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Operationalizing And Scaling Up Hiv/Rh Referrals In Kenya: The Way Forward, Aphia Ii Or Project In Kenya Jan 2011

Operationalizing And Scaling Up Hiv/Rh Referrals In Kenya: The Way Forward, Aphia Ii Or Project In Kenya

Reproductive Health

This policy brief describes the APHIA II Operations Research Project through which the Population Council and Kenya’s Ministry of Health (MOH) developed and tested an approach to systematically link HIV-positive family planning (FP) clients to treatment and care services. Key activities included provider training and testing of a referral package which showed how, where, when, and who is to make and receive referrals. This referral package consisted of a directory listing all facilities in the vicinity available for services including HIV counseling and testing, FP, STIs, tuberculosis, and well-child checks; and referral forms directing clients to appropriate receiving clinics. The …


Service Improvements And Community Education Lead To Increase In Uptake Of Hiv Services For Infants And Young Children, Population Council Jan 2011

Service Improvements And Community Education Lead To Increase In Uptake Of Hiv Services For Infants And Young Children, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The Population Council’s APHIA II Operations Research Project in Kenya collaborated with Kendu Adventist Hospital and the Christian Health Association to launch a study to examine the effect of improved services and awareness-creation on the uptake of HIV testing and treatment services for children and infants exposed to HIV. The study showed that community education and improvements in individual case tracking can increase the proportion of infants exposed to HIV who are tested for HIV and put on appropriate treatment. The policy brief recommends that health facilities streamline services to ensure that as many exposed infants as possible are identified …


Linking Hiv-Positive Family Planning Clients To Treatment And Care Services In Kenya, Wilson Liambila, Francis Obare, Harriet Birungi, Ruth Wayua Muia, Joyce Wanderi Maina, Mary N. Maina, Christine Awuor, Ibrahim Mohammed Jan 2011

Linking Hiv-Positive Family Planning Clients To Treatment And Care Services In Kenya, Wilson Liambila, Francis Obare, Harriet Birungi, Ruth Wayua Muia, Joyce Wanderi Maina, Mary N. Maina, Christine Awuor, Ibrahim Mohammed

Reproductive Health

A project from the Population Council’s USAID-funded FRONTIERS program found that integrating HIV counseling and testing into family planning (FP) services was feasible and acceptable to clients and providers, and led to significant improvement in the quality of care provided. However, a major limitation was that FP clients who tested HIV-positive were not actively linked to care and treatment services, including antiretroviral treatment, and screening and management of sexually transmitted infections. A new initiative aimed to design and test a referral framework for linking HIV-positive FP clients to treatment and care in selected health facilities; assess the acceptability of the …


Concurrent Sexual And Substance-Use Risk Behaviours Among Female Sex Workers In Kenya's Coast Province: Findings From A Behavioural Monitoring Survey, Simon Pierre Tegang, S. Abdallah, G. Emukule, Stanley Luchters, Nzioka Kingola, M. Barasa, Stephen Mucheke, P. Mwarogo Dec 2010

Concurrent Sexual And Substance-Use Risk Behaviours Among Female Sex Workers In Kenya's Coast Province: Findings From A Behavioural Monitoring Survey, Simon Pierre Tegang, S. Abdallah, G. Emukule, Stanley Luchters, Nzioka Kingola, M. Barasa, Stephen Mucheke, P. Mwarogo

Population Health, East Africa

While many studies confirm the association between HIV, alcohol and injecting drug use by female sex workers (FSWs), little is known about their use of marijuana, khat and other substances and the association of these substances with HIV, risky sexual behaviour, and sexual violence. To better understand this association, data were analysed from a cross-sectional, behavioural survey of 297 FSWs in Mombasa, a well-known tourist destination and the second largest port in Africa and capital city of the Coast Province in Kenya. Among the FSWs, lifetime use of different substances was reported by 91% for alcohol, 71% for khat, 34% …


Comprehensive Responses To Gender-Based Violence In Low-Resource Settings: Lessons Learned From Implementation, Jill Keesbury, Ian Askew Jan 2010

Comprehensive Responses To Gender-Based Violence In Low-Resource Settings: Lessons Learned From Implementation, Jill Keesbury, Ian Askew

