Latest Articles
- Excellent Family Planning Progress in Nigeria Reported by PMA2020
Modern method contraceptive prevalence among married women in Nigeria has jumped to 16.0% in 2016 compared with <10% in 2013.
Notable increases were observed in the South as well as in some Northern states that had strong programming.
Most of the increase was in the uptake of highly effective implants and injectables.
But substantial unmet need for family planning remains, especially among the poorest quintile.
Implants and IUDs are not offered in many facilities and stock-outs are common, suggesting further progress is achievable with improved program effort.
- Winners of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health–Global Health: Science and Practice Annual Student Manuscript Contest
The 2 inaugural winners of the CUGH–GHSP Annual Student Manuscript Contest describe (1) the American Mock World Health Organization model for engaging students in global health policy and diplomacy, and (2) a successful Indo-U.S. twinning model of global health academic partnership led by students.
- Mobile-Based Nutrition and Child Health Monitoring to Inform Program Development: An Experience From Liberia
Monitoring behavior using mobile phones at food distribution points allowed managers to rapidly adapt project activities. Self-reported breastfeeding, complementary feeding, and use of insecticide-treated nets improved. Applying the same methodology at the household level proved unsuccessful.
- Limits of “Skills And Drills” Interventions to Improving Obstetric and Newborn Emergency Response: What More Do We Need to Learn?
A “skills and drills” intervention in 4 hospitals in Karnataka, India, produced modest improvement in provider knowledge and skills but not in actual response to obstetric and newborn emergencies. We explore possible explanations, which include (1) the need for a more intensive intervention; (2) other weaknesses in the health system; and (3) behavioral or organizational barriers related to hierarchical structures, roles, and team formation.
- 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.
- A Review of 10 Years of Vasectomy Programming and Research in Low-Resource Settings
Reviewed areas included misconceptions and lack of knowledge among men, women, and providers; approaches to demand generation including community-based and mass media communications; service delivery innovations consisting of the no-scalpel vasectomy technique, whole-site training, cascade training, task shifting, and mobile outreach; and engagement of religious and community leaders to create an enabling environment.
- 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.
- Qualitative Assessment of the Application of a Discrete Choice Experiment With Community Health Workers in Uganda: Aligning Incentives With Preferences
Conducting a discrete choice experiment (DCE) with CHWs via survey versus interviews gave similar findings: the most appealing attributes for these CHWs were a bicycle, transportation refund, and mobile phone. To promote meaningful and valid results, particularly when applying DCEs to lower-literacy populations such as CHWs, DCEs should (1) use a small number of job attributes to facilitate comprehension, (2) choose attribute levels (e.g., mobile phone vs. no mobile phone) that are realistic yet show sufficient range, and (3) clearly define attributes and their levels.