International Public Health Commons^™

Development Of Unicef Latin America/Caribbean (Lac) Well-Being Indicators, Mark Edberg

Prevention and Community Health Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Lesson On Homophobia And Teasing, Eva S. Goldfarb

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Homophobia and gay-related teasing are already present among young children. This lesson introduces the term “prejudice” and places the concept of homophobia within the context of bullying and teasing with which 8–11 year olds are already familiar. The lesson builds empathy as children think about and discuss how they have felt when they have been teased or called a name and how they think people in gay or lesbian families would feel. The lesson celebrates the lives of gay and lesbian people as it celebrates diversity among all people and families. Children are encouraged to think about the diversity within …

A Lesson On Homophobia And Teasing, Eva Goldfarb

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Homophobia and gay-related teasing are already present among young children. This lesson introduces the term “prejudice” and places the concept of homophobia within the context of bullying and teasing with which 8–11-year-olds are already familiar. The lesson builds empathy as children think about and discuss how they have felt when they have been teased or called a name and how they think people in gay or lesbian families would feel. The lesson celebrates the lives of gay and lesbian people as it celebrates diversity among all people and families. Children are encouraged to think about the diversity within their own …

The Role Of The Environment In Poverty Alleviation, Paolo Galizzi, Alena Herklotz

Environment

The new millennium raised hopes for a better future for humanity through a new spirit of international cooperation. Participants at the United Nations Millennium Summit agreed on an ambitious agenda for international cooperation that singled out, among other issues, environmental protection and development as key objectives.

The increasing degradation of our planet continues to emphasize the need to conserve and preserve natural resources. Yet with more than half of the global population still living on $2 dollars a day or less, there is also a glaring need for development initiatives to combat poverty.

This book draws on contributions to the …

Explaining The Race Difference In Prostate Cancer Stage At Diagnosis, Beth A. Jones, Wen-Liang Liu, Andre B. Araujo, Stanislav V. Kasl, Stephanie A. Navarro Silvera, Hosanna Soler-Vila, Mary G.M. Curnen, Robert Dubrow

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in males in the United States, accounting for an estimated 186,320 new cases in 2008. There are striking racial or ethnic differences in prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates in the United States, with Black males 1.6 times more likely to be diagnosed and 2.4 times more likely to die with prostate cancer than Whites. The stage at diagnosis is a key prognostic factor for prostate cancer survival, with African-Americans generally diagnosed at a more advanced stage. To identify factors that explain the race-stage disparity in prostate cancer, we conducted a population-based …

Response: Hiv Testing For Whole Populations, Daniel Halperin, Malcolm Potts, Doug Kirby, Jeff Klausner, Richard Wamai, Ann Swidler, Elliot Marseille, Norman Hearst

Richard G. Wamai

No abstract provided.

Food Group Intake And Risk Of Subtypes Of Esophageal And Gastric Cancer, Stephanie A. Navarro Silvera, Susan T. Mayne, Harvey Risch, Marilee D. Gammon, Thomas L. Vaughan, Wong-Ho Chow, Robert Dubrow, Janet B. Schoenberg, Janet L. Stanford, Brian West, Heidrun Rotterdam, William J. Blot, Joseph F. Fraumeni Jr.

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Incidence rates for adenocarcinomas of the esophagus and gastric cardia have been increasing rapidly, while rates for non‐cardia gastric adenocarcinoma and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma have declined. We examined food group intake as a risk factor for subtypes of esophageal and gastric cancers in a multicenter, population‐based case–control study in Connecticut, New Jersey and western Washington state. Associations between food groups and risk were estimated using adjusted odds ratios (OR), based on increasing intake of one serving per day. Total vegetable intake was associated with decreased risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma (OR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.75, 0.96). Conversely, total …

Working Report On The Status Quo Of Nanomaterials Impact On Health And Environment, Harald Krug, Margarita Apostolova, Marite Arija Bake, Gordon Chambers, Horia Chiriac, Eva Herzog, Victoria Hand, Jürgen Höck, Peter Hoet, Nicoleta Lupu, Declan Mccormack, Maja Remskar, George Robillard, Jamila Smisterova, Jan Stetkiewicz, Speranta Tanasescu, Aris Tsatsakis, David Vaughn, Peter Wick, Jörg Wörle-Knirsch

Articles

Nanotechnology is regarded as one of the key technologies of the future and associated with high expectations by politics, science and economy. Artificially produced nanosized particles and nanoscale system components have new properties which are of importance for the development of new products and applications. Such new properties of materials and substances result from the special properties of surfaces and interfaces and in part, from the geometric shape of the material. In theory nanoparticles (NPs) can be produced from nearly any chemical; however, most NPs that are currently in use today have been made from transition metals, silicon, carbon (single-walled …

Reassessing Hiv Prevention, Malcolm Potts, Daniel Halperin, Douglas Kirby, Ann Swidler, Elliot Marseille, Jeffrey Klausner, Norman Hearst, Richard Wamai, James Kahn, Julia Walsh

Richard G. Wamai

No abstract provided.

