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Full-Text Articles in Demography, Population, and Ecology

Fact Sheet—Measuring Quality Of Care: A Review Of Methodologies And Indicators, Katherine Tumlinson Jan 2016

Fact Sheet—Measuring Quality Of Care: A Review Of Methodologies And Indicators, Katherine Tumlinson

Reproductive Health

Broad support for the promotion of high-quality service delivery in family planning (FP) programs is rooted in the publication in 1990 of a formal framework outlining its essential elements. This framework, developed by Judith Bruce of the Population Council, defines FP service delivery quality through six critical elements: choice of methods, information provided to clients, interpersonal relations, provider competence, follow-up mechanisms, and appropriate range of services offered. This factsheet argues that despite widespread endorsement of the Bruce framework and development of standardized data collection instruments, obstacles to accurate measures of quality of care remain. It concludes that further discussion within …


Landscape Analysis Of The Family Planning Situation In Pakistan: Brief Summary Of Findings, Population Council Jan 2016

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.


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

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

Reproductive Health

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


Considerations On The Use And Interpretation Of Survey Data On Fgm/C, Bettina Shell-Duncan Jan 2016

Considerations On The Use And Interpretation Of Survey Data On Fgm/C, Bettina Shell-Duncan

Reproductive Health

This technical brief was written as an addendum to the trends presented in the “State of-Art-Synthesis of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: What Do We Know Now?” published in October 2016. This brief describes important sources of reliable data that have been generated in recent years, to provide accurate information on FGM/C practices and attitudes. The majority of these data are derived from cross-sectional survey research, and the brief notes the strengths and limitations of this research approach which should be borne in mind when using and interpreting these data. Table 1 summarizes nationally representative data on FGM/C available from a number …


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

The Fgm/C Research Programme, Jacinta Muteshi-Strachan

Reproductive Health

No abstract provided.


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

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

Reproductive Health

No abstract provided.


Monitoring And Evaluating Fgm/C Abandonment Programs, Jacinta Muteshi-Strachan, Carolyne Njue Jan 2016

Monitoring And Evaluating Fgm/C Abandonment Programs, Jacinta Muteshi-Strachan, Carolyne Njue

Reproductive Health

No abstract provided.


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

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

Reproductive Health

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


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

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

Reproductive Health

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


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

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

Reproductive Health

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


Increasing Access To Magnesium Sulphate In Nigeria, Population Council Jan 2016

Increasing Access To Magnesium Sulphate In Nigeria, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The World Health Organization recommends magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) as the most effective, safe, and low-cost drug for treating pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. To increase access to and use of MgSO4 in Kano State, Nigeria the Population Council trained lower-cadre healthcare providers in antenatal clinics to detect pre-eclampsia early and institute timely and appropriate management by administering the loading dose of MgSO4 and referring for follow-up care. This brief reports that the intervention, which was supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, reduced the maternal mortality rate due to PE/E by 40 percent in project sites. Moving forward, the …


Promoting Respectful Maternity Care Resource Package: Community Flipchart, Population Council Jan 2016

Promoting Respectful Maternity Care Resource Package: Community Flipchart, Population Council

Reproductive Health

Progress toward the reduction of maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality has been slow because improvements require overcoming financial and geographical barriers to accessing skilled care, as well as the poor quality of care in maternity units. A little-understood component of the poor quality of care experienced by women during facility-based childbirth is the disrespectful and abusive behavior of healthcare providers and other facility staff. Acknowledgment of these behaviors by policymakers, program staff, civil society groups, and community members indicates the problem is widespread. This is a teaching aid for community health workers and other community-level resource persons to conduct …


Formative Research On Factors Influencing Access To Fistula Care And Treatment In Uganda, Pooja Sripad, Charlotte E. Warren Jan 2016

Formative Research On Factors Influencing Access To Fistula Care And Treatment In Uganda, Pooja Sripad, Charlotte E. Warren

Reproductive Health

This formative research builds upon the results of a systematic review by the Population Council for better understanding of the barriers and enabling factors for fistula repair care and access in Uganda. The study focuses on Fistula Care Plus project-supported treatment facilities where fistula camps are routinely held. Results reveal the nuances of women’s experiences, along with the additional perspectives of their spouses, family members, community stakeholders, and fistula camp care providers including nurses/counselors, surgeons, and facility and district managers. Barriers and enablers to fistula repair care are clustered around the following factors: psychosocial, cultural, social, financial, transportation, facility shortages, …


Measuring Quality Of Care: A Review Of Previously Used Methodologies And Indicators, Katherine Tumlinson Jan 2016

Measuring Quality Of Care: A Review Of Previously Used Methodologies And Indicators, Katherine Tumlinson

Reproductive Health

Despite successful efforts to increase financial and geographic access to family planning services in many parts of the developing world, large numbers of women with a desire to delay or limit future pregnancies are not using contraceptive methods. Several multi-country, large-scale facility surveys incorporate indicators for measuring the quality of family planning service delivery. These facility surveys use data collection tools such as facility audits, provider and client questionnaires, and third party observation guides. A limited body of research indicates that the validity of these tools is low, however, while large variations in analytical approaches inhibit use of existing literature …


Addressing Supply Side Factors To Improve Family Planning And Reproductive Health Services In The Indian National Health Insurance Scheme In Uttar Pradesh, Arupendra Mozumdar, Kumudha Aruldas, Aparna Jain, Laura Reichenbach, Robin Keeley, M.E. Khan Jan 2016