Reproductive Health

The Population Council undertook a program of technical assistance and research to strengthen the evidence base on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) programming in sub-Saharan Africa. This project created an active network of implementers and researchers across sub-Saharan Africa, all of whom were charged with developing, implementing, and evaluating core elements of a comprehensive, multisectoral model for strengthening responses for survivors of SGBV, especially survivors of sexual violence. Based on the experiences of these partners, this document reviews the findings, lessons learned, and promising practices in the provision of comprehensive SGBV services in sub-Saharan Africa. The findings are intended to …


Mainstreaming Emergency Contraception Pills In Kenya, Jill Keesbury, Monica Wanjiru, Katherine Maina Jan 2010

Mainstreaming Emergency Contraception Pills In Kenya, Jill Keesbury, Monica Wanjiru, Katherine Maina

Reproductive Health

To improve access to emergency contraception (ECP) and ensure that adequate information is provided to all users, the Kenyan Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation, the Population Council, and Population Services International-Kenya undertook a three-year effort to mainstream ECP in Kenya. This brief presents the results of this initiative and discusses strategies for further strengthening ECP provision. Kenya has emerged as a leader in ECP programming in the region and has demonstrated that it is possible to strengthen ECP services in both the public and private sectors while at the same time increasing public awareness, knowledge, and use of the …


Life-Skills Education Leads To Improved Effect On Adolescents' Sexual Behavior, Population Council Jan 2010

Life-Skills Education Leads To Improved Effect On Adolescents' Sexual Behavior, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The Kenya Adolescent Reproductive Health Project (KARHP) was a three-pronged program implemented in schools, communities, and health facilities, to provide information and services to adolescents in order to improve their reproductive health outcomes. This operations research summary from the Population Council sought to discover whether the activities started under the project and desired reproductive health outcomes had been sustained in the 10-year period since inception, and to identify challenges experienced in sustaining the model. Although the survey suggests that the efforts to sustain KARHP/ASRH activities may be having desirable behavioral outcomes among adolescents, there is a need to strengthen these …


Encouraging Abandonment Of Fgm/C Among The Somali Community In Wajir, Kenya, Population Council Jan 2010

Encouraging Abandonment Of Fgm/C Among The Somali Community In Wajir, Kenya, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This report summarizes key achievements of a two-year project to foster community‐wide abandonment of FGM/C by developing and testing the feasibility of working closely with communities highly resistant to external influences. The diagnostic study aimed to identify culturally appropriate empowerment strategies for women and youth in the Somali community.


Introducing And Pilot-Testing The National Guidelines On Integrating The Management Of Stis/Rtis Into Reproductive Health Settings In Kenya, Wilson Liambila, Saiqa Mullick, Ian Askew, Nathalie Broutet, Bartilol Kigen, Cosmas Mutunga, Daniel Sande, Nimrod Garama, Benjamin Tsofa, Christine Awuor, Ibrahim Mohammed Jan 2010

Introducing And Pilot-Testing The National Guidelines On Integrating The Management Of Stis/Rtis Into Reproductive Health Settings In Kenya, Wilson Liambila, Saiqa Mullick, Ian Askew, Nathalie Broutet, Bartilol Kigen, Cosmas Mutunga, Daniel Sande, Nimrod Garama, Benjamin Tsofa, Christine Awuor, Ibrahim Mohammed

Reproductive Health

This report evaluated a project in ten Kenyan health facilities. It examined the feasibility, acceptability and effect of introducing reproductive tract infection and sexually transmitted infection (RTI/STI) guidelines on the quality of care provided, and the incremental costs of integrating these services into existing reproductive health (RH) services; it also disseminated the results and lessons learnt within Kenya. Overall, the results showed that integration of activities to screen for and manage STIs/RTIs into RH services is feasible, acceptable to clients and providers, and effective in improving the range and quality of services offered to clients.


