Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Delivering Contraceptive Vaginal Rings To Breastfeeding Women, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The Progesterone Vaginal Ring (PVR) is a user-controlled contraceptive that helps breastfeeding women safely and effectively space, delay, or limit their next pregnancy. The Population Council and partners developed the PVR to help address the unmet need for contraception among breastfeeding women. The ring provides a convenient option that adds choices for new mothers and promotes optimal infant nutrition and health. This two-page brief provides fast facts for advancing nutrition and infant health with the PVR.

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 …

Evaluating The Impact Of Integrated Microfinance And Reproductive (Mf/Rh) Services On Household Wellbeing And Reproductive Health Behaviors Of Women In Nigeria, Population Council

Reproductive Health

A growing body of studies attempts to show that microfinance institutions are capable of contributing to improvements in women’s reproductive health (RH) status by integrating information that leads to behavioral change. In Nigeria, there is little evidence documenting the impact and health outcomes among beneficiaries of integrated microfinance and reproductive health (MF/RH) service. The integrated MF/RH program, funded by The David & Lucile Packard Foundation and implemented by Partners for Development, provided an opportunity to test the impact of integrating RH messaging and support for service provision into a microcredit scheme. The objective of this integrated approach was to improve …

A Model For Providing 24-Hour Normal Delivery Services At Union Health And Family Welfare Centers In Bangladesh, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, Ubaidur Rob, A.K.M. Zafar Ullah Khan, Forhana Rahman Noor, Afsana Fatema Noor

Reproductive Health

In rural areas of Bangladesh, emergency obstetric care services are available at the upazila level and above. At lower levels, Union Health and Family Welfare Centers (UHFWCs) located in the proximity of women’s homes provide normal delivery services. Recently, the Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP) undertook an initiative to provide 24-hour normal delivery services in newly upgraded UHFWCs. The Population Council, with financial support from UKaid is providing technical assistance to the DGFP to implement an operations research study to test the effectiveness of this model. This brief presents an overview of the project, describes the implementation of project …

Evaluation Of The Impact Of Strengthening Union Health And Family Welfare Centers For Providing 24/7 Normal Delivery Services In Bangladesh, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, A.K.M. Zafar Ullah Khan, Mohammed Sharif, Forhana Rahman Noor, Surojit Kundu, Shongkour Roy, Afsana Fatema Noor, Ubaidur Rob

Reproductive Health

In Bangladesh, the majority of the infant deliveries in rural areas take place at homes where there is a higher risk of morbidity and mortality. Most Union Health and Family Welfare Centers (UHFWCs) are unable to provide 24-hour normal delivery services in close proximity to most rural women. With this point of view, the Population Council has provided technical assistance to the Directorate General of Family Planning to implement an operations research (OR) study in 24 UHFWCs to test the effectiveness of a model to strengthen UHFWCs so that they can provide such services. This report presents the findings of, …

Landscape Analysis Of The Family Planning Situation In Pakistan: Brief Summary Of Findings, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This brief provides a summary of the Landscape Analysis of the Family Planning Situation in Pakistan carried out by the Population Council with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2015–16. The analysis provides a comprehensive assessment of consumer demand, contraceptive service provision, and contraceptive supply, and the provincial policy environment based on primary data collection in eight districts in Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Its aim is to identify investment opportunities to catalyze an escalation in contraceptive prevalence, enabling Pakistan to meet its FP2020 goals.

Landscape Analysis Of The Family Planning Situation In Pakistan—District Profile: Faisalabad, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This district profile of Faisalabad is part of the Landscape Analysis of the Family Planning Situation in Pakistan. The factsheet provides a detailed picture of the use of antenatal and delivery care services; use of family planning; other socioeconomic indicators; availability of health facilities, pharmacies, and lady health workers; distribution of public static and private facilities by cadre;, provision of specific family planning methods by sector; and presence and provision of family planning services/products. The factsheet concludes with a review of consumers’ perspectives on barriers to use of family planning. The analysis, conducted by the Population Council, was supported by …

