Technical assistance to the interagency coordination group seeking to reduce female genital mutilation/cutting

This report documents technical assistance provided by FRONTIERS to the Interagency Coordination Group seeking to reduce female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in sub-Saharan Africa. In particular, staff assisted the group in networking, learning to talk to each other, setting up an operational way of functioning, and influencing key international policy and programmatic documents. Lessons learned through operations research on FGM/C were disseminated widely through the group’s activities and FRONTIERS technical assistance influenced several plans of action and implementation programs. The report notes that in addition to better networking for presenting a common regional vision during the development of policy and programmatic international documents, there is room for improving the collaboration between agencies. Recommendations include more coordination and information sharing within each agency, particularly between headquarters and regional offices

Technical assistance to organizations in Guinea seeking to reduce female genital cutting

This reports details the technical assistance the Population Council’s FRONTIERS program provided to WHO’s Africa Bureau to implement a project addressing medicalization of female genital cutting (FGC), and to support Tostan in replicating its program in Guinea. Technical assistance had several aims: to improve the effectiveness of strategies to abandon FGC in Guinea, to assist WHO in developing and implementing a project to reduce FGC medicalization by health providers, to build the capacity of Guinean organizations to appropriately monitor and evaluate their FGC-related activities, and to enable the Comité de Lutte contre les Pratiques Traditionnelles portant Atteinte aux Femmes (CPTAFE) to re-orientate its activities toward a comprehensive community approach. The project revealed a clear need for technical assistance concerning FGC activities in Guinea, however lack of additional funding hampered efforts to continue program implementatio

Delivering contraceptive vaginal rings—Task sharing in the delivery of family planning programs: Experiences from Senegal

The Population Council is conducting activities to facilitate the introduction of vaginal rings in sub-Saharan Africa. This report notes that the first ring to be introduced will be the Council’s Progesterone Contraceptive Vaginal Ring (PCVR), which is relevant in contexts where women practice prolonged lactation. The PCVR will also address the high unmet need for family planning (FP), especially for postpartum women. The Council aims to expand the availability and affordability of vaginal rings in Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal. One of the challenges is the lack of skilled providers. To design plans for involving mid- and lower-level health workers in PCVR provision, a review of task-sharing experiences was conducted in the three countries where task-sharing of critical MNCH service delivery functions to various degrees. Positive task-sharing and task-shifting initiatives undertaken in Senegal suggest that there is great potential for distribution of contraceptive vaginal rings by lower-level health workers. Recent task-shifting initiatives demonstrated that community health workers could provide good quality services in their communities. These experiences contributed to increased access and uptake of FP services

Physical and Biochemical Characterization of Sweet Corn Ears of Four Varieties Grown in Senegal

Sweet corn is an underutilized crop for human consumption in Senegal. In this study, physical and biochemical characterization were performed on four sweet corn ear varieties grown at three different fertilization rate of 15N-15-P-15K. Treatment F1 was 40 tons/Ha horse-dung + 200 kg/Ha of 15N-15P-15K, treatment F2 was 30 tons/Ha horse-dung + 150 kg/Ha of 15N-15P-15K) and treatment F3 was 50 tons/Ha horse-dung + 250 kg/Ha of 15N-15P-15K. Results showed that Yosemite cultivar gave the highest number of kernels/ear (672.3), followed respectively by Legacy (642), Excellis Garrison (585.6) and Infinity (573). Furthermore, treatments using fertilizer 3 (F3: 50 tons/Ha horse-dung + 250 kg/Ha of 15N-15P-15K) led to the highest number of kernels/ear in all cultivars used. Interestingly, Legacy cultivar gave more reducing sugars (5.1 ± 0.8 g.100g -1 ) with treatment F1; treatment F3 provided less reducing sugars (2.1 ± 0.6 g.100g -1 ) and more starch (14.4 ± 0.5 g.100g -1 ). Overall, physical and biochemical characteristics were influenced to at least some extent by fertilization treatments related to the cultivar used. Yosemite and Legacy cultivars would be more suitable for canned sweet corn production in the conditions studied. Sangalkam seems to be more suitable for sweet corn production

Assessment of the implementation and the achievements of the 3D approach within Senegal’s National Family Planning Action Plan (NFPAP)