Community Mobilization For Postabortion Care In Kenya: Baseline Evaluation Report, Chi-Chi Undie, Saumya Ramarao Jan 2010

Community Mobilization For Postabortion Care In Kenya: Baseline Evaluation Report, Chi-Chi Undie, Saumya Ramarao

Reproductive Health

Maternal health complications, including those arising from unsafe abortion and miscarriage, are a leading cause of morbidity among women in Kenya. These realities necessitate interventions to prevent unintended or unwanted pregnancies and to ensure access to quality care for women with postabortion complications. In response to this need, the RESPOND Project designed an intervention package aimed at increasing awareness and use of postabortion care (PAC) services and improving family planning, reproductive health, and maternal health outcomes. As part of the intervention, RESPOND works with districts and communities to: strengthen service delivery points to provide PAC services; conduct community mobilization to …


Kenya's Fertility Transition: Trends, Determinants And Implications For Policy And Programmes, Ian Askew, Alex C. Ezeh, John Bongaarts, John Townsend Jan 2009

Kenya's Fertility Transition: Trends, Determinants And Implications For Policy And Programmes, Ian Askew, Alex C. Ezeh, John Bongaarts, John Townsend

Reproductive Health

In Africa, fertility rates in the 1990s declined less rapidly than had been projected, and in a few cases the fertility transition appears to have stalled. This development has serious implications for future population growth because projected population size is sensitive to minor variations in current fertility trends. The 16 countries with three DHS surveys in sub-Saharan Africa can be divided into three subgroups: stalled transitions, insignificant declines, and significant declines. Half of the 16 countries experienced a stall, and an additional two experienced insignificant declines. The Population Council prepared a series of demographic and policy analyses that drew from …


A Religious Oriented Approach To Addressing Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Among The Somali Community Of Wajir, Kenya, Maryam Sheikh Abdi, Ian Askew Jan 2009

A Religious Oriented Approach To Addressing Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Among The Somali Community Of Wajir, Kenya, Maryam Sheikh Abdi, Ian Askew

Reproductive Health

The Somali ethnic community, in Kenya as well in Somalia, Djibouti, and Ethiopia, has practiced genital cutting for centuries and the practice appears to have remained largely unchanged. The community practices the severest form of FGM/C, type III or infibulation. The Population Council’s FRONTIERS program, with support from USAID/Kenya, carried out two studies to better understand the practice of FGM/C among the Somalis in North Eastern Province so as to inform the design and implementation of interventions that would encourage abandonment of the practice. Both studies collected data through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with community and religious leaders, …


The Making Of The Kenya Sexual Offenses Act, 2006: Behind The Scenes, Washington Onyango-Ouma, Njoki Ndung'u, Nancy Baraza, Harriet Birungi Jan 2009

The Making Of The Kenya Sexual Offenses Act, 2006: Behind The Scenes, Washington Onyango-Ouma, Njoki Ndung'u, Nancy Baraza, Harriet Birungi

Reproductive Health

Kenya’s enactment of the Sexual Offenses Bill in 2006 was a milestone in dealing with sexual offenses and gender-based violence. The bill is Kenya’s first legal recognition of the many sex crimes that occur in the country. Among other things, the law criminalizes deliberate transmission of HIV/AIDS and provides rape victims with free medical care and counseling in public institutions. Convicted rapists will now face a minimum sentence of ten years, while a maximum penalty will be life imprisonment. A retrospective study was conducted to document the process leading to the enactment of the law. The objective was to document …


Adolescent Girls Programming And Capacity-Building Workshop, Nairobi, Kenya, November 10-14, 2008: Workshop Report, Population Council Jan 2009

Adolescent Girls Programming And Capacity-Building Workshop, Nairobi, Kenya, November 10-14, 2008: Workshop Report, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Around the world, adolescent girls are disadvantaged by age and gender. Many are denied the skills and resources to protect and advance themselves. Adolescent girls are even more vulnerable to exploitive work, abuse, and limiting life options if they are poor. Adolescent girls are marginalized or entirely invisible in development policy, yet their role in communities and populations make them a critical asset to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). International donors and development partners have started to recognize the critical role adolescent girls play in achieving the MDGs. The purpose of the Adolescent Girls Programming and Capacity-building Workshop was …


Female-Initiated Prevention: Integrating Female Condoms Into Hiv Risk-Reduction Activities In Kenya, Population Council, Liverpool Vct Care & Treatment Jan 2009

Female-Initiated Prevention: Integrating Female Condoms Into Hiv Risk-Reduction Activities In Kenya, Population Council, Liverpool Vct Care & Treatment

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Female Condom (FC) is the only female-initiated prevention product on the market today that provides simultaneous protection against STIs, including HIV, and unintended pregnancy. However, the FC remains limited in supply, not widely available, and underutilized in many settings. Improvements in FC programming are essential to achieve increased uptake and public health impact, and to pave the way for future women’s HIV prevention products. The Population Council’s Female-Initiated Prevention Methods project aimed to stimulate action and generate evidence around FC access through innovative program experimentation. The study was conducted to understand the challenges and opportunities these different access models …


