International Public Health Commons^™

Preventing Hepatitis B-Induced Liver Cancer: Implications For Eliminating Health Disparities, Moon S. Chen Jr.

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

If the definition of eliminating of a health disparity were signified by the absence of any differences in incidence or mortality between a population’s experiences with a health problem, then the only health disparity that has ever been eliminated is smallpox because with zero cases of smallpox in the world, no health disparities exist because of smallpox. The eradication of smallpox is perhaps the only historical example where the elimination of a health disparity has been achieved. Principles and lessons learned, particularly through the intersection of science and policy that could be applied to the elimination of other health disparities …

Power, Race, And The Neglect Of Science: The Hiv Epidemics In Sub-Saharan Africa, Eileen Stillwaggon, Larry Sawers

Economics Faculty Publications

This work addresses racial stereotyping and the effect it has in distorting AIDS policy for sub-Saharan Africa.

Smoking Susceptibility And Its Predictors Among Adolescents In China: Evidence From Ningbo City, Cheng Huang, Jeffrey Koplan, Jing Liu, Changwei Li, Jessica Silvaggio, Amanda K. Macgurn, Tao Zhang, Michael P. Erikson, Pam Redmon

Global Health Faculty Publications

Susceptibility to smoking is a risk factor of actual adolescent smoking behaviors. This study aimed to estimate the rate of smoking susceptibility and its predictors in China with a sample of 4,695 junior high school students in Ningbo, China. Core questions from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) were adapted to the China context and administered to these students. The rate of smoking susceptibility, measured by “Do you foresee yourself taking up smoking in the next 12 months”, is 6.1%. Results from logistic regression suggested that among boys, adolescents’ health knowledge that smoking can cause lung cancer (OR=2.73), the belief …

Nonclinical Development Needs And Regulatory Requirements For Multipurpose Prevention Technologies: A Primer, Joseph W. Romano, Martha Brady, Judy Manning

HIV and AIDS

This summary outlines key development elements that will be necessary for various configurations of multipurpose prevention products for the simultaneous prevention of HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and/or pregnancy.

Assessing And Improving Self-Reporting Of Male Circumcision In Zambia And Swaziland, Paul C. Hewett, Nicole Haberland, Barbara Mensch, Louis Apicella

HIV and AIDS

The Male Circumcision (MC) Partnership was established with the support of the Gates Foundation and PEPFAR to scale up MC services in Zambia, in collaboration with the Zambian government. The MC Partnership is a five-year project led by Population Services International (Society for Family Health, Zambia), in partnership with Jhpiego, Marie Stopes International (MSI), and the Population Council. The ultimate objective of this study is to provide researchers and program managers with evidence-based recommendations for the collection of self-reported data on MC status through an assessment of different methods to describe and explain MC. Specifically, the study assessed tools for …

The Experiences Of Men Engaged In Transactional Sex With Other Men In Urban Nigeria—A Size Estimation And Qualitative Study, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

Reports on a mixed-method research study to estimate the population size and understand the experiences of a sub-group of men who have sex with men presumed to be at particularly high risk of infection with HIV and other sexually transmitted infections: men who engage in transactional sex with other men.

Shaping The Operations Research Agenda For Antiretroviral-Based Prevention Products For Women: Gels And Rings, Martha Brady, C. Elizabeth Mcgrory

HIV and AIDS

This report summarizes discussions from a two-day international experts consultation meeting in 2012 on preparing for the successful introduction of women-centered antiretroviral-based HIV prevention methods. It examines the limits and expectations of operations research in antiretroviral health technologies.

Getting Real With Youth-Friendly Services In Africa: Report Of A Satellite Session At The Xix International Aids Conference, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

Overview of an AIDS 2013 satellite session which aimed to engage young people with and react to the study findings and in the light of the findings, discuss and share their perspectives, experiences and concerns about how responsive existing policies, programs and services are to the HIV prevention and impact mitigation needs of young Africans.

