aim is to get people talking about abuse in their community, the consequences of such abuse, …


Introducing Contraceptive Methods In Low-Resource Settings: New Opportunities In Kenya, Population Council Jan 2016

Introducing Contraceptive Methods In Low-Resource Settings: New Opportunities In Kenya, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This factsheet outlines the Delivering Contraceptive Vaginal Rings project, awarded by USAID to the Population Council in October 2013 to foster the introduction of two contraceptive methods. The objectives of this project are to: 1) improve availability and affordability of a three-month Progesterone Vaginal Ring for postpartum breastfeeding women, and 2) facilitate regulatory approval and introduction of a one-year contraceptive vaginal ring containing Nestorone® and ethinyl estradiol—a long-acting method for non-breastfeeding women that is in the late stages of development. The factsheet identifies milestones achieved and new opportunities in Kenya to implement activities in the year ahead.


The Africa Regional Sgbv Network Learning Brief Series: Learning Updates From Zambia (Brief #5), Population Council Jan 2016

The Africa Regional Sgbv Network Learning Brief Series: Learning Updates From Zambia (Brief #5), Population Council

Reproductive Health

Over a third of sexual violence cases reported at police stations and health facilities in Lusaka, Zambia from 2000–04 involved children ages 10–14, according to a 2009 Population Council review. National gender crime statistics show that 2,234 cases of defilement were reported to the police in Zambia in 2013 alone. In an attempt to ensure that child survivors receive the full range of both legal/justice and healthcare services, Zambia Police Service, the Ministry of Health, and the Population Council are working to operationalize Zambia’s National Guidelines for the Multidisciplinary Management of Survivors of Gender-Based Violence. This Learning Brief is one …


Progesterone Vaginal Ring: Beneficial Role In Supporting Breastfeeding, Population Council Jan 2016

Progesterone Vaginal Ring: Beneficial Role In Supporting Breastfeeding, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This brief provides evidence for the benefits of the Progesterone Vaginal Ring (PVR), as it supports (and even promotes) breastfeeding so that infants and children are well nourished, protected from a host of illnesses, and benefit from nursing that is uninterrupted by a pregnancy. In addition, the PVR enhances contraceptive protection for the mother so that she has ample time to recover from the previous pregnancy and delivery, while devoting her attention to the newly delivered baby. In this context, when breastfeeding has been recognized as a health behavior that impacts both mother and child and has the potential to …


Findings From Landscape Analysis In Nigeria On Pre-Eclampsia/Eclampsia, Population Council Jan 2016

Findings From Landscape Analysis In Nigeria On Pre-Eclampsia/Eclampsia, Population Council

Reproductive Health

Maternal and newborn deaths due to pre-eclampsia and eclampsia (PE/E) are preventable, yet in Nigeria this is the most significant direct cause of maternal mortality. The Population Council conducted a landscape analysis on PE/E in 2015 in seven states in Nigeria. This brief details the findings on national policy awareness, service provider knowledge and skills, facility capacity and preparedness, quality of care and community knowledge and perceptions. The brief concludes with recommendations based on these findings.


Findings From Landscape Analysis In Bangladesh On Pre-Eclampsia/Eclampsia, Population Council Jan 2016

Findings From Landscape Analysis In Bangladesh On Pre-Eclampsia/Eclampsia, Population Council

Reproductive Health

Maternal and newborn deaths due to pre-eclampsia and eclampsia are preventable, yet in Bangladesh PE/E is the second most common direct cause of maternal mortality, after postpartum hemorrhage. To appreciate the enormity of this problem, at national and district levels, in 2015 the Population Council conducted a landscape analysis in four districts. This brief details the findings on national policy awareness, service provider knowledge and skills, facility capacity and preparedness, and community knowledge and perceptions. The brief concludes with recommendations based on these findings.


Findings From Landscape Analysis In Katsina On Pre-Eclampsia/Eclampsia, Population Council Jan 2016

Findings From Landscape Analysis In Katsina On Pre-Eclampsia/Eclampsia, Population Council

Reproductive Health

Maternal and newborn deaths due to pre-eclampsia and eclampsia (PE/E) are preventable, yet in Nigeria this is the most significant direct cause of maternal deaths. To appreciate the enormity of this problem at country and state levels, a landscape analysis was conducted by the Population Council in 2015 on PE/E in seven states in Nigeria. This brief presents results for the landscape analysis in Katsina and recommends many areas of opportunity to prevent maternal death associated with PE/E throughout pregnancy, and different approaches to make the most of these opportunities. Maternal and newborn deaths due to PE/E are preventable: by …