Landscape Analysis Of The Family Planning Situation In Pakistan—District Profile: Hyderabad, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This district profile of Hyderabad is part of the Landscape Analysis of the Family Planning Situation in Pakistan. The factsheet provides a detailed picture of the use of family planning, including other socioeconomic indicators, and consumers’ perspectives on barriers to use of family planning. While it notes the lack of information among men; it also finds limited access to public health facilities compounded by poverty—a hurdle for the urban poor. The factsheet concludes with a chart listing district-specific donors, projects, and implementing partners. The analysis, conducted by the Population Council, was supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Landscape Analysis Of The Family Planning Situation In Pakistan, Population Council

Reproductive Health

Pakistan faces a number of challenges to increasing modern contraceptive use. Although there are encouraging signs, such as improved male participation, the addition of about four million current FP users, from 2007 to 2013, and a responsive policy environment with demonstrated political and financial commitment to meeting the country’s FP2020 goals, the task that lies ahead is still huge. This report presents the findings of a landscape analysis of family planning (FP) in Pakistan by the Population Council in 2015 and 2016, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This landscape analysis assesses both demand and supply side …

Landscape Analysis Of The Family Planning Situation In Pakistan—District Profile: Karachi, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This district profile of Karachi is part of the Landscape Analysis of the Family Planning Situation in Pakistan. The factsheet provides a detailed picture of the use of family planning; use of antenatal and delivery care services; other socioeconomic indicators; availability of health facilities and lady health workers; distribution of public static and private facilities by cadre; provision of specific family planning methods by sector; and presence and provision of family planning services. The factsheet concludes with a review of consumers’ perspectives on barriers to use of family planning. The analysis, conducted by the Population Council, was supported by the …

Landscape Analysis Of The Family Planning Situation In Pakistan—District Profile: Peshawar, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This district profile of Peshawar is part of the Landscape Analysis of the Family Planning Situation in Pakistan. The factsheet provides a detailed picture of use of antenatal and delivery care services; other socioeconomic indicators; availability of health facilities, pharmacies, and lady health workers; distribution of public static and private facilities by cadre; provision of specific family planning methods by sector; and presence and provision of family planning services/products. The factsheet concludes with a review of consumers’ perspectives on barriers to use of family planning and a chart listing district-specific donors, projects, and implementing partners. The analysis, conducted by the …

Landscape Analysis Of The Family Planning Situation In Pakistan—District Profile: Rawalpindi, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This district profile of Rawalpindi is part of the Landscape Analysis of the Family Planning Situation in Pakistan. The factsheet provides a detailed picture of use of family planning and other socioeconomic indicators. It covers consumers’ perspectives on barriers to use of family planning noting the lack of information among men and women, especially migrants; problems of access among poor rural women; and difficulty in affording services, among poor couples. The factsheet concludes with a chart listing district-specific donors, projects, and implementing partners. The analysis, conducted by the Population Council, was supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Understanding Married Women's Vulnerability To Hiv Infection In Egypt: An Exploratory Study, Doaa Oraby, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab

Reproductive Health

This study examines the behavioral, sociocultural, economic, programmatic, and legal factors that aggravate Egyptian women’s vulnerabilities to HIV/AIDS. The study concludes that in low-prevalence settings like Egypt, targeted interventions are the most strategic and cost-effective: for example, HIV awareness-raising with a special focus on the preventive role of consistent, correct condom use, and creating a cadre of peers that could provide psychosocial support and HIV counseling to migrant workers. Furthermore, premarital and antenatal care programs should include HIV awareness-raising and provider-initiated counseling and testing after screening of women to identify those at risk for HIV infection. Concurrently, efforts should be …

Using The Community Informant Based (Made-In And Made-For) Methodology For Estimating Maternal Mortality Ratio (Mmr) In Districts Haripur And Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Population Council

Reproductive Health

Through its Reproductive Maternal and Neonatal Child Health project, GIZ Pakistan is assisting the Government of Pakistan in strengthening its health system’s capacities for ensuring effective, efficient, client-oriented, and affordable reproductive, maternal, newborn, and adolescent health care. GIZ engaged with senior national and provincial government officials who indicated their interest in applying the innovative Made-In/Made-For (Maternal Death, from Informants/Maternal Death, Follow On Review) methodology, a cost-effective alternative for generating reliable estimates of maternal mortality through community-based informant networks. This Population Council study in two pilot districts identified specific areas that need strong policy and programmatic interventions to improve maternal health …

