Garment sector health interventions in Cambodia: A comprehensive review

As part of the WorkerHealth project, the Evidence Project/Population Council conducted a comprehensive review of garment sector health interventions, particularly reproductive health (RH) and family planning (FP)–focused projects, in Cambodia during the last five years. The results from the review support WorkerHealth’s objective of enabling evidence-based decisionmaking and programming related to the health and well-being of female garment factory workers in Cambodia, by documenting the range of garment sector health interventions and identifying best practices and gaps in programming and evaluation. This review identified a number of priority actions for current and future garment sector health interventions to consider in order to achieve the greatest impact on worker health, especially on RH and FP

Costs of marriage—Marriage transactions in the developing world

Over the past two decades the Population Council has amassed a wealth of information on the causes and correlates of child marriage and documented its adverse effects on the well-being of women and girls. In many parts of the developing world, understanding child marriage is central to designing programs that promote healthy transitions to adulthood. Council research also underscores the importance of rituals and practices of marriage exchange around the globe and documents the considerable variation in these practices. Promoting Healthy, Safe, and Productive Transitions to Adulthood Brief No. 35 synthesizes some broad themes that have emerged from research on the costs of marriage. Even as customs such as dowry capture popular imagination and media attention, there is surprisingly little academic research or empirical evidence to inform judgment for effective programs and policy. This review highlights several important aspects of marriage transactions

The nature of mothers\u27 work and children\u27s schooling in Nepal: The influence of income and time effects

Using nationally representative cross-sectional data from the Nepal Living Standards Survey, this Population Council working paper examines the influence of the nature of mothers’ work on Nepali children’s schooling outcomes. It analyses whether the engagement of mothers (and fathers) in nonagricultural work has significant consequences for their children’s school attendance and grade attainment, compared with these consequences when parents’ work is in traditional subsistence agriculture. Results indicate that children of parents who both work in the nonagriculture sector are significantly more likely to have attended or currently be attending school and have higher grade attainment, compared with children whose parents work in the agriculture sector. These associations do not persist, however, when income controls are added, which suggests that strong income effects may be driving these associations. Policy implications of this research, including those for policies promoting women’s economic participation and for schooling of children in Nepal, are discussed

Adolescents in Bangladesh: Programmatic approaches to sexual and reproductive health education and services

There is a gap in knowledge and understanding of effective adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) programming in Bangladesh, especially programming at scale. Initiatives to address ASRH have been implemented at different times by both the Government of Bangladesh and NGOs, but these activities have often been fragmented and are not well documented or evaluated, making it difficult to know what worked well and what did not. This policy brief presents selected findings from a comprehensive review and analysis of ASRH programming in Bangladesh, carried out by the Population Council’s Evidence Project, with financial support from USAID/Bangladesh, as part of a larger research initiative on “Improved Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Outcomes in Bangladesh.” The objective of the review was to identify programmatic and evidence gaps, as well as best practices, and support the development of effective, inclusive, and sustainable programs that can operate at scale. Based on the review of 32 programs, this brief identified future actions that should be prioritized to develop, refine, or improve ASRH programming in Bangladesh

Highlights from the UNICEF Adolescent Development and Participation baseline study

This document presents highlights from the UNICEF Adolescent Development and Participation (ADAP) Baseline Study in Nepal, which aims to ensure the systematic, ethical, meaningful, and regular participation of adolescents and focuses on vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. The program aims to empower adolescents, especially girls, to initiate and sustain activities and interventions that create positive transformation in their families, communities, and society, and bring about realization of their rights. The Population Council and partners led a study to develop a research design and implement a baseline survey to inform UNICEF’s ADAP program. The primary aim is to inform the program with adequate and scientifically valid data on adolescents from the program coverage districts. To accomplish this, the study measured the sociocultural and behavioral aspects of the lives of Nepali adolescents in 15 districts of the Terai and Far and Mid Western regions in UNICEF’s six domains of holistic adolescent development: Education and Skills; Livelihoods and Financial Literacy; Enabling and Protective Environment; Gender Norms and Gender Equity; Health and Healthy Behaviors, and Participation and Civic Engagement

UNICEF Nepal Adolescent Development and Participation (ADAP) baseline study: Final report