Standards Required In Maintaining The Chain Of Evidence In The Context Of Post Rape Care Services: Findings Of A Study Conducted In Kenya, Carol Ajema, Emily Rogena, Hadley Muchela, Buluma Bwire, Nduku Kilonzo Jan 2009

Standards Required In Maintaining The Chain Of Evidence In The Context Of Post Rape Care Services: Findings Of A Study Conducted In Kenya, Carol Ajema, Emily Rogena, Hadley Muchela, Buluma Bwire, Nduku Kilonzo

Reproductive Health

Sexual violence (SV) is a serious societal problem that creates significant challenges to local communities in their attempt to create an overall plan for meeting the medical, emotional, physical safety, and legal needs of SV survivors. It is important to understand the existing links between the health sector and police as a basis for addressing the complexities surrounding SV. Appropriate management of SV survivors requires a standardized clinical evaluation, an effective interface with law enforcement for the handling of forensic evidence, and coordination of the continuum of care. From the public health perspective, the issues to be addressed revolve around …


Sexual Violence: Setting The Research Agenda For Kenya, Catherine Maternowska, Jill Keesbury, Nduku Kilonzo Jan 2009

Sexual Violence: Setting The Research Agenda For Kenya, Catherine Maternowska, Jill Keesbury, Nduku Kilonzo

Reproductive Health

This research agenda is the result of a stakeholders’ meeting held in Nairobi on June 11–12, 2008, that identified, developed, and prioritized areas for research on sexual violence in Kenya. The meeting was convened by the Population Council, Liverpool VCT, Care & Treatment, and the International Centre of Reproductive Health, Kenya. Kenya’s research agenda is premised on the need to generate the evidence required to impact policy formulation and services strengthening. Knowledge gaps that form the basis of key research areas identified include the need to: 1) Understand the nature, contexts, and prevalence of sexual violence; 2) Document and evaluate …


An Assessment Of Sexual And Gender Based Violence In Wajir District, North Eastern Kenya, Gladys K. Mwangi, Guyo W. Jaldesa Jan 2009

An Assessment Of Sexual And Gender Based Violence In Wajir District, North Eastern Kenya, Gladys K. Mwangi, Guyo W. Jaldesa

Reproductive Health

A 2006 baseline survey conducted by CARE Kenya indicated that sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is widespread throughout Kenya’s North Eastern Province. Other findings revealed that high levels of stigma and gender imbalances are associated with sexual violence and female genital mutilation (FGM) and that a coordinated approach to responding to the service needs of survivors is missing. As noted in this report, there is limited awareness of the legal mechanisms available to survivors. The Population Council’s study in Wajir District ascertained the need for and possible components of an integrated and comprehensive services model that could meet the needs …


Feasibility, Acceptability, Effect, And Cost Of Integrating Counseling And Testing For Hiv Within Family Planning Services In Kenya, Wilson Liambila, Charlotte E. Warren, Saiqa Mullick, Ian Askew, Rick Homan, Ibrahim Mohammed, Robert Ayisi, Margaret Gitau, Josephine Kibaru, Mary W. Gathitu, Judith Maua, Helton Jilo, Juma Mwangi, John Njoroge, Anthony K. Wanyoro, Peter Mohammed Njuguna, Andrew Mboche Jan 2008

Feasibility, Acceptability, Effect, And Cost Of Integrating Counseling And Testing For Hiv Within Family Planning Services In Kenya, Wilson Liambila, Charlotte E. Warren, Saiqa Mullick, Ian Askew, Rick Homan, Ibrahim Mohammed, Robert Ayisi, Margaret Gitau, Josephine Kibaru, Mary W. Gathitu, Judith Maua, Helton Jilo, Juma Mwangi, John Njoroge, Anthony K. Wanyoro, Peter Mohammed Njuguna, Andrew Mboche

