Strengthening The Evidence Base On Social Accountability For Improving Family Planning And Reproductive Health Programs,
2014
Population Council
Strengthening The Evidence Base On Social Accountability For Improving Family Planning And Reproductive Health Programs, Victoria Boydell, Jill Keesbury, Kelsey Wright
Reproductive Health
The concept of accountability is important in the family planning (FP) and reproductive health (RH) sector, building on a rich history of community involvement and civil society participation. There are three categories of FP/RH accountability initiatives: tracking donor and government financial commitments, tracking national-level program implementation, and tracking service-delivery outcomes. The third category, often referred to as “social accountability,” includes the efforts of citizens and civil society to scrutinize and hold duty bearers to account for providing promised services, most often at the subnational or community levels. Social accountability is premised on the assumption that increased and targeted citizen and …
Assessing The Potential Market For A Progesterone Contraceptive Vaginal Ring (Pcvr) As A New Contraceptive Option In Sub-Saharan Africa Using Needs-Based Market Segmentation,
2014
Population Council
Assessing The Potential Market For A Progesterone Contraceptive Vaginal Ring (Pcvr) As A New Contraceptive Option In Sub-Saharan Africa Using Needs-Based Market Segmentation, Francis Obare, Deepa Rajamani, Saumya Ramarao
Reproductive Health
Developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, have disproportionately high unmet contraceptive needs compared to other regions, and especially high levels of unmet need for spacing pregnancies. To address some of sub-Saharan Africa’s barriers to effective contraception, there is renewed focus on new methods that offer greater ease of use. New methods under investigation would not require daily action, their use would be controlled by women themselves, and they would require no medical providers or significant health-system infrastructure for service delivery. Contraceptive vaginal rings hold great potential by offering not only ease of use but a safe and effective FP solution. …
Validating Indicators Of The Quality Of Maternal Health Care: Final Report, Mexico,
2014
Population Council
Validating Indicators Of The Quality Of Maternal Health Care: Final Report, Mexico, Karla Berdichevsky, Claudia Diaz, Katharine Mccarthy, Ann K. Blanc
Reproductive Health
Despite widespread use, the majority of indicators proposed as measures of the quality of maternal health services have not been sufficiently validated. To help accurately track progress toward national and global maternal health goals, the present study sought to validate and identify a set of maternal health indicators that can be practically applied in facility and population-based surveys. To evaluate the indicators, the study employed a facility-based design. The study was conducted in public/government hospital facilities in Kenya and Mexico. Participants included women aged 15–49 who underwent labor and delivery at participating study facilities and the providers who attended them. …
Achieving Mdgs 4 And 5 In Balochistan: The Role Of Family Planning,
2014
Population Council
Achieving Mdgs 4 And 5 In Balochistan: The Role Of Family Planning, Population Council
Reproductive Health
This brief focuses on the policy options available to the Balochistan government to affect the province’s population growth by 2050 and its potential to achieve MDGs 4 and 5. Maternal mortality is a leading cause of death among women of reproductive age in Balochistan—about 35 percent of the deaths in this age group are pregnancy-related. Approximately 3,000 women die each year in Balochistan due to pregnancy-related factors. Pregnancies that occur too early, too late, or too frequently increase the risk of maternal death. Lowering fertility rates by increasing the use of family planning can help reduce pregnancy-related deaths. The maternal …
Achieving Mdgs 4 And 5 In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: The Role Of Family Planning,
2014
Population Council
Achieving Mdgs 4 And 5 In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: The Role Of Family Planning, Population Council
Reproductive Health
This brief focuses on the policy options available to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government to affect the province’s population growth by 2050 and its potential to achieve MDGs 4 and 5. Maternal mortality is a leading cause of death among women of reproductive age in KP—about 27 percent of the deaths in this age group are pregnancy-related. Approximately 1,700 women die each year in KP due to pregnancy-related factors. Pregnancies that occur too early, too late, or too frequently increase the risk of maternal death. Lowering fertility rates by increasing the use of family planning can help reduce pregnancy-related deaths. …