Addressing Supply Side Factors To Improve Family Planning And Reproductive Health Services In The Indian National Health Insurance Scheme In Uttar Pradesh, Arupendra Mozumdar, Kumudha Aruldas, Aparna Jain, Laura Reichenbach, Robin Keeley, M.E. Khan

Reproductive Health

The Indian National Health Insurance Scheme, Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), was launched by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India in 2008 to promote equitable access to health services through the private and public sectors. Almost eight years into the program, it was an opportune time to examine usage levels and barriers and facilitators to the program’s effectiveness. The Evidence Project conducted a study among the urban poor in Uttar Pradesh to look at awareness and use of the RSBY program and family planning/reproductive health (FP/RH) services, examine concerns of those administering the program and providing services, …


Adolescents In Bangladesh: Programmatic Approaches To Sexual And Reproductive Health Education And Services, Sigma Ainul, Ashish Bajracharya, Laura Reichenbach Jan 2016

Adolescents In Bangladesh: Programmatic Approaches To Sexual And Reproductive Health Education And Services, Sigma Ainul, Ashish Bajracharya, Laura Reichenbach

Reproductive Health

There is a gap in knowledge and understanding of effective adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) programming in Bangladesh, especially programming at scale. Initiatives to address ASRH have been implemented at different times by both the Government of Bangladesh and NGOs, but these activities have often been fragmented and are not well documented or evaluated, making it difficult to know what worked well and what did not. This policy brief presents selected findings from a comprehensive review and analysis of ASRH programming in Bangladesh, carried out by the Population Council’s Evidence Project, with financial support from USAID/Bangladesh, as part of …


Scaling Up Family Planning In Zambia—Part 1: Assessment And Feasibility Of Maintaining An Innovative Program, Benjamin Bellows, Mary Nambao, Luigi Jaramillo, Roz Fanaiayan, Mardieh Dennis, Karen Hardee Jan 2016

Scaling Up Family Planning In Zambia—Part 1: Assessment And Feasibility Of Maintaining An Innovative Program, Benjamin Bellows, Mary Nambao, Luigi Jaramillo, Roz Fanaiayan, Mardieh Dennis, Karen Hardee

Reproductive Health

To support the Government of Zambia in addressing its reproductive health challenges and in meeting its goals for 2020, the United Kingdom Department for International Development funded a four-year effort to support public sector contraceptive expansion under the Scaling Up Family Planning (SUFP) Project, led by Abt Associates. Launched in 2012, and with a focus on hard-to-reach areas and youth and expanding access to long-acting reversible contraceptives, SUFP was a technical assistance program designed to strengthen the ability of the public sector to provide services to meet the country’s FP2020 goals. SUFP focused on capacity building, infrastructure strengthening, behavior change …


Strengthening Factory Health Systems Under Levi Strauss & Co.'S Worker Well-Being Initiative In Egypt, Population Council, The Evidence Project Jan 2016

Strengthening Factory Health Systems Under Levi Strauss & Co.'S Worker Well-Being Initiative In Egypt, Population Council, The Evidence Project

Reproductive Health

The pilot intervention described in this brief took place at an apparel manufacturing company, Lotus, located in Port Said, Egypt as part of the Worker Well-being Initiative. Worker Well-being is an initiative of Levi Strauss & Co. and the Levi Strauss Foundation that seeks to move beyond a “do no harm” compliance model of labor rights in its global supply chain. The interventions in Egypt have contributed to the overall development of a health system–strengthening approach to private workplaces, which is a new concept for management. The work in Egypt contributed to a collaboration between the Evidence Project/RAISE Health and …


Understanding Demand For Family Planning And Reproductive Health Services Through The Indian National Health Insurance Scheme In Uttar Pradesh, Arupendra Mozumdar, Kumudha Aruldas, Aparna Jain, Laura Reichenbach, Robin Keeley, M.E. Khan Jan 2016

Understanding Demand For Family Planning And Reproductive Health Services Through The Indian National Health Insurance Scheme In Uttar Pradesh, Arupendra Mozumdar, Kumudha Aruldas, Aparna Jain, Laura Reichenbach, Robin Keeley, M.E. Khan

Reproductive Health

The Indian National Health Insurance Scheme, Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), was launched by the Ministry of Labour and Employment in 2008 to promote equitable access to health services through the private and public sectors. This scheme is intended to offer economically disadvantaged families living below the poverty line in urban and rural areas access to a pre-specified package of health services including: general surgery, general medical care, pediatric care, gynecological care, family planning (FP) and other reproductive health (RH) services, dental, ophthalmology, urology, neurosurgery, and oncology. Almost eight years into the program, this is an opportune time to examine …


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

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

Reproductive Health

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


Evaluating The Impact Of Integrated Microfinance And Reproductive (Mf/Rh) Services On Household Wellbeing And Reproductive Health Behaviors Of Women In Nigeria, Population Council Jan 2016

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 Jan 2016

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 …


Landscape Analysis Of The Family Planning Situation In Pakistan—District Profile: Hyderabad, Population Council Jan 2016

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—District Profile: Multan, Population Council Jan 2016

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

Reproductive Health

This district profile of Multan is part of the Landscape Analysis of the Family Planning Situation in Pakistan. The factsheet provides a detailed picture of antenatal and delivery care services; use of family planning; 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/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 …


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 Jan 2016

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 For Estimating Maternal Mortality Ratio (Mmr) In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali M. Mir, Saleem Shaikh, Mumraiz Khan, Irfan Masood Jan 2016

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 …


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 Jan 2016

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 …