Does Economic Development Contribute To Sex Differences In Ischaemic Heart Disease Mortality? Hong Kong As A Natural Experiment Using A Case-Control Study, Mary Schooling, Tai Hing Lam, Sai Yin Ho, Kwok Hang Mak, Gabriel M. Leung

Publications and Research

Background
The male excess risk of premature ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality may be partially due to an unknown macro-environmental influence associated with economic development. We examined whether excess male risk of IHD mortality was higher with birth in an economically developed environment.

Methods
We used multivariable logistic regression in a population-based case-control study of all adult deaths in Hong Kong Chinese in 1998 to compare sex differences in IHD mortality (1,189 deaths in men, 1,035 deaths in women and 20,842 controls) between Hong Kong residents born in economically developed Hong Kong or in contemporaneously undeveloped Guangdong province in China. …

Experts Call For Rethinking Aids Money, Richard Wamai

Richard G. Wamai

No abstract provided.

Integrating Tuberculosis Case Finding And Treatment Into Focused Antenatal Care In Kenya, Charlotte E. Warren, Annie Mwangi

Reproductive Health

The Population Council/FRONTIERS program, in collaboration with the National Leprosy and Tuberculosis Programme, the Division of Reproductive Health, and the Provincial Health Management Team in Western Province, Kenya, received PEPFAR funding to improve screening for tuberculosis (TB) for pregnant women, including HIV-positive pregnant women. An intervention was tested to strengthen TB case detection to ensure that maternal and child health providers, in addition to providing antenatal care and PMTCT services, also screen and assess the client’s need for TB services and refer for further management. The effectiveness of this approach was demonstrated by the increased number of pregnant women who …

Introduction Of Quality Of Care And A Gender Perspective In Reproductive Health Service Organizations In Latin America And The Caribbean, Patricia Riveros, Antonieta Martin, Ricardo Vernon

Reproductive Health

In 2005 and with the technical assistance of the Frontiers in Reproductive Health (FRONTIERS) Program, the Integrated Health Coordination Program (PROCOSI), a Bolivian network of 33 nongovernmental organizations, designed and tested a set of four guidelines to help organizations deliver high-quality reproductive health services with a gender perspective. The guidelines were: 1) to present a strategy to certify organizations as “gender sensitive” healthcare providers; 2) to present the knowledge staff members should know to be certified; 3) to describe procedures to collect and analyze the data to evaluate implementation of the strategy; and 4) to describe how to assess strategy …

Assessment Of Progress Of The Postabortion Care Initiative In Francophone Africa, Thierno Dieng, Mohamed Diadhiou, Nafissatou J. Diop, Youmane Niang Faye

Reproductive Health

The goals of this study were to assess the national situation concerning postabortion care (PAC) in six countries (Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo), including the process of introduction, integration and decentralization of PAC; the successes and obstacles in the process of introducing PAC; and recommended key steps to strengthen the introductory process. The study used two approaches: a comprehensive review of the introduction and institutionalization of PAC in the six countries, and a situation analysis of PAC services within each country.

Exploring The Links Between Drug Use And Sexual Vulnerability Among Young Female Injecting Drug Users In Manipur, Archana Oinam

Reproductive Health

Given the high prevalence of HIV in Manipur, India and the critical role that female injecting drug users play in the transmission of HIV infection, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the sexual behaviors and drug use experiences of this group. This report describes the health status and patterns of treatment-seeking of female injecting drug users aged 15–34 in Manipur, and explores the factors underlying their vulnerability to HIV, including limited in-depth awareness of safe sexual behaviors and drug use practices, and limited self-perception of HIV risk. The report recommends development of IEC materials that address these information gaps …

Obstetric Fistula: Can Community Midwives Make A Difference? Findings From Four Districts In Kenya, Charlotte E. Warren, Annie Mwangi

Reproductive Health

As part of the UNFPA Global Campaign to End Obstetric Fistula, the Population Council and UNFPA built on Kenya’s Community Midwifery Approach to develop a comprehensive community midwifery intervention strategy that aimed at increasing skilled attendants at birth and prevention of obstetric fistula. This report seeks to understand the experiences of women affected by fistula and whether community midwives can contribute to preventing obstetric fistula in rural settings in Kenya. The key recommendations emerging from this report are to: update health facility midwives in maternal and neonatal health (MNH) skills including prevention, treatment, and care of obstetric fistula; train more …

