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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Insights Into Unmet Need In Senegal, Kazuyo Machiyama, John C. Cleland Jan 2013

Insights Into Unmet Need In Senegal, Kazuyo Machiyama, John C. Cleland

Reproductive Health

Results presented in this STEP UP Research Report show that over half of women having unmet need for family planning in Senegal did not intend to use family planning in the future and this was consistent across all population strata. Reasons for non-use confirm the existence of widespread opposition to the use of modern contraception. Unfamiliarity and lack of information is likely to be a reason for such opposition; initial suspicion of contraception has also been documented. Thus a first policy priority, and one that is relatively easy to achieve, is to increase knowledge through the mass media and localized …


Unmet Need And Unintended Pregnancy: The Bigger Picture, Ian Askew Jan 2013

Unmet Need And Unintended Pregnancy: The Bigger Picture, Ian Askew

Reproductive Health

Prevention of unintended pregnancy is often considered the key outcome of reducing unmet need; it is the basic right of women and couples to become pregnant only when intended. This paper explores this relationship by reviewing the definition and measurement of unintended pregnancy, identifying key trends in its distribution within and between populations, and analyzing the relationship between unintended pregnancy, demand for family planning, and family planning program performance. The determinants and consequences of unintended pregnancy are reviewed to further understand the implications of using it as a policy and programming goal. The paper concludes by reviewing the broader policy …


Unmet Need And Unintended Pregnancy: The Bigger Picture, Ian Askew Jan 2013

Unmet Need And Unintended Pregnancy: The Bigger Picture, Ian Askew

Reproductive Health

No abstract provided.


Assessing Retention And Motivation Of Public Health-Care Providers (Particularly Female Providers) In Rural Pakistan, Ali M. Mir, Gul Rashida Shaikh, Saleem Shaikh, Neha Mankani, Anushe Hassan, Maqsood Sadiq Jan 2013

Assessing Retention And Motivation Of Public Health-Care Providers (Particularly Female Providers) In Rural Pakistan, Ali M. Mir, Gul Rashida Shaikh, Saleem Shaikh, Neha Mankani, Anushe Hassan, Maqsood Sadiq

Reproductive Health

The main objectives of this project in Pakistan were to explore the core issue of availability of health providers, especially female providers who are required for provision of maternal and neonatal healthcare, and to determine the range of factors that either constrain or motivate providers to serve in key positions in public facilities in rural areas. The study, conducted by the Population Council with funding from the Maternal and Newborn Health Programme ‐ Research and Advocacy Fund, identifies a number of problems faced by healthcare providers working in the public healthcare system in Pakistan and makes the following recommendations for …


Insights Into Unmet Need In Kenya, Kazuyo Machiyama, John C. Cleland Jan 2013

Insights Into Unmet Need In Kenya, Kazuyo Machiyama, John C. Cleland

Reproductive Health

Results from this study demonstrate that most women having unmet need for family planning in Kenya were aware of the two main contraceptive methods and a supply source, but many of the poorest, least educated women and those living in North Eastern Province were disadvantaged in this regard. Targeted expansion of access/information is a priority to meet the need of the disadvantaged populations. Kenya has one of the longest records of successful family planning programs in Africa, but this report has revealed some major defects, in particular excess reliance on two hormonal methods. Major future progress may well depend on …


Contraceptive Use Dynamics In Pakistan 2008-09, Arshad Mahmood, Syeda Saman Naz Jan 2012

Contraceptive Use Dynamics In Pakistan 2008-09, Arshad Mahmood, Syeda Saman Naz

Reproductive Health

This report looks at contraceptive use dynamics in Pakistan, focusing on contraceptive discontinuation, method failure, and contraceptive switching, as well as the reasons for discontinuation. The study found that almost one-third of discontinuations were due to side effects followed by one-fifth of them by the method failure. Side effects were the most common reason for discontinuing modern methods (IUDs and hormonal methods), while failure was the most common reasons for discontinuing barrier and traditional methods (condom, rhythm, withdrawal). Based on the findings of this study, this report suggests that better training of health providers and better information and counseling of …


Using Systematic Screening To Integrate Health Services In India And Senegal: Pilot Study Versus Scale-Up Results, James R. Foreit Jan 2008

Using Systematic Screening To Integrate Health Services In India And Senegal: Pilot Study Versus Scale-Up Results, James R. Foreit

Reproductive Health

This study examines the effectiveness of using systematic screening to integrate health services in India and Senegal. First, a pilot study of relatively small-scale experiments was undertaken to determine if systematic screening for unmet needs for health services could increase the number of preventive care services clients receive at healthcare visits. FRONTIERS then participated in the scale-up to test the effect of different supervision and training strategies on the frequency of provider screening. Results show that systematic screening may have the potential to produce important increases in the number of services provided in many developing country settings at the pilot …


