6867 research outputs found
Sort by
Estimating changes in sex trafficking prevalence, perceptions, and policies in the gold mining communities in Kedougou, Senegal: An endline research study
This is the endline report from a multi-year study that aimed to estimate prevalence of sex trafficking among women engaged in commercial sex (WECS) and implement supportive services for survivors of sex trafficking in Senegal’s Kédougou region, Kédougou and Saraya Departments. CenHTRO conducted a baseline study in 2021 which found that approximately 20% of WECS (aged 18–30 years) were victims of sex trafficking (Okech et al., 2022). The study identified economic hardship, lack of social support, ineffective law enforcement, and corruption in transit countries as key factors driving vulnerability to trafficking. Following the 2021 study, CenHTRO coordinated with Senegalese and Nigerian stakeholders and NGOs to provide protection, prevention and prosecution services for survivors of sex trafficking and to strengthen sex trafficking response policies within Senegal. The present study aims to assess changes in sex trafficking prevalence, perceptions, and policies since 2021. Specific objectives include measuring the current prevalence among WECS in the Kédougou and Saraya departments, comparing changes in sex trafficking prevalence since the baseline study, evaluating shifts in community perceptions and policies, and assessing the impact of the shifts in community perceptions and policies on survivors. This endline study utilized a mixed methods design, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews with women in commercial sex, sex trafficking survivors, key government stakeholders, and CenHTRO program implementers
Webinar—How Frontline Communities Are Protecting SRHR Amid Climate Change: Community solutions and regional insights
How are frontline communities protecting sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) amid climate change? During a webinar on 8 October, presenters discussed innovative research from Kenya and Tanzania, plus findings from a comprehensive review of climate-SRHR interventions across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
Presentations:
- Gender-responsive climate adaptation strategies from Maasai communities in Kenya.- Youth-led climate health solutions from Tanzania addressing flood impacts on healthcare access.- Evidence-based insights on effective climate-SRHR programming across SSA.
Featured research: Part of the Population Council\u27s PERCC Initiative\u27s Climate Justice in Action: Community-Led Case Studies on Health Impacts, Migration, and Adaptation project supporting 10 case studies across Africa and Asia.
This webinar was co-sponsored by Panorama Global and ICFP2025 in partnership with the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition
National Para Social Workers Handbook
A resource guide for supporting para social workers in delivery of child protection and well-being services at community level in Uganda. This revised handbook integrates the Baobab project\u27s sexual violence screening intervention
Dataset: Humanitarian Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (HVACS) in Ethiopia
The 2024 Violence Against Children and Youth Survey in Refugee Settings in Ethiopia was conducted by the Baobab Research Programme Consortium in collaboration with the Refugees and Returnees Service; the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Regional Bureau for the East and Horn Africa and the Great Lakes Region; and UNHCR Ethiopia and its implementing partners. The overall aim of the research was to generate evidence on the extent, consequences and implications of violence against children (VAC) in refugee settings in Ethiopia in order to inform strategies to identify, prevent and respond to VAC in such settings. The specific objectives of the research were to: (i) determine the prevalence of physical, emotional and sexual violence against children in refugee settings in the country; (ii) identify the risk and protective factors for physical, emotional and sexual violence against children in refugee settings in the country; (iii) determine the health and social consequences associated with violence against children in refugee settings in the country; (iv) determine the level of knowledge and utilization of medical, psychosocial, legal, and protective services available for children who have experienced sexual, emotional and physical violence in refugee settings in the country; and (v) make recommendations to relevant government and non-governmental organizations on developing, improving and enhancing prevention and response strategies to address violence against children in refugee settings. The study was a cross-sectional representative household survey conducted in 20 out of 23 refugee camps in Ethiopia. Data collection involved structured face-to-face interviews with 1,937 female and 1,536 male adolescents and youth aged 13-24 years living in the refugee camps
Baobab Research Programme Consortium Photography Exhibit
Visual tour of the Baobab Research Programme Consortium’s work, the communities it serves, and the partnerships it has built. Baobab advances equitable access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in humanitarian settings, particularly for vulnerable children and youth. The project brings rigorous SRHR surveys into refugee settings for the first time and tests interventions in response to the survey findings
Violence against Children and Youth in Humanitarian Settings: Findings from a 2024 survey of refugee camps in Ethiopia
While several Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys (VACS) have been conducted in development contexts, this survey is only the second-ever VACS carried out exclusively in a humanitarian setting—specifically, within refugee camps in Ethiopia. The first VACS conducted exclusively in a humanitarian context was implemented in refugee settlements in Uganda. Both of these Humanitarian Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys (HVACS) were led by the Baobab Research Programme Consortium.