Using The Community Informant-Based (Made-In And Made-For) Methodology To Estimate The Neonatal Mortality Rate (Nmr) In Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: A Feasibility Study, Ali M. Mir, Saleem Shaikh, Mumraiz Khan, Irfan Masood, Mansoor Qaisar, Sabahat Hussain, Rehan M. Niazi

Reproductive Health

Concerned about high levels of neonatal mortality, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa district government in Pakistan expressed a need to adapt and test a new approach—commonly referred to as the “Made-In/Made-For” (MIMF) method—that uses community-based informants to estimate the number of maternal deaths. The current pilot study in Nowshera was commissioned by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and conducted by the Population Council to test the feasibility of using the method, and community-based informant networks that had been used to measure maternal mortality, for estimating neonatal deaths. This study clearly shows that, in addition to identifying maternal deaths, informant …

Using The Community Informant Based (Made-In And Made-For) Methodology For Estimating Maternal Mortality Ratio (Mmr) In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali M. Mir, Saleem Shaikh, Mumraiz Khan, Irfan Masood

Reproductive Health

This report documents a study by the Population Council estimating the maternal mortality ratio of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province in Pakistan using an innovative community informant–based method, known as the “Made-In/Made-For” (MIMF) technique, to collect data on maternal deaths. The report confirms that maternal mortality persists as a major public health issue in KP, and the problem may be much larger than assumed. The study’s success in identifying causes of death through verbal autopsies and their subsequent disaggregation into direct and indirect causes is important from policy and programmatic perspectives. Interventions need to focus both on direct and indirect causes …

Cogstate Computerized Memory Tests In Patients With Brain Metastases: Secondary Endpoint Results Of Nrg Oncology Rtog 0933., Chip Caine, Snehal Deshmukh, Vinai Gondi, Minesh Mehta, Wolfgang Tomé, Benjamin W. Corn, Andrew Kanner, Howard Rowley, Vijayananda Kundapur, Albert Denittis, Jeffrey Noah Greenspoon, Andre A. Konski, Glenn S. Bauman, Adam Raben, Wenyin Shi, Merideth Wendland, Lisa Kachnic

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

Whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) is associated with memory dysfunction. As part of NRG Oncology RTOG 0933, a phase II study of WBRT for brain metastases that conformally avoided the hippocampal stem cell compartment (HA-WBRT), memory was assessed pre- and post-HA-WBRT using both traditional and computerized memory tests. We examined whether the computerized tests yielded similar findings and might serve as possible alternatives for assessment of memory in multi-institution clinical trials. Adult patients with brain metastases received HA-WBRT to 30 Gy in ten fractions and completed Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R), CogState International Shopping List Test (ISLT) and One Card Learning …

Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography In Diagnosis Of Biliary Disorders In Children - Sharing Our Experience., Fahad Ali, Waseem Akhter, Muhammad Arshad

Department of Radiology

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the role of Magnetic Resonance Cholangio-pancreatography in the diagnosis of biliary disorders in children.

METHODS:

The retrospective study was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised data related to the period between August 2005 and December 2013. All children from age of 1 day to 17 years who had undergone Magnetic Rasonance Cholangio-pancreatography examination for suspected pancreaticobiliary disorders were included. Clinical presentation, Magnetic Rasonance Cholangio-pancreatography findings, operative findings and histopathological results were recorded. Sensitivity and specificity of Magnetic Rasonance Cholangio-pancreatography for different diseases was worked out.

RESULTS:

Of the 50 patients in the study, …

Omental Infarction In A Child, Saad Siddiqui, Anwar Ahmed, Naila Nadeem

Department of Radiology

Omental infarction is a rare cause of acute abdomen in children. Typical findings on imaging establish the diagnosis. We present case of a 7 years old boy who presented with acute right iliac fossa pain with diagnosis of omental infarction on imaging and findings confirmed on laparotomy. Sound knowledge regarding this infrequent cause of acute abdomen in children is necessary for timely diagnosis.

