More articles from Field Action Report
- Exploring Barriers: How to Overcome Roadblocks Impeding the Provision of Postabortion Care to Young People in Togo
Before providers were trained in offering youth-friendly postabortion care (PAC), including provision of voluntary contraceptive methods, no youth PAC client chose a modern method before leaving the facility. After training, over a 6-month period 41% of youth PAC clients chose a modern method, most commonly oral contraceptive pills followed by implants and injectables.
- More Than Bar Codes: Integrating Global Standards-Based Bar Code Technology Into National Health Information Systems in Ethiopia and Pakistan to Increase End-to-End Supply Chain Visibility
Bar codes can help track and trace health products in the supply chain. But to do so efficiently, they should be based on global standards rather than a proprietary system, and the captured data should be integrated into national health information systems to achieve end-to-end data visibility.
- An NGO-Implemented Community–Clinic Health Worker Approach to Providing Long-Term Care for Hypertension in a Remote Region of Southern India
Paid community health workers screened for hypertension in the community, referred cases to the clinic for diagnosis and initial treatment by a physician, and then monitored patients who had well-controlled blood pressure including dispensing maintenance medications prescribed by the physician. Blood pressure control was successful in the majority of such patients.
- Community-Based Noncommunicable Disease Care for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon
The high prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) among Syrian refugees in Lebanon required a shift in the humanitarian response, from direct care provided through mobile medical clinics to community-based primary health care and health promotion provided through trained refugee outreach volunteers (ROVs). During the first 2 months after training, these ROVs conducted 753 blood pressure monitoring visits and 657 blood glucose checks; monitored medication adherence among 387 patients with NCDs; referred 293 refugees to the local primary health care facility for additional care; and provided 346 targeted health education messages.
- The Tobacco-Free Village Program: Helping Rural Areas Implement and Achieve Goals of Tobacco Control Policies in India
Tobacco control and prevention in rural areas are possible as demonstrated by a community-driven tobacco-free village program in India. Success factors included community ownership with supportive program guidance, motivated and committed local leaders, collaboration with grassroots organizations, rewards and sanctions to establish new social norms, and provision of other income-generating options for vendors who sell tobacco. While the program required time and dedicated effort and was not successful in all villages, it holds promise for helping to achieve the goals of tobacco control policies, especially in resource-scarce settings.
- A Mobile-Based Community Health Management Information System for Community Health Workers and Their Supervisors in 2 Districts of Zambia
Using simple-feature mobile phones, CHWs sent weekly reports on disease caseloads and commodities consumed, ordered drugs and supplies, and sent pre-referral notices to health centers. Supervisors provided feedback to CHWs on referred patient outcomes and received monthly SMS reminders to set up mentoring sessions with the CHWs. Scale-up limitations include: (1) staff shortages at health centers to supervise the CHWs, (2) need for ongoing technical support to troubleshoot challenges with mobile phones and software, and (3) recurring costs for data bundles.
- Infant Feeding Policy and Programming During the 2014–2015 Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak in Sierra Leone
Policies on breastfeeding and possible mother-to-child transmission of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) during the outbreak evolved depending on public health priorities and the evidence available at that particular time. To improve responses to future outbreaks, research on vertical transmission of EVD should be prioritized; infant and young child feeding experts should be integrated into the outbreak response; and a digital repository of national policies and associated messages should be created.
- Challenges of Implementing Antenatal Ultrasound Screening in a Rural Study Site: A Case Study From the Democratic Republic of the Congo
In the context of a well-resourced research project on obstetric ultrasound, we encountered major challenges, including security and maintenance of the equipment, electricity requirements, health systems integration, and a variety of other systems issues. We propose future ultrasound interventions have at minimum a functioning health system with skilled and motivated staff, access to a referral hospital capable of providing affordable and higher levels of care, and feasible transportation means.
- mJustice: Preliminary Development of a Mobile App for Medical-Forensic Documentation of Sexual Violence in Low-Resource Environments and Conflict Zones
The MediCapt mobile app has promise for clinicians to capture medical and forensic evidence of sexual violence and securely transmit the data to legal authorities for potential use in prosecution. We believe this application broadens the traditional scope of mHealth to collecting evidence, and thus name it mJustice.
- Web-Based Quality Assurance Process Drives Improvements in Obstetric Ultrasound in 5 Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Newly trained sonographers improved performance through a quality assurance process that merged (1) evaluation by remote experts of images uploaded to a website, with (2) periodic in-person skill tests. To promote sustainability, in-country supervisors gradually assumed more responsibility for image evaluation. The user-friendly and efficient interface used simple menus and forms, customized based on the user's role.