Reproductive Health

FRONTIERS supported the Division of Reproductive Health and the National AIDS and STI Control Program of the Kenya Ministry of Health to design, implement, and compare two models of integrating counseling and testing (CT) for HIV within family planning (FP) services in terms of their feasibility, acceptability, cost, and effect on the voluntary use of CT, as well as the quality of FP services. The study demonstrated that both models were feasible and acceptable to providers and to clients as means of integrating and linking HIV prevention counseling, condom promotion, and counseling and testing with FP services, and are effective …


If You Build It, Will They Come? Kenya Healthy Start Pediatric Hiv Study: A Diagnostic Study Investigating Barriers To Hiv Treatment And Care Among Children, Karusa Kiragu, Katie D. Schenk, Julie Murugi, Avina Sarna Jan 2008

If You Build It, Will They Come? Kenya Healthy Start Pediatric Hiv Study: A Diagnostic Study Investigating Barriers To Hiv Treatment And Care Among Children, Karusa Kiragu, Katie D. Schenk, Julie Murugi, Avina Sarna

HIV and AIDS

In Kenya the proportion of eligible HIV-positive children receiving ART treatment is only 11 percent. This study explored and documented possible barriers in the community to accessing pediatric HIV testing and treatment, to guide the development of new interventions to encourage uptake. The study identified barriers such as cost, use of traditional healers, low knowledge of treatment options, attitudinal barriers, stigma, unique treatment issues, and dissatisfaction with available services. Additionally, healthcare workers missed opportunities to provide services and cited numerous service-side challenges. The study recommends prioritizing community awareness, mobile clinics, strengthening capacity of healthcare workers, supporting family-based HIV testing, and …


Highlighting Marital Hiv Risk And Promoting Premarital Vct In Nyanza Province, Kenya, Ben Ochieng, Annabel Erulkar Jan 2008

Highlighting Marital Hiv Risk And Promoting Premarital Vct In Nyanza Province, Kenya, Ben Ochieng, Annabel Erulkar

Reproductive Health

This report describes a project undertaken in Kenya by the Population Council, in collaboration with PATH and Kendu Adventist Hospital, whose objectives were: 1) to design and implement educational strategies to raise awareness of the risks of HIV and early marriage; 2) to promote voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) for couples; and 3) to support and empower newly married girls through community-based clubs. The report notes that the strong technical support and leadership provided by the partners led to successful implementation of most project activities. The partnership enabled scarce resources to be shared, and has ensured that the comparative advantages …


Female-Initiated Prevention Methods (Fipm) In Kenya: Focus On The Female Condom, Martha Brady Jan 2008

Female-Initiated Prevention Methods (Fipm) In Kenya: Focus On The Female Condom, Martha Brady

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

As noted in this brief, the female condom (FC) is the only female-initiated prevention product that provides simultaneous protection against pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Although available for more than a decade, the FC remains limited in supply, not readily available, and underutilized. Obstacles to widespread availability and use are often generalized (e.g., high costs, resistance of partners, or unavailability). With the upcoming second generation of FCs—and ultimately microbicides—being added to female-initiated prevention methods, the need to overcome these impediments with concrete solutions is critical. Government and donor commitment to long-term, sustained supply and program support is essential. …


Managing And Preventing Female Genital Cutting (Fgm/C) Among The Somali Community In Kenya, Maryam Sheikh Abdi, Guyo W. Jaldesa, Ian Askew Jan 2008

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


Taking Critical Services To The Home: Scaling-Up Home-Based Maternal And Postnatal Care, Including Family Planning, Through Community Midwifery In Kenya, Annie Mwangi, Charlotte E. Warren Jan 2008

Taking Critical Services To The Home: Scaling-Up Home-Based Maternal And Postnatal Care, Including Family Planning, Through Community Midwifery In Kenya, Annie Mwangi, Charlotte E. Warren

Reproductive Health

With support from USAID, the Population Council’s Frontiers in Reproductive Health (FRONTIERS) project supported the scaling up of a community-based model in Kenya that enabled women to give birth safely at home or be referred to a hospital when attended by a self-employed skilled midwife living in the community. To strengthen the sustainability of this approach FRONTIERS engaged a microfinance NGO to develop a training curriculum on basic business skills and financial literacy, and encouraged the community midwives (CMs) to form clusters or informal associations so that they could be trained in business skills. Following these interventions, CMs proved more …


Strengthening Postnatal Care Services Including Postpartum Family Planning In Kenya, Annie Mwangi, Charlotte E. Warren, Nancy Koskei, Holly Blanchard Jan 2008