Comparing Methods For Assessing The English Grammatical Development Of Spanish-Speaking English Learners, Lisa A. Fitton Ph.D., Mary Claire Wofford, Kristina N. Bustamante, Natasha De Novi, Bibiana Nuñez, Carla L. Wood

Faculty Publications

Identifying valid and informative approaches for assessing young English learners (ELs) is essential for school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs). The present paper focuses on two distinct approaches for assessing English grammatical development, a key component and indicator of language development for ELs. The approaches addressed are standardized normreferenced assessment and grammatical feature coding from story retell narratives. The authors review the utility of these approaches for evaluating the English grammatical development of Spanish-speaking ELs. A research example is provided to illustrate how a small sample (n = 18) of ELs performed on each of these English-based tasks. Findings reveal that children …

Genome- And Epigenome-Wide Association Study Of Hypertriglyceridemic Waist In Mexican American Families, Manju Mamtani, Hemant Kulkarni, Thomas D. Dyer, Harald H. H. Goring, Jennifer L. Neary, Shelley A. Cole, Jack W. Kent Jr., Satish Kumar, David C. Glahn, Michael C. Mahaney, Anthony G. Comuzzie, Laura Almasy, Joanne E. Curran, Ravindranath Duggirala, John Blangero, Melanie A. Carless

School of Medicine Publications

Background: There is growing interest in the hypertriglyceridemic waist (HTGW) phenotype, defined as high waist circumference (≥95 cm in males and ≥80 cm in females) combined with high serum triglyceride concentration (≥2.0 mmol/L in males and ≥1.5 mmol/L in females) as a marker of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease. However, the prevalence of this phenotype in high-risk populations, its association with T2D, and the genetic or epigenetic influences on HTGW are not well explored. Using data from large, extended families of Mexican Americans (a high-risk minority population in the USA) we aimed to: (1) estimate the prevalence of …

The Cit's Use In Older Adults In Maracaibo (Venezuela), Carmen Paz, Nelly Garcia, Jenniffer Fernandez, Gladys E. Maestre

School of Medicine Publications

The article describes the possibilities of access to CITs by older adults at a healthcare center of Maracaibo. The analytical resources are taken from the convergence understood as a symbolic field of the meaning of construction in everyday life and appropriation of technology by older adults. The information was collected from 44 subjects, 34 women and 10 men aged between 50 and 85 years old. It is concluded emphasizing the value that older adults give to the use of CITs when interacting with family and friends.

Développement D’Un Outil D’Analyse Du Risque Et De Catégorisation Des Interventions En Espace Clos, Yuvin Chinniah, Ali Bahloul, Damien Burlet-Vienney, Brigitte Roberge

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Au Québec, le Règlement sur la santé et la sécurité du travail (RSST) définit un espace clos à l’article 1 (ce projet a été mené avec la définition d’un espace clos applicable en 2016. Cette définition a été modifiée le 25 juillet 2023). Le travail en espace clos est une problématique qui concerne à la fois les secteurs municipal, manufacturier, chimique, militaire, agricole, de la construction et du transport. Les espaces clos parmi les plus courants en industrie sont les réservoirs, les silos, les cuves, les puits d’accès, les fosses, les égouts, les …

Évaluation De L’Efficacité D'Un Filtre N95 Contre Des Particules Ultrafines, Dont Les Nanoparticules, En Mode De Débits D'Air Constant Et Cyclique Simulant La Respiration Des Travailleurs, Ali Bahloul, Fariborz Haghighat, Reza Mostofi, Alireza Mahdavi, Claude Ostiguy

Rapports de recherche scientifique

On trouve des particules ultrafines (PUF), soit des particules dont le diamètre (D_p) est inférieur à 100 nm, dans de nombreux milieux de travail industriels, où leur inhalation peut, à long terme, causer de graves problèmes de santé. Dans certains contextes, les mesures d’ingénierie et les contrôles administratifs sont insuffisants pour protéger adéquatement les travailleurs contre l’exposition aux PUF. Un dispositif de protection personnel est alors requis, et les appareils de protection respiratoire à pièce faciale filtrante (APR) de type N95 sont ceux qu’utilisent le plus couramment les travailleurs de l’industrie et de la santé.