Using Capture-Recapture Methodology For Enumerating Most-At-Risk Populations (Marps), Population Council

HIV and AIDS

Populations at higher risk for HIV infection are often the most difficult to reach and this is particularly true of men who have sex with men (MSM), injecting drug users, and female sex workers in sub-Saharan Africa. These subpopulations are frequently marginalized by society because of the illicit and/or illegal activities they engage in. Estimating the size of hard-to-reach populations is important to effectively plan, implement, monitor, and evaluate HIV and AIDS prevention and care programs. “Capture-recapture” is a method of estimating the prevalence of a trait in a population or more simply it’s a method that provides a good …

An Assessment Of Individual And Institutional Research Utilization By Policy-Makers And Programme Managers At State And National Levels In Nigeria, National Agency For The Control Of Aids

HIV and AIDS

This report undertakes a systematic assessment of the need for evidence by decision-makers working on HIV and AIDS funding and policymaking, and implementing organizations at the national and subnational levels in Nigeria. The assessment identifies barriers and constraints to data use, identifies best practices, and offers recommendations for the design and prioritization of strategic approaches to address barriers and constraints in data use and production. Tools to monitor the adoption of evidence in policy and practice are also offered. The need for evidence-based practice in the national response to HIV and AIDS has been widely acknowledged and incorporated into policy …

An Ethnographic Study Of Injecting Drug Users And Men Who Have Sex With Men In Selected States In Nigeria, Enhancing Nigeria's Hiv/Aids Response (Enr) Programme

HIV and AIDS

An ethnographic pre-assessment study of the behavioral dynamics of men who have sex with men (MSM) and injecting drug users (IDU) was conducted in 2009 as an integral part of the 2010 Integrated Biological and Behavioural Surveillance Survey (IBBSS). The study took place in Northern and Southern Nigeria and provided rich contextual information on the logistic and scientific factors that would aid successful conduct of the IBBSS and secure buy-in for it among study respondents. The study utilized a combination of rapid assessment procedures that were suitable to prevailing time exigencies and could foster preliminary understanding of the local contexts …

Marps Sensitization: A Diversity Training Guide For Health Care Providers In Nigeria, Enhancing Nigeria's Hiv/Aids Response (Enr) Programme

HIV and AIDS

Men who have sex with men (MSM) present specific diagnostic and management challenges to counselors and health-care providers. High prevalence of HIV infection has been reported among MSM in Nigeria, driven partly by stigma, discrimination, lack of appropriate prevention strategies, limited research evidence, little recognition by policymakers, and inadequate knowledge and skills in dealing with MSM clients. In Nigeria, where homosexuality is illegal, the risk embodied in same-sex activities is high and makes hiding MSM activities almost a norm. Currently, health-care provider training materials that address most at-risk populations’ (MARPs) specific health needs are nonexistent in Nigeria. Knowledge of these …

Le Consensus De Bellagio : Recommandations Pour Améliorer L'Accès Aux Méthodes De Contraception Efficaces, Réversibles À Longue Durée D'Action, Population Council

Reproductive Health

Ce communiqué et cette déclaration proposent des recommandations pour améliorer l'accès aux méthodes de contraception efficaces, réversibles à longue durée d'action (LARC) et accélérer les progrès vers la réalisation de l'Objectif du Millénaire pour le développement relatif à l'accès universel aux services de santé reproductive.

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This brief and statement offers recommendations for action to increase access to highly effective, long-acting, reversible contraception (LARCs) and accelerate progress toward meeting the Millennium Development Goal of universal access to reproductive health services.

Prevalence And Correlates Of Hiv Infection In A Cohort Of Male Injection Drug Users In Delhi, Waimar Tun, Vartika Sharma, Mary Philip Sebastian, Ira Madan, Amita Yadav, Meredith Sheehy, Dean Lewis, Ibou Thior, Avina Sarna

HIV and AIDS

Baseline assessment of HIV infection among male injection drug users to understand the correlates of HIV infection and high risk injection practices and sexual behavior in Delhi, India.