Strengthening Emergency Contraception In Nepal, Mahendra Pd. Shrestha, Sharif M.I. Hossain, M.E. Khan Jan 2008

Strengthening Emergency Contraception In Nepal, Mahendra Pd. Shrestha, Sharif M.I. Hossain, M.E. Khan

Reproductive Health

A national workshop on emergency contraception was organized in Nepal by the Family Health Division within the Ministry of Health in 2004, with technical assistance provided by the FRONTIERS program of the Population Council. Among many conclusions from the workshop, one recommendation was that emergency contraceptive pills (ECP) should be introduced through the government family planning program to assist in reducing unwanted pregnancies. Based on the Population Council’s past experiences with introducing and mainstreaming ECP services in Bangladesh and India, a phase-wise introduction of ECP in Nepal was recommended. The project findings suggest that Nepalese women continue to face an …


L’Introduction De L’Identification Systématique Pour Réduire Les Besoins Non Satisfaits En Santé : Manuel Du Manager, Ricardo Vernon, James R. Foreit, Emma Ottolenghi Jan 2008

L’Introduction De L’Identification Systématique Pour Réduire Les Besoins Non Satisfaits En Santé : Manuel Du Manager, Ricardo Vernon, James R. Foreit, Emma Ottolenghi

Reproductive Health

Ce manuel est conçu pour aider les décideurs, les gestionnaires, les superviseurs et les prestataires de programmes à introduire le dépistage systématique dans leurs services de santé. Le dépistage systématique peut améliorer la santé des femmes en répondant à de multiples besoins non satisfaits en matière de services de santé reproductive et autres. Ce manuel fournit : les activités nécessaires à la mise en œuvre du dépistage systématique ; comment sélectionner les installations, les services à dépister et qui sera dépisté ; l'élaboration, l'adaptation et le prétest systématiques d'une liste de contrôle de dépistage ; des conseils pour les agents …


Dominican Republic, Haiti, Nicaragua: Women Living With Hiv Have Unmet Family Planning Needs, Population Council Jan 2008

Dominican Republic, Haiti, Nicaragua: Women Living With Hiv Have Unmet Family Planning Needs, Population Council

Reproductive Health

Women living with HIV in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Nicaragua are marginalized in many ways, including their access to family planning (FP) services. Making FP services accessible to persons living with HIV (PLWH) is one of four key strategies that WHO promotes in its comprehensive approach to prevent HIV infections in infants and young children. This strategy also increases the coverage and quality of FP services among a population commonly underserved and at high risk of unplanned pregnancy. Expanded access to antiretroviral therapy in many developing countries has improved the life expectancies and health of many PLWH who are …


Introducing Systematic Screening To Reduce Unmet Health Needs: A Manager's Manual, Ricardo Vernon, James R. Foreit, Emma Ottolenghi Jan 2008

Introducing Systematic Screening To Reduce Unmet Health Needs: A Manager's Manual, Ricardo Vernon, James R. Foreit, Emma Ottolenghi

Reproductive Health

This manual is designed to help program decision-makers, managers, supervisors, and providers introduce systematic screening in their health services. Systematic screening can improve women’s health by addressing multiple unmet needs for reproductive and other health services. This manual provides: activities necessary to implement systematic screening; how to select facilities, services to screen for, and who will screen; systematic screening checklist development, adaptation, and pretesting; advice for training screeners/providers and supervisors and an outline of a generic training agenda. The manual’s contents may be adapted to reflect local, national, or programmatic health priorities and resources as well as to promote the …


Increasing Use Of The Iud Through Community And Clinic Based Education Activities In Rural Honduras, Ivo Flores Flores, Elida Rosa Aguilar Fonseca, Rosa Merlen Flores, Ricardo Vernon, Jorge Solorzano, Suyapa Pavon, Marco Tulio Falck, Alba Lidia Sanchez Jan 2007

Increasing Use Of The Iud Through Community And Clinic Based Education Activities In Rural Honduras, Ivo Flores Flores, Elida Rosa Aguilar Fonseca, Rosa Merlen Flores, Ricardo Vernon, Jorge Solorzano, Suyapa Pavon, Marco Tulio Falck, Alba Lidia Sanchez

Reproductive Health

This document presents the results of an operations research project implemented by the Ministry of Health in Honduras with technical and administrative assistance from the Population Council’s Frontiers in Reproductive Health (FRONTIERS) program, ASHONPLAFA, and EngenderHealth, and funding from USAID. The project tested a strategy to inform communities about the availability of the IUD in nearby health centers and about the method’s most salient attributes. The main conclusion is that communication of messages about a specific contraceptive method, while also communicating messages about other contraceptive methods, through printed materials (flyers, brochures, and posters) and interpersonal messages (individual talks and counseling) …


