Health Topics
- Addressing COVID-19 Rumors and Behaviors Using Theory in Guyana: A Program Case Study
We used a COVID-19 rumor classification tool to rapidly identify, synthesize, and counter misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic and provide appropriate social and behavior change messaging that would affect relevant preventive and protective behaviors.
- Adapting High Impact Practices in Family Planning During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences From Kenya, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe
Documenting how family planning programs adapt to ensure continuity of care during the COVID-19 pandemic is an important contribution toward implementing approaches that are effective and resilient in the face of present and future challenges.
- Women’s Experiences With Family Planning Under COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional, Interactive Voice Response Survey in Malawi, Nepal, Niger, and Uganda
Surveyed women attributed unintended pregnancies to COVID-19 and reported constraints to contraceptive access and use in Malawi, Nepal, Niger, and Uganda.
- What Drives Knowledge Seeking, Sharing, and Use Among Family Planning Professionals? Behavioral Evidence From Africa, Asia, and the United States
To reduce the knowledge-to-action gap in global health programs, knowledge management (KM) interventions can apply behavioral economics concepts by sharing practical, actionable information on context and how programs are implemented, using a multifaceted KM approach to build trust and group identity among members, and using incentives to motivate information sharing.
- Infant Circumcision for Sexually Transmitted Infection Risk Reduction Globally
Population-based studies in high-income countries have failed to find that male circumcision protects against sexually transmitted infections. Using evidence from several sources, we show that male circumcision does protect against HIV during insertive intercourse for men who have sex with men.
- Costs and Cost-Effectiveness of mCME Version 2.0: An SMS-Based Continuing Medical Education Program for HIV Clinicians in Vietnam
This cost analysis found that a mobile phone-based continuing medical education (mCME) intervention, involving daily text messages with links to relevant materials, for HIV clinicians in northern Vietnam was relatively low-cost and cost-effective, particularly for future nationwide models. Such mobile approaches to CME are worthy of attention in resource-constrained settings.
- Formative Research to Inform Market-Based Interventions to Increase Egg Purchase and Consumption in Tigray, Ethiopia
We aimed to understand and address barriers and enablers related to market access, purchase, and consumption of animal source foods by children aged 6–23 months and to inform subsequent market-based interventions.
- Screening for Severe Illness at Diagnosis Has the Potential to Prevent Early TB Deaths: Programmatic Experience From Karnataka, India
Despite TB being a potentially fatal disease, severity is not systematically assessed at the start of drug-susceptible TB treatment. We document our experience screening people for severe illness at diagnosis/notification in program settings and the potential impact on reducing early TB deaths.
- Re-envisioning Kangaroo Mother Care Implementation Through a Socioecological Model: Lessons From Malawi
Successful kangaroo mother care (KMC) efforts must understand and address social norms that influence this practice. The current study offers a model for how to connect social norms analysis to specific actions to improve KMC implementation.
- Coverage and Drivers to Reaching the Last Child With Vaccination in Urban Settings: A Mixed-Methods Study in Kampala, Uganda
Most children in Kampala city are not fully vaccinated as the health system is not designed to suit the complex urban setting.