Latest Articles
- RAHI–SATHI Indo-U.S. Collaboration: The Evolution of a Trainee-Led Twinning Model in Global Health Into a Multidisciplinary Collaborative Program
RAHI–SATHI presents an innovative twinning model of global health academic partnership, resulting in a number of successful research activities, that features trainees or students as the driving force, complemented by strategic institutional support from both sides of the partnership. Others can promote similar student-led initiatives by: (1) accepting an expanded role for trainees in global health programs, (2) creating structured research and program opportunities for trainees, (3) developing a network of faculty and trainees interested in global health, (4) sharing extramural global health funding opportunities with faculty and trainees, and (5) offering seed funding.
- 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.
- Strategies for Optimal Implementation of Simulated Clients for Measuring Quality of Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
When properly implemented, use of simulated clients (“mystery clients”) can provide insight into actual experiences of real clients and evaluate quality of care. Successful implementation calls for recruiting mystery clients who represent the facility's clientele, have strong recall of recent events, and are comfortable being undercover data collectors. Developing training protocols and checklists to standardize mystery client behavior and responses is also key.
- 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.
- Preventing Peer Violence Against Children: Methods and Baseline Data of a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial in Pakistan
Peer violence was remarkably high at baseline. Among urban public school students, 94% of 6th-grade boys and 85% of girls reported being victimized by peers in the last 4 weeks. And 85% of boys and 66% of girls reported perpetrating such violence. Boys scored worse on a number of mental health measures. A cluster RCT is underway to evaluate a well-established school-based intervention using sports and games to reduce peer violence.
- 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.
- 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.
- CDC's Male Circumcision Recommendations Represent a Key Public Health Measure
Frisch and Earp, opponents of male circumcision, have criticized draft recommendations from the CDC that advocate counseling men and parents of newborn boys in the United States about the benefits and risks of male circumcision. We provide a rebuttal to Frisch and Earp's criticisms and contend that the recommendations are entirely appropriate and merit consideration for policy development.