Increasing Access To Family Planning In Ghana Through Policy Change: Task-Sharing To Enable Auxiliary Nurses To Provide Contraceptive Implant Services,
2014
Population Council
Increasing Access To Family Planning In Ghana Through Policy Change: Task-Sharing To Enable Auxiliary Nurses To Provide Contraceptive Implant Services, Population Council
Reproductive Health
Ghana has made significant progress toward reducing the maternal mortality ratio but the rate is still unacceptably high. Up to 26 percent of married Ghanaian women have unmet need for family planning and one in four currently married women is using a modern contraceptive method. Satisfying unmet need for family planning could cut the number of maternal deaths by almost a third. One factor contributing to low usage of modern methods is shortage of trained staff, particularly those skilled in providing long-acting reversible and permanent methods. Until recently, implant services were provided primarily by Ghana Health Service (GHS) trained midwives, …
Achieving Mdgs 4 And 5 In Sindh: The Role Of Family Planning,
2014
Population Council
Achieving Mdgs 4 And 5 In Sindh: The Role Of Family Planning, Population Council
Reproductive Health
This brief focuses on the policy options available to the Sindh government to affect the province’s population growth by 2050 and its potential to achieve MDGs 4 and 5. Maternal mortality is a leading cause of death among women of reproductive age in Sindh—about 24 percent of the deaths in this age group are pregnancy-related. Approximately 2,800 women die each year in Sindh due to pregnancy-related causes despite some recent improvement in reproductive health indicators. Pregnancies that occur too early, too late, or too frequently increase the risk of maternal death. Lowering fertility rates by increasing the use of family …
An Evaluation Of Population Services Zimbabwe’S Mobile Outreach Model,
2014
Population Council
An Evaluation Of Population Services Zimbabwe’S Mobile Outreach Model, Ravikanthi Rapiti, Saiqa Mullick
Reproductive Health
This report documents a service evaluation of Population Services Zimbabwe’s (PSZ) mobile outreach program in four provinces of Zimbabwe. The evaluation was conducted by the Population Council between September and October 2013. It provides key findings on the quality of the PSZ outreach program in expanding choice and access to long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) and permanent methods (PMs) of contraception, as well as recommendations for PSZ and other family planning programs to consider in scaling up and strengthening mobile outreach services. The evaluation, conducted by the Population Council, was designed to focus on various components of quality including adequate information …
Facilitator's Guide For Training On Monitoring And Evaluation Of Social And Behavior Change Communication Health Programs,
2014
Population Council
Facilitator's Guide For Training On Monitoring And Evaluation Of Social And Behavior Change Communication Health Programs, Praween Kumar Agrawal, Kumudha Aruldas, M.E. Khan, Subrato Mondal
Reproductive Health
Social and behavior change communication (SBCC) interventions are now incorporated within state project implementation plans and increasing resources are being allocated for SBCC activities. A close monitoring of SBCC activities and an evaluation in terms of reach and effectiveness among intended audiences is thus necessary. This calls for a serious effort to build the capacity of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) personnel to monitor and evaluate performance of SBCC activities. FHI 360’s Improving Healthy Behaviors Program, funded by USAID, aims to provide technical assistance to strengthen the capacities of public program managers at the national, state, and district level to monitor …
Increasing Choice Of And Access To Family Planning Services Via Outreach In Rajasthan, India,
2014
Population Council
Increasing Choice Of And Access To Family Planning Services Via Outreach In Rajasthan, India, Kumudha Aruldas, M.E. Khan, Jaleel Ahmad, Anvita Dixit
Reproductive Health
This report documents a service evaluation of Marie Stopes (MS) India’s mobile outreach program in the state of Rajasthan, which was conducted by the Population Council between March and October 2012. This study was made possible through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Support for International Family Planning Organizations–Marie Stopes International project. It provides important findings on the safety and effectiveness of MS India’s outreach program in expanding choice and access to long-acting reversible contraception methods and voluntary surgical permanent methods of contraception, as well as recommendations for MS India and other family planning programs to consider in …