Attitudes, Beliefs, And Practices Of Providers And Key Opinion Leaders On Emergency Contraception In India, M.E. Khan, Deepthi S. Varma, Isha Bhatnagar, Anvita Dixit, Martha Brady

Reproductive Health

The Population Council undertook this study to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding emergency contraception (ECP) among providers in public and private facilities and pharmacies in India. The objectives of the study were to: assess providers' knowledge of ECP's biological mechanism; understand providers' knowledge and attitudes about ECP's safety, effectiveness, and availability as an OTC drug; and identify providers' definitions of “repeated use” and profiling women who are “repeated users” of ECP. This study's findings show that most providers, including doctors and some KOLs, were incorrectly informed about ECP's mechanism of action. Service guidelines are necessary for accurate and …

Expanding Access To Comprehensive Reproductive Health And Hiv Information And Services For Married Adolescent Girls In Nyanza Province, Chi-Chi Undie, Harriet Birungi, Francis Obare, Ben Ochieng, Wilson Liambila, Erick Oweya, Ian Askew, Rob Burnet, Bridget Deacon, Aisha Mohamed

Reproductive Health

The objectives of this operations research study, conducted by the Population Council’s APHIA II Operations Research Project in Kenya, were to: 1) identify and design a set of interventions that promote the uptake of comprehensive reproductive health (RH)/family planning (FP) and HIV prevention services and information among married adolescent girls; and 2) expand access to comprehensive RH/FP and HIV prevention services and information among this population. The study demonstrated that the combined use of interactive media and community health worker visitation, health information provision, and referrals, is an effective means of reinforcing RH/FP and HIV messages, and of increasing access …

Providers' And Key Opinion Leaders' Attitudes, Beliefs, And Practices Regarding Emergency Contraception In Nigeria, Babatunde A.O. Ahonsi, Salisu Mohammed Ishaku, Araoyinbo Idowu, Ayodeji Oginni

Reproductive Health

Despite significant progress in product development, procurement, and distribution in the past few decades, emergency contraception’s (EC) capacity to benefit many women in countries such as Nigeria is hampered by a number of potential barriers, that are not well understood. The Population Council, with support from the International Consortium for Emergency Contraception, documented EC-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices among providers in Nigeria as well as perceptions of key opinion leaders who help shape the policy environment for EC and family planning in general. Findings suggest significant gaps in Nigeria, potentially necessitating continuous training and re-training to help dispel misperceptions and …

Hiv/Aids In The Muslim-Majority Countries: Formula For Low Prevalence, Kaoru Yamaguchi

Political Science Theses and Capstones

The Muslim-majority countries long had been considered to be free of HIV/AIDS epidemic because of their strict religious and moral codes. However, the HIV prevalence rates are increasing in some Islamic states, and even more or so rapidly in a several cases that it is no longer valid to assume the Islamic religion protects its followers from the risks of contracting HIV. Contrary to the popular belief concerning the prevention of the HIV/AIDs epidemic, data collected from well-recognized international organizations such as the WHO and Freedom House indicate that democratization, strong government leadership, and wider and equal human rights for …

Household Survey To Evaluate The Zambia-Led Prevention Initiative: Baseline Report, Zambia-Led Prevention Initiative

HIV and AIDS

With an estimated HIV prevalence of 14.3 percent among men and women age 15–49, Zambia is one of the sub-Saharan African countries most affected by the HIV and AIDS pandemic. The Zambia-led Prevention Initiative Program (ZPI) was developed by a consortium led by FHI360, with the Population Council as the evaluation partner. This study determined baseline levels of key indicators related to HIV, gender-based violence, and reproductive health. Additionally, the baseline findings provide critical insights into key areas for interventions in Zambia and highlights variability in the populations across provinces and between males and females that provide valuable guidance for …

Youth Perspectives On Entrepreneurship In Egypt: Barriers To Entrepreneurship As A Means To Combat Youth Unemployment, Maia Sieverding

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This brief examines a range of factors that Egyptian youth perceive to be barriers to starting their own business, including high risk, limited access to finance, complexity of micro-credit schemes, lack of business and marketing training, and the need for connections in order to succeed. According to results from the Survey of Young People in Egypt, these factors combine to create the view among many youth that entrepreneurship is not a viable means of labor-market entry. Rather, youth see entrepreneurship as either a supplemental income-generating activity while also having a “regular” job, or as a later-life employment option once they …