The survey aimed to assess the prevalence, nature, and consequences of physical, emotional, and sexual violence against children and youth in refugee settings. The findings from this survey provide critical insights into the experiences of children and youth in refugee environments, with particular emphasis on violence and its impact on their well-being
Sexual and reproductive health is inadequately addressed in climate change actions in sub-Saharan Africa
Estimating the incidence of induced abortion among women in refugee settings in Ethiopia
Background: There is little evidence of the magnitude of unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortion in humanitarian settings, but the extent and consequences of unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortion are likely to be exacerbated among refugee populations. This study estimated the incidence of induced abortion among women in refugee settings in Ethiopia. Methods: This study was conducted in 22 of the 24 refugee camps located in Ethiopia. We used data from a Health Facilities Survey (HFS) of 75 health facilities providing postabortion care (PAC) or safe abortion care (SAC) services within or outside the 22 refugee camps and a Knowledgeable Informant Survey (KIS) of 69 individuals knowledgeable about induced abortion among refugee populations. We estimated the annual postabortion caseload, the number of induced abortions, and the induced abortion rate per 1,000 women of reproductive age. Results: We estimated that 9,044 (95% CI: 6,633 − 11,455) women in refugee settings received PAC across the 75 facilities in 2023, while some 2,946 (95% CI: 1,826–4,066) women received SAC. The overall induced abortion incidence rate among women in refugee settings living in camps in Ethiopia was estimated to be 38.3 per 1,000 women aged 15–49 years, with slight variations by region. The proportion of safe abortions obtained from the formal health system was 11.5% in all camps, with a slightly higher proportion of abortions estimated to take place within facilities in Western camps (12.9%) compared to Eastern and Northeastern camps (9.7%). Conclusion: The study found that abortion incidence is high among women in refugee settings in Ethiopia, and only a small proportion of induced abortions were conducted through SAC services. There is an urgent need to improve family planning, SAC, and PAC services in refugee camps
Bridging the gaps: Mental health support for out of school adolescents in urban slums in Kenya
This data is from a longitudinal study that evaluated the feasibility and accessibility of integrating a mental-health component into a safe spaces program. The study included 400 adolescents: 260 girls and 140 boys aged 15–18 who are out of school, split across two areas of Kenya—Rhonda in Nakuru and Kariobangi in Nairobi
A comparison of acceptability of contraceptive vaginal rings, pills, and injectables among cisgender women in Kenya and Zimbabwe: Protocol for a mixed-methods study
Expanding contraceptive options could better meet users’ diverse needs and preferences. Annovera ® is a contraceptive vaginal ring that provides a year of pregnancy prevention while remaining under user control and allowing for regular menstrual cycles. This method may also help to reduce burdens on some health care and supply chain systems. However, knowledge gaps exist regarding initial and ongoing acceptability of contraceptive vaginal rings in African settings.
We will undertake an open-label, non-randomized, two-arm, parallel clinical acceptability study with an embedded qualitative component, based in clinics providing contraceptive services in Kenya and Zimbabwe. Women aged 18-45 interested in newly initiating or switching contraception will choose from among all available contraceptive options, including Annovera. We aim to enroll 200 participants selecting Annovera and 200 participants selecting either contraceptive injectables or pills. We will compare method uptake, continuation, and satisfaction over one year. Participants will complete questionnaires administered by study staff during two in-person visits (a screening/enrollment visit, and an end of study visit after 52 weeks of method use or at discontinuation) and four phone appointments (at 4, 12, 24, and 36 weeks of use). We will evaluate used rings for discoloration and residual drug levels. The qualitative component involve in-depth interviews with women in the clinical study, their sexual partners, and their service providers, to further examine drivers of and barriers to interest in and use of contraceptive vaginal rings.
This study will explore acceptability of contraceptive vaginal rings in ‘real-world’ contraceptive service settings in two African countries. Findings will be based on actual ring use and contextualized via comparison to two other commonly available methods. As vaginal rings are being considered for multiple reproductive health indications, this work can fill key knowledge gaps and empower decision-makers with information needed to inform future investments in reproductive health