More articles from ORIGINAL ARTICLE
- Benefits and Limitations of Text Messages to Stimulate Higher Learning Among Community Providers: Participants' Views of an mHealth Intervention to Support Continuing Medical Education in Vietnam
The original intention was to deliver technical content through brief text messages to stimulate participants to undertake deeper learning. While participants appreciated the convenience and relevance of the text messages, their scores of higher-order knowledge did not improve. The intervention may not have been successful because the messages lacked depth and interactivity, and participants were not explicitly encouraged to seek deeper learning.
- Comparing Women's Contraceptive Preferences With Their Choices in 5 Urban Family Planning Clinics in Ghana
Women's method choice largely matched their stated desired duration of effectiveness but not their desires to avoid certain side effects. While most women reported they were counseled about side effects, many fewer reported being specifically counseled about common menstrual side effects with their chosen method, including side effects the women said would cause them to stop using the method.
- Youth Voucher Program in Madagascar Increases Access to Voluntary Family Planning and STI Services for Young People
Program accomplishments during the first 18 months:
More than 58,000 free vouchers distributed to young people, of which 74% were redeemed.
79% chose long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) and 51% received STI counseling.
Client profile data snapshot:
69% had never previously used contraception and 96% were 20 or younger.
- Community Health Workers as Social Marketers of Injectable Contraceptives: A Case Study from Ethiopia
Volunteer community health workers (CHWs) administered injectable contraceptives to women in the community for a small fee while providing counseling and referrals for other methods. Over nearly 3 years, more than 600 CHWs provided an estimated 15,410 injections. The model has the potential to improve sustainability of community-based distribution programs by incorporating social marketing principles to partially recover commodity costs and compensate CHWs.
- A Non–Gas-Based Cryotherapy System for the Treatment of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia: A Mixed-Methods Approach for Initial Development and Testing
A non–gas-based treatment device for early cervical cancer treatment, adapted for use in low-resource settings to improve ease of use, portability, and durability, performed similarly to a standard gas-based cryotherapy device in small-scale testing. A large randomized clinical trial is currently underway for further assessment.
- Women's Limited Choice and Availability of Modern Contraception at Retail Outlets and Public-Sector Facilities in Luanda, Angola, 2012–2015
Despite high rates of unintended pregnancy, access to a wide range of contraceptive methods, especially injectables and long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), is severely limited in both public and private facilities. Knowledge of contraceptive choices is likewise limited, yet a substantial proportion of women are not using their preferred method among the methods they know of.
- Indoor Residual Spraying Delivery Models to Prevent Malaria: Comparison of Community- and District-Based Approaches in Ethiopia
Integrating indoor residual spraying into the institutionalized community-based health system in 5 districts was more efficient than the district-based model and did not compromise quality or compliance with environmental standards.
- Social Mobilization and Community Engagement Central to the Ebola Response in West Africa: Lessons for Future Public Health Emergencies
Key lessons for the crucial components of social mobilization and community engagement in this context:
Invest in trusted local community members to facilitate community entrance and engagement.
Use key communication networks and channels with wide reach and relevance to the community, such as radio in low-resource settings or faith-based organizations.
Invest in strategic partnerships to tap relevant capacities and resources.
Support a network of communication professionals who can deploy rapidly for lengthy periods.
Balance centralized mechanisms to promote consistency and quality with decentralized programming for flexibility and adaptation to local needs.
Evolve communication approaches and messaging over time with the changing outbreak patterns, e.g., from halting disease transmission to integration and support of survivors.
Establish clear communication indicators and analyze and share data in real time.
- Benefits and Limitations of a Community-Engaged Emergency Referral System in a Remote, Impoverished Setting of Northern Ghana
A low-cost emergency and communication transportation system used 3-wheeled motorcycles driven by trained community volunteers. Delivery referrals were redirected from health centers to hospitals capable of advanced services including cesarean deliveries, which was associated with reduced facility-based maternal mortality.
- Key Role of Drug Shops and Pharmacies for Family Planning in Urban Nigeria and Kenya
Pharmacies and drug shops provide a rich opportunity for expanding family planning access to urban women, especially unmarried and younger women. In urban Nigeria and Kenya, drug shops and pharmacies were the major sources for most short-acting methods, including oral contraceptive pills, emergency contraceptives, and condoms.