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Our Health Is Our Capital
No full textA documentary film summarizing the intervention and impact of the project titled Offering Family Planning Services in Factory Settings in Egypt: Examining Feasibility, Acceptability, and Cost which was implemented in 10 garment factories in El-Amereya Industrial Zone in Alexandria, Egypt
Differential expression of HIV target cells CCR5 and a4b7 in tissue resident memory CD4 T cells in endocervix during the menstrual cycle of HIV seronegative women
No full textBackground: Ovarian hormones are known to modulate the immune system in the female genital tract (FGT). We sought to define the impact of the menstrual cycle on the mucosal HIV target cell levels, and tissue-resident CD4 T cells. Materials and methods: Here, we characterized the distribution, phenotype, and function of CD4 T cells with special emphasis on HIV target cells (CCR5+ and α4β7+) as well as tissue-resident memory (TRM; CD69+ and CD103+) CD4 T cells in FGT of cycling women. Peripheral blood and Endocervical cells (EC-collected from cytobrush) were collected from 105 healthy women and performed multicolor flow cytometry to characterize the various subsets of CD4 T cells. Cervicovaginal lavage (CVL) were collected for cytokine analysis and plasma were collected for hormonal analysis. All parameters were compared between follicular and luteal phase of menstrual cycle. Results: Our findings revealed no significant difference in the blood CD4 T cell subsets between the follicular and luteal phase. However, in EC, the proportion of several cell types was higher in the follicular phase compared to the luteal phase of menstrual cycle, including CCR5+α4β7-cells (p=0.01), CD69+CD103+ TRM (p=0.02), CCR5+CD69+CD103+ TRM (p=0.001) and FoxP3+ CD4 T cells (p=0.0005). In contrast, α4β7+ CCR5- cells were higher in the luteal phase (p=0.0004) compared to the follicular phase. In addition, we also found that hormonal levels (P4/E2 ratio) and cytokines (IL-5 and IL-6) were correlated with CCR5+ CD4 T cells subsets during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Conclusion: Overall, these findings suggest the difference in the expression of CCR5 and α4β7 in TRM CD4 T cell subsets in endocervix of HIV seronegative women between the follicular and luteal phase. Increase in the CCR5+ expression on TRM subsets could increase susceptibility to HIV infection during follicular phase of the menstrual cycle
The state of gender and education needs in Kenya: The missing step toward gender equity
Get PDFThe Kenya Gender and Education Roadmap is a series of four evidence briefs designed to provide a comprehensive analysis of the gender and education landscape in Kenya. Drawing from a variety of key data sources, including the Population Council’s Evidence for Gender and Education Resource (EGER) Database, DHS and national-level datasets, and recent literature from East Africa the series provides data-driven insights into gender-related barriers to schooling, especially for girls. By combining needs assessments, current evidence, and practice-based research, the series sheds light on the alignments and gaps in Kenya’s efforts to achieve gender equity in education. This brief aims to provide an overview of the current state of gender and education needs in Kenya, by providing data-driven insights using the 2014 and 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Surveys (KDHS), the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census, and the 2018 Monitoring Learner Achievement report (Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and ICF 2014, 2022; Kenya National Bureau of Statistics 2019; Kenya National Examinations Council 2018)
3-Month Dapivirine Vaginal Ring: A longer-acting dapivirine vaginal ring for HIV protection
Get PDFLeveraging our experience developing the monthly dapivirine vaginal ring (DVR or PrEP ring ), which received a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in 2020 for women’s HIV risk reduction, the Population Council has developed a 3-month DVR as a line-extension of the monthly DVR, with plans to submit for EMA review in the near future. The 3-month DVR is expected to significantly reduce the annual costs of HIV prevention
Dapivirine Vaginal Ring: A long-acting ring for women\u27s HIV prevention
Get PDFDespite progress against HIV/AIDS, women continue to face persistently high infection rates, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The monthly dapivirine vaginal ring, developed by International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) and acquired by the Population Council, adapts a medical technology commonly used to deliver hormones to women—a vaginal ring—in response to high HIV infection rates in women. The DVR could fill an important gap for women who are unable or choose not to use other available products
Policy brief—Safeguarding women\u27s health: Trends, inequities, and opportunities in Pakistan\u27s abortion and postabortion care services
Get PDFPakistan is experiencing critical reproductive health issues driven by a high population growth rate of 2.55% per year, low contraceptive use (34% for all methods, 23.4% for modern methods), and a significant unmet need for family planning (17.3%). Low contraceptive use and high unmet need for family planning contribute to high rates of unintended pregnancies which often result in unsafe abortions and postabortion complications.
