Latest Articles
- Routine immunization: an essential but wobbly platform
Despite their vital role, routine immunization programs are taken for granted. Coverage levels are poor in some countries and have stagnated in others, while addition of new vaccines is an additional stressor. We need to strengthen: (1) policy processes, (2) monitoring and evaluation, (3) human resources, (4) regular delivery and supply systems, (5) local political commitment and ownership, (6) involvement of civil society and communities, and (7) sustainable financing. Rebalancing immunization direction and investment is needed.
- Focusing on implementation: the power of executing many small advances well
Success often comes through many small, incremental, well-executed improvements.
- Use of modern contraception increases when more methods become available: analysis of evidence from 1982–2009
International data over 27 years show that as each additional contraceptive method became available to most of the population, overall modern contraceptive use rose. But in 2009 only 3.5 methods, on average, were available to at least half the population in surveyed countries. Family planning programs should strive to provide widespread access to a range of methods.
- Multiplicity in public health supply systems: a learning agenda
Supply chain integration—merging products for health programs into a single supply chain—tends to be the dominant model in health sector reform. However, multiplicity in a supply system may be justified as a risk management strategy that can better ensure product availability, advance specific health program objectives, and increase efficiency.
- The 6 domains of behavior change: the missing health system building block
Behavior is crucial throughout global health interventions. The discipline of behavior change offers distinct expertise needed across 6 different domains of behavior. Such expertise is in short supply, however. We will not have effective and sustainable health systems, nor achieve our ambitious global health goals, without seriously addressing behavior change.
- Operations research to add postpartum family planning to maternal and neonatal health to improve birth spacing in Sylhet District, Bangladesh
This quasi-experimental study integrated family planning, including the Lactational Amenorrhea Method, into community-based maternal and newborn health care and encouraged transition to other modern methods after 6 months to increase birth-to-pregnancy intervals. Community-based distribution of pills, condoms, and injectables, and referral for clinical methods, was added to meet women's demand.
- mHealth innovations as health system strengthening tools: 12 common applications and a visual framework
This new framework lays out 12 common mHealth applications used as health systems strengthening innovations across the reproductive health continuum.
- Achieving better maternal and newborn outcomes: coherent strategy and pragmatic, tailored implementation
Maternal and newborn health program effort needs to: shift from mere contact to the actual content or substance of care; respond better to local context; ensure delivery of all key interventions needed during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and postnatally; and actively monitor performance to manage and improve programs.
- Islam and family planning: changing perceptions of health care providers and medical faculty in Pakistan
Training health care providers and medical college faculty about the supportive nature of Islam toward family planning principles addressed their misconceptions and enhanced their level of comfort in providing family planning services and teaching the subject.