The Adolescent Development and Participation (ADAP) program is UNICEF Nepal’s endeavor to inform the design and implementation of an evidence-based program for adolescents. This ADAP Baseline Study Final Report documents the first comprehensive study of the lives of adolescents in 15 districts of Nepal with high levels of child deprivation where UNICEF is focusing its intervention. The ADAP Baseline Study is aligned with the National Plan of Action for Holistic Development of Adolescents launched in 2013, and highlights the sociocultural and behavioral aspects of adolescents in six domains: Education and Skills; Livelihoods and Financial Literacy; Enabling and Protective Environment; Gender Equity and Social Inclusion; Health and Healthy Behaviors; and Participation and Civic Engagement. The findings of the ADAP Baseline Study are instrumental in planning well-targeted interventions for adolescents in the most marginalized districts of Nepal

Family planning vouchers to improve delivery and uptake of contraception in low and middle income countries: A systematic review

Family planning vouchers have provided accessible and quality reproductive health services to the poor and have been critical to countries in making progress in achieving Millennium Development Goal 5. Increased utilization of contraception allows for birth spacing, decreases unintended pregnancy, and results in healthier mothers and families. Strategies to improve utilization through targeted subsidies in low- and middle income countries (LMICs) have not been fully documented in a systematic review of the literature. This study report summarizes the effect of voucher systems for contraceptive services on socioeconomic and demographic indicators in LMICs. A systematic review of unpublished reports and published peer-reviewed articles using 33 databases (1960 to 2014) with key search terms was conducted. Additional studies were identified by contacting experts and searching bibliographies of citations identified during the systematic review. Fifteen reports met the inclusion criteria. This review has yielded important information on the effectiveness of voucher programs subsidizing contraceptive products and services. The results suggest that voucher programs can expand client choice by reducing financial barriers to contraceptive services and making private providers an option for disadvantaged clients previously restricted by cost

Adolescents in Bangladesh: A situation analysis of programmatic approaches to sexual and reproductive health education and services

The health of Bangladesh’s 29.5 million adolescents, who make up nearly one-fifth of the country’s total population, is critical to the country’s future, but issues surrounding adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) remain taboo. ASRH initiatives have been implemented by both the Government of Bangladesh and nongovernmental organizations, but with limited coordination, documentation, or evaluation, making it difficult to know what worked well and what did not. This report presents findings from a comprehensive review and situation analysis of ASRH programming in Bangladesh, carried out by the Evidence Project/Population Council, with financial support from USAID/Bangladesh, as part of a larger research initiative on “Improved Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) Outcomes in Bangladesh.” The objective of the review was to identify programmatic and evidence gaps, as well as best practices, and support the development of effective, inclusive, and sustainable ASRH programs that can operate at scale

Poverty, marriage timing, and transitions to adulthood in Nepal: A longitudinal analysis using the Nepal Living Standards Survey

This working paper examines the influence of household poverty experienced during early childhood on early marriage and outcomes in schooling and workforce participation during adolescence for girls in Nepal. Much of the evidence concerning these relationships is drawn from cross-sectional data that cannot be used, and has not been able, to address causality. This Population Council study uses longitudinal data from the Nepal Living Standards Survey (NLSS), a two-wave panel in which the waves were conducted eight years apart to address these questions. Analyzing the data by household-wealth quintiles reveals surprisingly nonlinear results indicating that these associations are largest for the second-poorest quintile rather than for the poorest one. This study also highlights the role of the household rather than of the individual in decisionmaking for these adolescent girls

Demographic profile of patient with acute watery diarrhea during monsoon 2022: Patan Hospital, Nepal

Introduction: Diarrhea is the passage of three or more loose or liquid stools per day or more. Acute watery diarrhea is a major public health problem worldwide.  In Nepal, diarrhea is among the top 10 inpatient morbidity. This study’s objective is to monitor demographic characteristics and laboratory findings of stool specimens of diarrhea. Method: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study done at Patan Hospital. Ethical approval was taken from the Ethical committee. Data for Monsoon 2022 (June to September 2022) were collected from the Patan Hospital record system. Cases from within the Lalitpur district were included. Result: Out of 119 cases, 50(42%) were male and 69(58%) were female. The mean age±SD was 33.28±25.38 (p=0.083) with maximum cases observed during June and a peak observed during the fourth week of June. Out of 119, 4(3.3%) were stool culture positive. Two cases of Vibrio cholera, one case of Shigella sonnei, and one case of Salmonella parathypi B were isolated. In the etiological profile, 14 Entamoeba histolytica were isolated. Conclusion: During the outbreak of diarrhea in Monsoon 2022, adults were affected most. The culture of acute watery diarrhea showed two cases of Vibrio cholera