Strengthening Postnatal Care Services Including Postpartum Family Planning In Kenya, Annie Mwangi, Charlotte E. Warren, Nancy Koskei, Holly Blanchard

Reproductive Health

The objectives of this study were to develop and introduce a strengthened postnatal care package into one hospital and four health centers in one district in Kenya, to document the feasibility, acceptability, and quality of care of the strengthened postnatal care, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the postnatal package on women’s reproductive health behaviors. The study was implemented jointly by the Population Council’s Frontiers in Reproductive Health (FRONTIERS) project and by Jhpiego’s ACCESS-FP project, both funded by USAID. A postnatal care–family planning orientation package for providers was developed that incorporated relevant maternal and newborn healthcare services in the postnatal …


Obstetric Fistula: Can Community Midwives Make A Difference? Findings From Four Districts In Kenya, Charlotte E. Warren, Annie Mwangi Jan 2008

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 …


Kenya: Training Can Enhance Providers' Management Of Fgm/C And Willingness To Advocate Against The Practice, Population Council Jan 2008

Kenya: Training Can Enhance Providers' Management Of Fgm/C And Willingness To Advocate Against The Practice, Population Council

Reproductive Health

In 2004, FRONTIERS collaborated with UNICEF on a study of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Kenya’s Somali community and on ways of managing maternal care for cut women. The study showed that the health-care system in North Eastern Province, where many Somalis live, is ill prepared to deal with women who have been cut, particularly infibulated women who are pregnant or delivering. The study recommended improving providers’ ability to counsel and treat pregnant cut women as part of an overall improvement of maternal care, and strengthening providers’ role as behavior change agents within communities. In 2005, FRONTIERS launched an intervention …


Malaria In Pregnancy Pilot Projects Nationally Adopted In Kenya And Malawi, Population Council Jan 2008

Malaria In Pregnancy Pilot Projects Nationally Adopted In Kenya And Malawi, Population Council

Reproductive Health

Kenya and Malawi have developed national policies to prevent malaria in pregnancy. Measures to prevent malaria among antenatal clients were shown to be sustainable several years after pilot interventions ended. In Malawi, the approach has been expanded nationwide. In most malaria-endemic areas of Africa, women in their first and second pregnancies have the highest risk of acquiring malaria and, consequently, of malaria-associated anemia and low birth-weight. Two USAID-funded interventions aimed at strengthening the prevention and management of malaria in pregnancy were pilot-tested at the district level in Kenya (1998–2002) and Malawi (1998–2004). As noted in this brief, the goal was …


Adapting Focused Antenatal Care: Lessons From Three African Countries, Harriet Birungi Jan 2008

Adapting Focused Antenatal Care: Lessons From Three African Countries, Harriet Birungi

Reproductive Health

In 2001, the World Health Organization issued guidance on a new model of antenatal care (ANC) called goal-oriented or focused antenatal care (FANC), for implementation in developing countries. The new model reduces the number of required antenatal visits to four, and provides focused services shown to improve maternal outcomes. FANC emphasizes helping women maintain normal pregnancies by identifying existing health conditions, detecting emerging complications, promoting health, preparing for a healthy birth, and educating clients on postpartum care including nutrition, breastfeeding, and family planning. Trials conducted in Argentina, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand proved that FANC was safe and was a …


Multisectoral Youth Rh Interventions: The Scale-Up Process In Kenya And Senegal, Stephanie Joyce, Ian Askew, Anta Fall Diagne, Nafissatou J. Diop, Humphres Evelia Jan 2008

Multisectoral Youth Rh Interventions: The Scale-Up Process In Kenya And Senegal, Stephanie Joyce, Ian Askew, Anta Fall Diagne, Nafissatou J. Diop, Humphres Evelia

Reproductive Health

As in many developing countries, young people in Kenya and Senegal (aged 10–20) account for about 25 percent of the population. To ensure their future contribution to their countries, it is of vital strategic importance to safeguard their welfare. Rapid social change in both countries exposes youth to sexual and reproductive health (RH) risks, including unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections including HIV, and sexual violence. Beginning in 1999, the Population Council’s FRONTIERS program conducted operations research studies that tested the feasibility, acceptability, and cost of a public-sector, multisectoral intervention to enhance young people’s RH knowledge and behavior. Study findings showed …