Use Of Systematic Screening To Increase The Provision Of Reproductive Health Services In Bolivia, James R. Foreit, Ricardo Vernon, Patricia Riveros Hamel Jan 2005

Use Of Systematic Screening To Increase The Provision Of Reproductive Health Services In Bolivia, James R. Foreit, Ricardo Vernon, Patricia Riveros Hamel

Reproductive Health

The objective of this study was to determine if the use of a checklist to screen for unmet service needs could increase the number of services per visit provided to clients using rural Bolivian health facilities. Measurement included changes in services per visit before and after the introduction of the intervention, and a comparison of services received at screened and non-screened visits. Findings show that, to the degree that provider compliance can be secured, systematic screening of clients appears to be an effective method for reducing unmet health service needs. The findings of this study replicate those of other studies …


Effects And Cost Of Implementing A Gender-Sensitive Reproductive Health Program In Bolivia, Erica Palenque, Lizzy Montano, Ricardo Vernon, Fernando Gonzales Salguero, Patricia Riveros, John H. Bratt Jan 2004

Effects And Cost Of Implementing A Gender-Sensitive Reproductive Health Program In Bolivia, Erica Palenque, Lizzy Montano, Ricardo Vernon, Fernando Gonzales Salguero, Patricia Riveros, John H. Bratt

Reproductive Health

The Integral Health Coordination Program (Programa de Coordinación en Salud Integral or PROCOSI), a network of 24 Bolivian NGOs, and the Population Council’s Frontiers in Reproductive Health (FRONTIERS) program evaluated the effects of interventions on clinic clients and their partners, and estimated the costs of incorporating a gender perspective into service delivery. Results show that sexual and reproductive health service organizations can implement action plans to change organizational policies and service delivery practices and to improve their infrastructure and equipment to make them more convenient for clients. The results further show that the intervention made modest but important changes in …


Institutional Support For A Program Of Activities Within The Pilot Health Project In The West Bank And Gaza, Health, Development, Information And Policy Institute Jan 2002

Institutional Support For A Program Of Activities Within The Pilot Health Project In The West Bank And Gaza, Health, Development, Information And Policy Institute

Reproductive Health

This document contains reports on three activities undertaken by the Pilot Health Project (PHP) in order to upgrade antenatal and postpartum services for Palestinian women. Specifically, it includes results of a survey and a comprehensive assessment of the antenatal and postpartum care services, including family planning, that are currently provided at the project clinics. The findings show that the shortage of care provided to women during the perinatal period could be partially overcome by conducting home visits to provide information on many reproductive health issues, to help women and their families make decisions regarding their future fertility, and to provide …


Influencing Reproductive Health Policy And Programs In The Philippines: Implementing An Advocacy Model For Utilization Of Operations Research, Saniata Masulit, Marilou P. Costello, Sahar Hegazi Jan 2001

Influencing Reproductive Health Policy And Programs In The Philippines: Implementing An Advocacy Model For Utilization Of Operations Research, Saniata Masulit, Marilou P. Costello, Sahar Hegazi

Reproductive Health

This project tested a model of operations research (OR) dissemination and utilization targeting program managers in Mindanao, the second largest island of the Philippines. The model combines capacity-building with the use of innovative advocacy approaches to disseminate OR results, by creating a network of policy champions who will advocate the use of OR findings through a variety of strategies after they have been provided with information on the advocacy issue and their presentation skills enhanced. The project demonstrated that this type of network could lead to significant program changes, but also revealed that there is no single strategy or approach …


Improving Quality Of Care In Fp/Rh Of Selected Communities Of Pangasinan Province: An Intervention Study, Zelda C. Zablan, Josefina V. Cabigon, Luzviminda Muego, Marilou P. Costello, Chona R. Echavez Jan 1998

Improving Quality Of Care In Fp/Rh Of Selected Communities Of Pangasinan Province: An Intervention Study, Zelda C. Zablan, Josefina V. Cabigon, Luzviminda Muego, Marilou P. Costello, Chona R. Echavez

Reproductive Health

This intervention study was designed to improve the quality of family planning (FP) services within the Integrated Family Planning and Maternal Health Program of the Pangasinan Population and Family Planning Program in the Philippines. It addresses high unmet need and studies the feasibility of enhancing quality of services by training service providers in fixed clinics and orienting outreach workers on the method of identifying women who have unmet need for FP. Four municipalities were chosen from the 47 municipalities comprising the province of Pangasinan and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Four indicators were used to match the chosen …