Induced Abortions And Unintended Pregnancies In Pakistan, 2012,
2014
Population Council
Induced Abortions And Unintended Pregnancies In Pakistan, 2012, Population Council
Reproductive Health
The 2012–13 PDHS (Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey) shows that gains in contraceptive prevalence over the past decade have been small, and unmet need has remained high. Using data from a 2012 national study on post-abortion care, we estimate 2.2 million abortions occurred in Pakistan in 2012, and an annual abortion rate of 50 per 1,000 women. A previous study estimated an abortion rate of 27 for 2002. Even accounting for an underestimation of abortion incidence (private sector abortion services could not be included) in the prior study, the abortion rate in Pakistan has likely increased substantially between 2002 and …
Maternal Health Commodity Landscaping Exercise: A Snapshot Of The Bangladesh Program,
2014
Population Council
Maternal Health Commodity Landscaping Exercise: A Snapshot Of The Bangladesh Program, Sharif M.I. Hossain, Saumya Ramarao, Ismat Ara Hena, Ubaidur Rob
Reproductive Health
Despite consistent efforts of the government and national stakeholders, every year in Bangladesh over 5,000 mothers and thousands of children die. Most of these deaths would be preventable with increased access to quality services including existing medicines and other health commodities. The United Nation’s Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children suggests that an important cause of these deaths is lack of access and appropriate use of 13 life-saving commodities. This document describes an effort by the Population Council to assess the country’s policies, guidelines, and availability for these 13 life-saving commodities as well as engaging with key stakeholders …
Reaching The Unreached Through Community Mobilization In An Innovative And Sustainable Way,
2014
Population Council
Reaching The Unreached Through Community Mobilization In An Innovative And Sustainable Way, Arupendra Mozumdar, M.E. Khan, Subrato Mondal
Reproductive Health
This study shows the potential of Self Help Groups (SHGs) to deliver health messages that increase women’s knowledge. The intervention for this operations research (OR) study included a day-long training for Swasth Sakhis in the experimental area. A total of 11 trainings were organized, all conducted by Population Council staff. Before the intervention, at baseline, 803 women from eligible households were interviewed for the quantitative assessment. At endline, 470 women were followed up. Additionally, 16 in-depth interviews with women, Swasth Sakhis, and Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojana staff were conducted in the experimental area to understand how the intervention was …
Sexual And Reproductive Health Of Women Living With Hiv In Egypt: Unmet Needs And Unfulfilled Dreams,
2014
Population Council
Sexual And Reproductive Health Of Women Living With Hiv In Egypt: Unmet Needs And Unfulfilled Dreams, Doaa Oraby, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab
Reproductive Health
The gender profile of the HIV/AIDS epidemic has changed since it emerged 30 years ago when infections were concentrated in key populations of men such as injecting drug users and men who have sex with men. In 2012, women accounted for nearly 50 percent of the estimated 35.3 million people living with HIV/AIDS globally. In the Middle East and North Africa, 44 percent of infected adults are women. The past 30 years have also witnessed remarkable improvements in access to high-quality information and medical services, including services for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of the virus. With care and treatment for …
Prioritizing Family Planning For Achieving Provincial Maternal Child Health And Development Goals,
2014
Population Council
Prioritizing Family Planning For Achieving Provincial Maternal Child Health And Development Goals, Zeba Sathar, Muhammad Asif Wazir, Maqsood Sadiq
Reproductive Health
This report presents an argument for prioritizing family planning to achieve the maternal, child, and development goals of four major provinces in Pakistan, using the latest available provincial data, especially the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2012-13. The analysis is based on provincial projections generated by the Population Council. Opportunities for enhancing family planning are identified, and the number of maternal, infant, and child lives that could be saved in each province through an accelerated family planning program is estimated. The analysis establishes that none of the provinces are on track to meet Millennium Development Goals 4 or 5. The …
