Cross-Cutting Topics
- Maximizing the benefits of improved cookstoves: moving from acquisition to correct and consistent use
The adoption of clean cooking technologies goes beyond mere product acquisition and requires attention to issues of cooking traditions, user engagement, gender dynamics, culture, and religion to effect correct and consistent use.
- Strategic contracting practices to improve procurement of health commodities
Practices such as flexible, pre-established framework agreements can improve timeliness and cost of procurement and help improve commodity security. Addressing legislative barriers and building technical capacity in contract management may facilitate the use of such practices.
- Plausible role for CHW peer support groups in increasing care-seeking in an integrated community case management project in Rwanda: a mixed methods evaluation
During national scale up of iCCM in Rwanda, greater improvements in care-seeking were found in the districts where Kabeho Mwana implemented its model than in the rest of the country. Success was attributed to an emphasis on routine data review, intensive monitoring, collaborative supervision, community mobilization, and, in particular, CHW peer support groups.
- Development and use of a master health facility list: Haiti's experience during the 2010 earthquake response
Collaboration between the Haitian government and NGOs after the 2010 earthquake contributed to a more accurate and complete master health facility list, which helped coordinate emergency response operations as well as strengthen the routine health information system. Open data and social networks facilitated the collection and sharing of health facility information and in maintenance of the list over time.
- Urban health: it's time to get moving!
The global health community should mainstream urban health and implement urban health programs to address the triple health burden of communicable diseases, noncommunicable diseases, and injuries in low- and middle-income countries.
- Local markets for global health technologies: lessons learned from advancing 6 new products
Key components to support local institutional and consumer markets are: supply chain, finance, clinical use, and consumer use. Key lessons learned: (1) Build supply and demand simultaneously. (2) Support a lead organization to drive the introduction process. (3) Plan for scale up from the start. (4) Profitability for the private sector is an absolute.
- Medical barriers to emergency contraception: a cross-sectional survey of doctors in North India
Emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) are extremely safe and do not interfere with implantation. Yet many surveyed physicians in India did not know that there are no contraindications to using ECPs, and many had negative attitudes about ECP users. Most were against having ECPs available over-the-counter and wanted to impose age restrictions. Efforts are needed to address such misconceptions that might lead to limiting ECP availability.
- Informed push distribution of contraceptives in Senegal reduces stockouts and improves quality of family planning services
Dedicated logisticians restocked contraceptives monthly at facilities to maintain defined minimum stock levels, freeing up clinic staff. High stockout rates were virtually eliminated. Also, quality and timely data on contraceptives distributed allowed for better program management.
- Cell phones and CHWs: a transformational marriage?
Mobile phones can be transformative for community health workers (CHWs) in enhancing their influence and status and helping to solve practical problems. While formal intervention research can help advance mHealth application, most progress will come through a “diffusion of innovation” process.
- The imperative for health promotion in universal health coverage
Health promotion and disease prevention have huge impact on health, yet given low priority, risk being overlooked in universal health coverage efforts. To effectively prioritize promotion and prevention, strong cadres of personnel are needed with expertise in legislation and health policy, social and behavior change communication, prevention and community health, health journalism, environmental health, and multisectoral health promotion.