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Estimating changes in sex trafficking prevalence, perceptions, and policies in the gold mining communities in Kedougou, Senegal: An endline research study
No full textThis 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
No full textHow 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
No full textA 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
No full textThe 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
No full textVisual 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
No full textWhile 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
No full textEstimating the incidence of induced abortion among women in refugee settings in Ethiopia
No full textBackground: 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
Revising the definition of demand satisfied for modern methods of family planning: A cross-sectional study to explore incorporating person-centered constructs of demand, choice, and satisfaction
No full textSeveral challenges to validity have been identified with standard approaches used to measure demand satisfied for modern methods of family planning. This study explored construct validity of the widely used indicator for demand satisfied by comparing the standard definition to alternative definitions of the indicator highlighting dimensions of women\u27s own perceived demand, choice, and satisfaction. This cross-sectional study of women aged 15–49 years was conducted in Argentina (n = 1492), Ghana (n = 1600), and India (n = 1702) using a two-staged random sampling design. Women were directly asked about their: 1) demand, whether they wanted to use a contraceptive method to prevent pregnancy; 2) choice, whether they had autonomy in decision-making during their last family planning visit; and 3) satisfaction, whether they were satisfied with their method. The values of the standard and alternative indicators were compared. Convergent validity was assessed using logistic regression to explore the association between indicator definition and use of a preferred contraceptive method. In Argentina and India, the percentage of women with demand satisfied after incorporating constructs of demand, choice, and satisfaction was substantially lower than that obtained using the standard definition-a reduction of ∼70% in Argentina and ∼40% in India. Women who were categorized as having their demand satisfied for family planning according to the person-centered dimensions of the alternative indicator were significantly more likely to be using their preferred method of contraception in all three countries (OR: 7.7, 95% CI: 5.31-11.07 in Argentina, OR: 4.83, 95% CI: 2.27-10.27 in Ghana, and OR: 2.07 95% CI: 1.11-3.86 in India) compared to those whose demand wa satisfied by only the standard indicator definition. Revising the definition of demand satisfied to reflect the principles of person-centered care offers an opportunity to improve construct validity by ensuring that global measurement efforts align with women\u27s reproductive rights
Demographic, social and health system factors associated with maternal mortality in Pakistan: A nested case-control study
No full textBackground: Pakistan has experienced a significant reduction in maternal mortality with a decline of 33 percent between 2006 and 2019. However, the country still grapples with a high number (186 per 100,000 live births) of maternal deaths each year. This study aims to identify socio-demographic and health system related factors associated with maternal mortality. Methods: Using the nested case-control design, we conducted an in-depth analysis of Pakistan Maternal Mortality Survey (PMMS) 2019. We identified 147 maternal deaths occurring within three years prior to the PMMS 2019 as “cases” and 724 women who gave birth and were alive during the same period as “controls”. Socio-demographic characteristics of cases and controls were compared, and multivariate regression was employed to investigate the predictors of maternal mortality in Pakistan. Results: Cases and controls were similar on access to antenatal care (ANC) and ANC provider but differed on age, education, number of pregnancies, type of delivery, tetanus toxoid vaccination during last pregnancy, and contraceptive usage. A higher proportion of cases had deliveries by skilled birth attendants (83% compared to 63% among controls) while home deliveries were more common among controls (32% compared to 25% among cases). Odds of maternal death were lowest among women aged 20–29 years (odds ratio–OR: 0.5; 95% CI 0.23–1.07) and those with secondary or higher education (OR: 0.35; 95% CI 0.17–0.74). Surprisingly, deliveries attended by skilled birth attendants were associated with higher odds of maternal death (OR: 4.07; 95% CI 2.19–7.57) compared to those who were not. Conclusion: This study identifies secondary or higher maternal education, having had tetanus injection during the last pregnancy, ever-used contraception or being in the age group of 20–29 years were factors associated with lower risk of maternal mortality. Conversely, skilled birth attendance increases the risk of maternal death in Pakistan. Further investigation is needed into the determinants of high maternal mortality