More articles from ORIGINAL ARTICLES
- Scaling up delivery of contraceptive implants in sub-Saharan Africa: operational experiences of Marie Stopes International
Between 2008 and 2012, Marie Stopes International (MSI) provided 1.7 million contraceptive implants in sub-Saharan Africa as part of a comprehensive method mix, primarily through mobile outreach using dedicated MSI providers and also through social franchising and MSI-run clinics. Large-scale access, quality, and informed choice were key elements of MSI's strategy.
- Taking knowledge for health the extra mile: participatory evaluation of a mobile phone intervention for community health workers in Malawi
A participatory evaluation process called Net-Map showed that providing community health workers (CHWs) with mobile phones and essential technical information changed CHWs, from passive recipients of information with little influence to active information agents who sought and provided information to improve health services.
- SMS versus voice messaging to deliver MNCH communication in rural Malawi: assessment of delivery success and user experience
Mobile SMS health messages had higher successful delivery and led to higher intended or actual behavior change among subscribers than voice messages. Providing multiple delivery modalities led to greater overall access.
- Does free pregnancy testing reduce service denial in family planning clinics? A cluster-randomized experiment in Zambia and Ghana
Pregnancy tests, which cost very little (∼US$0.10) and are often required for successful family planning service delivery, may reduce service denial, and should be available in all family planning clinics at no or minimal cost to clients.
- Understanding where parents take their sick children and why it matters: a multi-country analysis
To effectively reach children with potentially life-threatening illness with needed treatment, it is important to understand where parents seek care. Data from 42 DHS and MICS surveys conducted since 2005 show that a majority of care in Africa is sought from the public sector; in South Asia, from the private sector; and in Southeast Asia, from a public-private mix. We recommend that such data be made available in standard DHS and MICS reports.
- Factors limiting immunization coverage in urban Dili, Timor-Leste
Simple access to immunization services does not necessarily translate into uptake of services. In Timor-Leste, key determinants of the success of vaccination efforts are health workers' attitudes, the manner in which patients are treated, aspects of service organization, adequate supply of vaccines, and caregivers' basic knowledge about immunization.
- Child malnutrition in Haiti: progress despite disasters
Despite a devastating earthquake and a major cholera outbreak in Haiti in 2010, surveys in 2006 and 2012 document marked reductions in child undernutrition. Intensive relief efforts in nutrition as well as synergies and improvements in various sectors before and after the earthquake were likely contributing factors.
- “A cup of tea with our CBD agent … ”: community provision of injectable contraceptives in Kenya is safe and feasible
Community health workers can safely provide the injectable DMPA when appropriately trained and supervised. We also found a fivefold increase in contraceptive uptake—a finding that builds on evidence from other countries for supportive policy change.
- Early pregnancy detection by female community health volunteers in Nepal facilitated referral for appropriate reproductive health services
Trained female community health volunteers provided low-cost urine pregnancy tests in their communities, leading to counseling and appropriate referrals for antenatal care, family planning, or comprehensive abortion care.
- As good as physicians: patient perceptions of physicians and non-physician clinicians in rural primary health centers in India
Non-physician clinicians (NPCs), including both specially trained medical assistants and physicians trained in India systems of medicine, perform similarly to physicians in terms of patient satisfaction, trust, and perceived quality, thus supporting the use and scale up of NPCs in primary care.