Senegal’s 2012–2015 National Family Planning Action Plan (NFPAP) is based on the 3D approach (Democratization, Demedicalization, and Decentralization). As the plan came to an end and a new one was being developed, the Evidence Project/Population Council conducted a study to document the implementation and achievements of the 3D approach in relation to the NFPAP. This brief offers highlights of the study which used a desk review and qualitative research. It describes lessons learned from the implementation of the approach, and shares good practices that can be adopted by other countries, particularly those of the Ouagadougou Partnership. Finally, the study provides evidence for decisionmaking, especially for the elaboration of the next NFPAP

Facteurs associés aux longs intervalles intergénésiques au Sénégal. Analyse approfondie de l’EDS-MICS 2010-2011

Cette étude examine comment certains couples sénégalais atteignent un intervalle   intergénésique long malgré une prévalence contraceptive de 13%, toutes méthodes, parmi les femmes en union et contribue à en déterminer les facteurs explicatifs et leur poids relatif. Les facteurs les plus importants sont dans l’ordre: 1) désir de la dernière grossesse; 2) durée de l’aménorrhée post-partum;  3) âge au décès de l’avant-dernier enfant; 4) abstinence post-partum; 5) niveau d’éducation du mari; et 6) survenance de décès fœtal. Des recommandations sont faites par rapport à l’accès aux services de planification familiale et à la réduction de la mortalité infanto-juvénile. Des pistes de recherches futures sont aussi avancées

Improving communication between parents and adolescents on reproductive health and HIV/AIDS

Cette recherche opérationnelle avait pour but d’évaluer la fonctionnalité et l’efficacité d’un modèle d’intervention destiné à prendre en charge les besoins d’informations des adolescent(e)s en matière de santé de la reproduction et cela à travers le renforcement et l’amélioration de la communication entre les parents et les enfants/adolescent(e)s. Les résultats ont montré la faisabilité de mettre en place un programme qui est spécifiquement destiné à améliorer le niveau et la qualité de la communication entre les parents/tuteurs et les adolescent(e)s sur les questions de SR/VIH/SIDA et cela malgré le caractère encore sensible de cette question dans le contexte socioculturel sénégalais. Pendant toute la durée du projet, les efforts pour mobiliser les dirigeants politiques, administratifs, religieux, et communautaires ont continué, ce qui a grandement contribué au succès du dialogue intergénérationnel. Un partenariat entre diverses institutions a montré la faisabilité de l’approche multi-sectorielle. --- The purpose of this operations research study was to assess the functionality and effectiveness of an intervention model to address adolescents\u27 reproductive health information needs through the strengthening and improving of communication between parents and children/adolescents. The results showed the feasibility of setting up a program that is specifically aimed at improving the level and quality of communication between parents/guardians and adolescents on reproductive health and HIV/AIDS issues, despite the still sensitive nature of this question in the socio-cultural context of Senegal. Throughout the duration of the project, efforts to mobilize political, administrative, religious, and community leaders continued, which contributed greatly to the success of the intergenerational dialogue. A partnership between various institutions has shown the feasibility of the multisectoral approach

Strategies for encouraging the abandonment of female genital cutting in West Africa: Experiences from Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Mali

This article explores efforts to encourage abandonment of female genital cutting (FGC) in Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Mali. The strategy of encouraging traditional practitioners to stop performing FGC is not effective as community-level support for the practice remains high. Training health staff significantly improved healthcare providers\u27 levels of knowledge about FGC and its complications. Consequently, it was recommended that such training be incorporated into preservice medical training. The use of community-based strategies like the Village Education Program (VEP) showed the most promise, as their multifaceted approach addresses knowledge, attitudes, actions, and communal support in an integrated manner. The way forward lies in implementing interventions that are based on a thorough understanding of the communities involved and on facilitating grassroots involvement in the process of social change

Knowledge and provision practices of misoprostol among pharmacies in Senegal

Marie Stopes International and the Population Council conducted a study on the knowledge and practice of misoprostol provision among pharmacy workers in Senegal, as part of the Strengthening Evidence for Programming on Unintended Pregnancy (STEP UP) research program. This study helped guide strategies for expanding provision and proper delivery in pharmacies of misoprostol, a drug which is highly effective and acceptable for treating postpartum hemorrhage and post-abortion complications. Amplified communication about the product can contribute to an increase in demand from providers in all sectors. However, as demand for the product increases, the supply chain must be strengthened to respond effectively and avoid shortages. The Ministry of Health has committed to working to ensure the availability of essential medicines, including misoprostol, and to train pharmacy workers to allow them to sell misoprostol safely for gynecological purposes