Une étude …

Étude En Laboratoire D’Un Système À Faible Coût Permettant De Mesurer Les Forces De Couplage À L’Interface Main-Poignée D’Outils Portatifs Vibrants, Subhash Rakheja, Pierre Marcotte, Mayank Kalra, Surajudeen Adewusi, Krishna Dewangan

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Click here for the English version of this report

L'évaluation de l'exposition aux vibrations transmises au système main-bras et des lésions qui peuvent en résulter lors de l'utilisation d'outils portatifs motorisés repose actuellement sur les principes directeurs de la norme ISO 5349-1. Les dispositions de la norme ne tiennent pas compte, cependant, de l'effet des forces de couplage à l'interface main-poignée, alors que de nombreuses études ont démontré l'importance de ces forces dans la transmission des vibrations au système main-bras. Cela s'explique en partie par l'absence de méthodes pratiques pour mesurer ces forces sur le terrain, et en partie …

A Laboratory Study Of A Low-Cost System For Measuring Coupling Forces, Subhash Rakheja, Pierre Marcotte, Mayank Kalra, Surajudeen Adewusi, Krishna Dewangan

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Cliquez ici pour la version française de ce rapport

L'évaluation de l'exposition aux vibrations transmises au système main-bras et des lésions qui peuvent en résulter lors de l'utilisation d'outils portatifs motorisés repose actuellement sur les principes directeurs de la norme ISO 5349-1. Les dispositions de la norme ne tiennent pas compte, cependant, de l'effet des forces de couplage à l'interface main-poignée, alors que de nombreuses études ont démontré l'importance de ces forces dans la transmission des vibrations au système main-bras. Cela s'explique en partie par l'absence de méthodes pratiques pour mesurer ces forces sur le terrain, et en partie …

Conception Des Cordes D’Assurance Horizontales Pour La Protection Contre Les Chutes De Hauteur : Mise À Jour Du Guide Technique, Bertrand Galy, André Lan

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les chutes de hauteur sont encore aujourd’hui une des causes majeures d’accidents du travail. Trop souvent, les travailleurs ne s’attachent pas, faute de point d’ancrage disponible, ou parce qu’ils trouvent que les points d’attache fixes restreignent trop leurs mouvements. Cette restriction peut toutefois être levée grâce aux systèmes de corde d’assurance horizontale (SCAH). Le présent rapport constitue la mise à jour du guide technique T-18 publié en 1991 et rend ce dernier caduc. Cette mise à jour était devenue nécessaire à la suite de l’introduction, en 2001, au Code de sécurité pour les travaux de construction (CSTC), de l’obligation d’équiper …

Solutions Visant L’Amélioration Des Conditions De Santé Et De Sécurité Des Poseurs De Revêtements De Sol, Monique Lortie, Sylvie Nadeau, Steve Vezeau

Rapports de recherche scientifique

La pose de revêtement de sol se divise en différentes spécialités : céramique, bois et revêtement souple. C’est ce dernier secteur qui nous intéresse, soit la pose de tapis (accrochés ou collés; en rouleau, en tuiles) ou de matériaux résilients (linoléum, vinyle, caoutchouc, gazon synthétique, etc.). Le métier de poseur de revêtement de sol est exigeant sur le plan physique (manutention de rouleaux très lourds, travail à genou prolongé, épandage de colle sur de grandes surfaces), mais aussi en matière de savoir-faire à développer. La pose exige de la précision, entre autres, pour ajuster les motifs et effectuer les raccords. …

Empowering Midwives In The United Arab Emirates, Grace Edwards, Philidah Seda

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Considerable efforts have been made to increase women’s access to quality midwifery care around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies midwives as ‘the most appropriate and cost effective healthcare professional to provide care in normal pregnancy and childbirth’ (WHO 2009). A growing body of evidence demonstrates that midwifery care is associated with more efficient use of resources and improved outcomes when provided by midwives who are educated, trained, licensed, and regulated. A recent Cochrane review revealed many benefits of midwifery care, including reduction in the use of regional analgesia, fewer episiotomies, fewer instrumental births, and women feeling more …

Experiences In Care Given During Child Birth At A Referral Hospital In Kenya, Jane Kabo, A. Karani, J. Oyieke, A. B. Wakoli, B. Cheruiyot

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

The fifth Millennium development Goal (MDG) calls for a reduction in the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) by 75% between 1990 and 2015, with a key indicator being the proportion of births attended to by skilled health personnel, (United Nations, 2007). In Kenya the MMR is 400 and has made insufficient progress towards improving maternal health, (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, 2013). According to KDHS (2014), the proportion of skilled birth attendance is 46.5%, while in Kenya it is 62% against an MDG target of 90%. According to Zaers S., et al., (2008), prior experience in delivery care by skilled attendants affects …