Kenya Country Profile: A Status Check On Unintended Pregnancy In Kenya,
2014
Population Council
Kenya Country Profile: A Status Check On Unintended Pregnancy In Kenya, Joyce Mumah, Jessica Brinton, Caroline W. Kabiru, Carol Mukiira, Chimaraoke O. Izugbara
Reproductive Health
Kenya’s mothers are dying at an alarming rate: a woman giving birth in Kenya has a 1 in 38 chance of dying due to inadequate reproductive health services. In response, in 2014 Kenya’s First Lady Margaret Kenyatta launched the Beyond Zero campaign to create awareness and raise funds to tackle maternal mortality and morbidity and improve child health. This brief offers six policy and programmatic recommendations to address significant sexual and reproductive health challenges highlighted throughout the report. These recommendations take into account the policy context in Kenya, which is evolving at a rapid rate in part because of the …
Improving Family Planning Services In Public Health Facilities To Reach More Women,
2014
Population Council
Improving Family Planning Services In Public Health Facilities To Reach More Women, Caroline W. Kabiru, Jessica Brinton, Joyce Mumah, Carol Mukiira, Chimaraoke O. Izugbara
Reproductive Health
Although Kenya has made significant progress in ensuring its citizens’ right to reproductive health, many Kenyans still lack access to or fail to use contraceptives, in part because of the lack of quality family planning (FP) services. Through the STEP UP research program, the African Population and Health Research Center developed a comprehensive country profile report that outlines the status, causes, and consequences of unintended pregnancy in Kenya. One of the most prominent findings was how important public health facilities are to reducing unmet need for FP. In order to solidify gains achieved and make further progress, concerted commitment from …
Reducing Unsafe Menstrual Regulation Through Medication In Bangladesh,
2014
Population Council
Reducing Unsafe Menstrual Regulation Through Medication In Bangladesh, Ubaidur Rob, Ismat Ara Hena, Nargis Sultana, Md. Irfan Hossain, Reena Yasmin, Tapash Ranjan Das, Farid Uddin Ahmed
Reproductive Health
The Population Council and Marie Stopes Bangladesh, in collaboration with the Directorate General of Family Planning and with funding from the World Health Organization, tested the feasibility of introducing menstrual regulation with medication (MRM) in Bangladesh and assessed the acceptability of providing MRM using the combination drug regimen mifepristone and misoprostol in urban and rural public health facilities. As reported in this policy brief, the study demonstrates that it is feasible and safe to introduce MRM in rural and urban public health facilities. Given the choice, almost two-thirds of women preferred MRM to manual vacuum aspiration and women receiving MRM …
Comprendre Les Grossesses Non Désirées Au Sénégal: Rapport Du Profil Pays,
2014
Population Council
Comprendre Les Grossesses Non Désirées Au Sénégal: Rapport Du Profil Pays, Kaila Clarke, Mohamadou Sall, Babacar Mane, Nafissatou Diop, Bocar Mamadou Daff
Reproductive Health
Dans le cadre du programme de recherche « Strengthening Evidence for Programming on Unintended Pregnancy (STEP UP) », le Population Council a élaboré un Rapport du Profil Pays pour comprendre les grossesses non désirées au Sénégal. Ils ont mené une revue de la littérature, analysé des données d'enquêtes disponibles, et a mené des entretiens pour discuter plus en détail de certains aspects avec quelques parties prenantes clés. Le Profil Pays a été discuté lors d’un atelier de deux jours à Dakar regroupant les principaux acteurs du gouvernement aux niveaux central et régional, des organisations non-gouvernementales, et des acteurs de la …
Understanding Unintended Pregnancy In Senegal: Country Profile Report,
2014
Population Council
Understanding Unintended Pregnancy In Senegal: Country Profile Report, Kaila Clarke, Mohamadou Sall, Babacar Mane, Nafissatou Diop, Bocar Mamadou Daff
Reproductive Health
As part of the Strengthening Evidence for Programming on Unintended Pregnancy (STEP UP) research program, the Population Council has developed a Country Profile Report to understand unwanted pregnancies in Senegal. The Population Council conducted a literature review, analyzed available survey data, and conducted interviews to discuss some aspects in more detail with a number of key stakeholders. The Country Profile was discussed at a two-day workshop in Dakar bringing together key government actors at the central and regional levels, nongovernmental organizations, and civil society actors. The report is composed of six chapters, summarized in this evidence brief.