Technical Assistance For Implementing Best Practices In The Asia And Near East Region, M.E. Khan, Sohini Roychowdhury, Mary Philip Sebastian, Sitanshu Sekhar Kar, Anurag Mishra, Vivek Sharma, G. Narayana, Bhawana Sharma, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Ahmed Afifi

Reproductive Health

The Population Council's Frontiers in Reproductive Health (FRONTIERS) program offered technical assistance to any Asia Near East (ANE) country mission interested in funding adaptation of USAID‟s “best practices” in family planning or reproductive health. The ANE Bureau provided funding for the costs of FRONTIERS technical assistance. The overall objective of this study was to replicate and scale up "best practices" based on findings from FRONTIERS. The specific objectives were to institutionalize the Systematic Screening Instrument in the entire state of Uttarakhand, India; to strenghten emergency contraceptive pills service provision in Uttarakhand, India; and to enhance the use of Lactational Amenorrhea …

Sexual And Reproductive Health Needs Of Adolescents Perinatally Infected With Hiv In Uganda, Harriet Birungi, John Frank Mugisha, Juliana K. Nyombi, Francis Obare, Humphres Evelia, Hannington Nyinkavu

Reproductive Health

In Uganda, HIV/AIDS treatment, care and support programs are still organized around either adult or pediatric care and fail to adequately address the needs of adolescents, specifically perinatally-infected adolescents. This study, implemented jointly by the Population Council's Frontiers in Reproductive Health (FRONTIERS) program and the AIDS Support Organization (TASO), aimed to better understand the reproductive health and sexuality of this population group, and to identify anxieties or fears they have around entering social stages of adulthood. This study confirms that wide programmatic gaps exist in addressing the sexual and reproductive health needs of young people perinatally infected with HIV who …

Using Operations Research To Enhance Delivery Of Postpartum/Postabortion Family Planning Services In The Arab Region, Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

The FRONTIERS program in Cairo organized a two-and-half day workshop to share programmatic experiences and lessons learned in integrating family planning with service providers from Egypt, Jordan, Sudan, and Yemen representing mid-level program managers and researchers. It was held in 2008 in tandem with a national end-of-project seminar for stakeholders in Egypt. Participants emphasized the need to capture missed opportunities in antenatal, delivery, postpartum or postabortion care by providing family planning services in all encounters between women and the health care system. They also agreed on an overarching need for operations research in assisting policy makers and program managers in …

Managing And Preventing Female Genital Cutting (Fgm/C) Among The Somali Community In Kenya, Maryam Sheikh Abdi, Jaldesa Guyo, Ian Askew

Reproductive Health

This report details the Council’s innovative work with religious leaders to reduce the practice of FGM/C in the Somali community in Northern Kenya. In the mid to late 2000s, through the USAID Frontiers project, the Council successfully engaged religious leaders and scholars as community educators to correct the customary misconception that FGM/C is a requirement of Islam. Through sermons and training sessions, these leaders were able to dis-associate FGM/C from Islam, raise public awareness about the harms associated with the practice, and encourage its abandonment.

Evaluation Of The Long-Term Impact Of The Tostan Programme On The Abandonment Of Fgm/C And Early Marriage: Results From A Qualitative Study In Senegal, Nafissatou J. Diop, Amadou Moreau, Helene Benga

Reproductive Health

In 1998–99, a village empowerment program was implemented in the Thiès/Fatick and Kolda regions of Senegal by the nongovernmental organization Tostan, to mobilize communities to hold public declarations in support of abandoning harmful traditional practices, including female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and child marriage. The information presented in this report indicates that many did end the practices following a public declaration, however, the lack of follow-up in the field and the absence of support mechanisms pose a large obstacle. Nevertheless, the program achieved significant results: knowledge of life skills resulting in positive changes and a shift in the perception of FGM/C …

Institutionalization Of Quality Assurance Within District Health Management: Experiences From Maharashtra And Karnataka, M.E. Khan, Anurag Mishra, Vivek Sharma, Jaleel Ahmad, Jose Joseph, Venkatesh Srinivasan, K.M. Sathyanarayana, Viji Vargees, K.D. Maiti, Rashmi Sharma

Reproductive Health

The Population Council, with financial support from UNFPA, provided technical assistance to the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka, India in implementing a quality assurance (QA) program and helped its institutionalization in the district level of health management. An analysis of all the facilities covered as of December 2007 revealed substantial gaps in the infrastructure and human resources available to provide good-quality services, as well as adherence to standards for providing the services. To build the capacity to undertake QA visits, the Population Council and state authorities organized a series of events to orient and train state and district officials, facility-level …