This policy brief presents the findings of a comprehensive study on abortion and postabortion care in Pakistan. The study was conducted in 2023 by the Population Council in partnership with the Guttmacher Institute. The study is the third of its kind, building on previous research conducted in 2002 and 2012 and assessing trends in the past decade
Safeguarding women\u27s health: Trends, inequities, and opportunities in Pakistan\u27s abortion and post-abortion care services
Get PDFThis report presents the findings of a comprehensive study on abortion and post-abortion care in Pakistan, conducted in 2023 by the Population Council in partnership with the Guttmacher Institute. The study addresses a critical need for updated information on women\u27s reproductive health in Pakistan, a country facing significant challenges including a high population growth rate (2.55% per annum), low contraceptive use (34% for any method, 23.4% for modern methods), and a high unmet need for family planning (17.3%). The study is the third of its kind since 2002, building on previous research conducted in 2002 and 2012. It comes at a crucial time when Pakistan faces economic challenges that may impact access to healthcare services.
This study provides critical, timely evidence to inform policies and programs aimed at improving contraceptive and abortion services in public and private health facilities across Pakistan. Its comprehensive approach and expanded scope offer valuable insights into the evolving landscape of reproductive health care in the country. Implementing these recommendations can significantly enhance women\u27s reproductive health outcomes and reduce the burden on the healthcare system, particularly in the context of current economic challenges
Missing voices: Girls in the care economy—Slide deck
Get PDFAs part of the International Day of the Girl Child 2024’s theme “Girls’ Vision for the Future,” it was essential to consider how adolescent girls envision their role in the future care economy. The care economy, which includes both paid and unpaid care work, disproportionately burdens women and girls, yet current policies largely overlook the distinct experiences of adolescent girls.
On October 30, 2024, the Population Council’s GIRL Center hosted a conversation among people with lived experience, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers on the implications for girls’ engagement in the care economy and how best to integrate their distinct needs in programs and policies to support their visions for the future.
Speakers included: Dr. Annabel Erulkar, Population Council (Facilitator) Maïmouna Bah, Population Council (Presenter) Edith Murogo, Centre for Domestic Training and Development Winnie Nelima, Centre for Domestic Training and Development Amar Nijhawan, International Development Research Center Chiku Semfuko, International Labour Organization
The webinar was conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation in French and Spanish
“We help people change harmful norms”: Working with key opinion leaders to influence MNCH+N behaviors in Nigeria
No full textBackground: Nigeria’s Maternal, newborn, and child health and nutrition (MNCH+N) outcomes rank among the world’s poorest. Engaging traditional and religious leaders shows promise in promoting related behaviors. The Breakthrough ACTION/Nigeria project worked with leaders in northern Nigeria to implement the Advocacy Core Group (ACG) model, a social and behavior change (SBC) approach aimed at influencing community norms and promoting uptake of MNCH+N behaviors. Qualitative assessment of the model contributes to evidence on SBC approaches for enhancing integrated health behaviors. Methodology: This qualitative study was conducted in Nigeria’s Bauchi and Sokoto states in May 2021. It involved 51 in-depth interviews and 24 focus group discussions. The study was grounded in the social norms exploration (SNE) technique to examine normative factors influencing behavior change within the ACG model context. Data analysis used a reflexive thematic analysis approach. Ethical approvals were received from all involved institutions and informed consent was obtained from participants. Results: The ACG model was vital in the uptake of MNCH+N behaviors. The influence of ACG members varied geographically with greater impact observed in Sokoto State. Normative barriers to improving MNCH+N outcomes included perceived religious conflicts with family planning, preference for traditional care in pregnancy, misinformation on exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), and gender-based violence resulting from women’s decision-making. The study demonstrated positive progress in norm shifting, but EBF and GBV norms showed slower changes. Broader challenges within the health system, such as inadequate services, negative attitudes of healthcare providers, and workforce shortages, hindered access to care. Conclusion: The ACG model increased awareness of health issues and contributed to potential normative shifts. However, slower changes were observed for EBF and GBV norms and broad health system challenges were reported. The model appears to be a promising strategy to further drive SBC for better health outcomes, especially where it is combined with supply-side interventions
Climate change impact on health in Bangladesh
No full textClimate change is contributing to the global burden of disease in Bangladesh and this trend is expected to continue. Bangladesh is already witnessing significant public health impacts of climate change, largely due to its vulnerable population and geographical location (i.e., low-income, densely populated low-lying delta). It is crucial to understand how climate change will influence the future disease burden in Bangladesh. Unfortunately, in Bangladesh, the climate-health nexus has been a neglected branch of climate research. There is limited and scattered evidence for facilitating health policy decisions related to climate change. Bangladesh’s health sector currently does not have adequate infrastructure and services required to fully address the impact of climate change on health. This chapter intends to analyze and summarize evidence for developing a resilient health system in Bangladesh. This chapter is based on a narrative review of published literature on the topic of health impacts of climate change in Bangladesh