From Pilot To Program: Scaling Up The Kenya Adolescent Reproductive Health Project, Humphres Evelia, Japheth Nyambane, Harriet Birungi, Ian Askew, Rikka Trangsrud, Eva Muthuuri, Irene Chaami, Agnes Odawa, Lucy Musyoka, Susan Mutungi, Margaret Githuiya, Joan Omuruli

Reproductive Health

The Population Council’s Frontiers in Reproductive Health Program and the Program for Appropriate Technology in Heath collaborated with three Government of Kenya ministries—Education; Health; and Gender, Sports, Culture and Social Services—to design and implement the Kenya Adolescent Reproductive Health Project with the goals of: improving knowledge about reproductive health and encouraging a responsible and healthy attitude toward sexuality among adolescents, delaying the onset of sexual activity among younger adolescents, and decreasing risky behaviors among sexually active adolescents. Key findings from the pilot project showed that the three ministries could successfully implement these interventions with high participation among parents and youth. …

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

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 …

Strengthening The Financial Sustainability Of Two Population Services And Training Center (Pstc) Clinics (Bangladesh), Population Services And Training Center (Pstc), Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

The Population Services and Training Center of Bangladesh (PSTC) operates 15 clinics and 150 satellite posts that provide an Essential Services Package (ESP) to the poor, consisting of child health, family planning, maternal health, communicable disease treatment, and limited curative care. The objective of this study was to conduct an operations research study to determine the feasibility of improving cost recovery in two clinics by raising prices. It appears that the study design was too ambitious for PSTC, a service delivery organization with no prior research experience. Lack of experience was compounded by the resignation of all three PSTC research …

A Situation Analysis Of Care And Support For Rape Survivors At First Point Of Contact In India And Bangladesh, M.E. Khan, Aruna Bhattacharya, Ismat Bhuiya, Aditi Aeron

Reproductive Health

A situation analysis of post-rape care services available at the first point of contact was conducted in three cities in India and four cities in Bangladesh. The aim of this investigation was to gather information that could be used in the development of a comprehensive care and support system for the rape survivor. Secondarily, the study field-tested sensitive and practical tools that could be used in the future for large-scale situation analyses of the rape survivor services. The results demonstrated that there is no uniform service provision protocol to follow for managing rape survivors at health facilities in India or …

Creating The Conditions For Scaling Up The Integration Of Reproductive Health Services For Men In Health And Family Welfare Centers In Bangladesh, M.A. Mannan, Jafar Ahmad Hakim, Syeda Tazneen Waris, Ashraf Ali, Akm Nurul Hakim, Abdul Hannan, Sameena Chowdhury, Saria Tasnim, Saiful Islam, Aqm Rezaul Karim, Sharif M.I. Hossain, Ubaidur Rob, M.E. Khan

Reproductive Health

An operations research study, supported by the Population Council’s Frontiers in Reproductive Health (FRONTIERS) program, showed that reproductive health services for men could be feasibly and acceptably integrated within the Health and Family Welfare Centres in Bangladesh, which have been primarily women-centered health facilities. Given these findings, a follow-up study was implemented to create the conditions for scaling up the model through identifying and piloting the operational details to consider when taking the intervention to scale. The findings presented in this report suggest that this model of service delivery and training can be scaled up countrywide, preferably in stages. To …

Situation Analysis Of The Integration Of Family Planning Services In Postpartum, Postabortion And Prevention Of Mother To Child Transmission Programs In The Dominican Republic, Gisela Quiterio, Maritza Molina, Marija Miric, Ricardo Vernon, M. Estela Rivero-Fuentes

Reproductive Health

A diagnostic study of the provision and use of contraception in postpartum, postabortion, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programs in the Dominican Republic was conducted with funding from USAID. The objectives of the study were to assess the contraceptive knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of providers and clients; the degree to which information, counseling, and delivery are implemented in postpartum, postabortion, and PMTCT services; the quality of these services; and the readiness of postpartum, postabortion, and PMTCT services to offer contraceptive services. The report finds that family planning services are linked to antenatal, delivery, and postpartum care in most of …

Helping Egyptian Women Achieve Optimal Birth Spacing Intervals Through Fostering Linkages Between Family Planning And Maternal/Child Health Services, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Sarah Loza, Amal Zaki

Reproductive Health

The Population Council’s USAID-funded Frontiers in Reproductive Health (FRONTIERS) program, in collaboration with the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population and the NGO Social Planning, Analysis and Administration Consultants, conducted an operations research study to measure the acceptability and effectiveness of two birth spacing message models in Upper Egypt. Overall, the study found that providing birth spacing messages to low-parity women during antenatal and postpartum care and also to husbands through community awareness activities was feasible and acceptable. As a result, birth spacing messages have been integrated into service delivery guidelines for antenatal and postpartum care, and IEC materials on …