3 research outputs found
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Improving post-partum family planning services provided by female community health volunteers in Nepal: a mixed methods study.
BACKGROUND: Family planning services in the post-partum period, termed post-partum family planning (PPFP) is critical to cover the unmet need for contraception, especially when institutional delivery rates have increased. However, the intention to choose PPFP methods such as post-partum intrauterine devices (PPIUD) remains low in countries such as Nepal. Community health workers such as Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) could play an important role in improving the service coverage of PPFP in Nepal. However, their knowledge of PPFP and community-based services related to PPFP remain unclear. This study aims to assess the effect on community-based PPFP services by improving FCHV's knowledge through orientation on PPFP. METHODS: We conducted this mixed-methods study in Morang District in Nepal. The intervention involved orientation of FCHVs on PPFP methods. We collected quantitative data from three sources; via a survey of FCHVs that assessed their knowledge before and after the intervention, from their monthly reporting forms on counseling coverage of women at different stages of pregnancy from the communities, and by interviewing mothers in their immediate post-partum period in two selected hospitals. We also conducted six focus group discussions with the FCHVs to understand their perception of PPFP and the intervention. We performed descriptive and multivariable analyses for quantitative results and thematic analysis for qualitative data. RESULTS: In total, 230 FCHVs participated in the intervention and their knowledge of PPFP improved significantly after it. The intervention was the only factor significantly associated with their improved knowledge (adjusted odds ratio = 24, P < 0.001) in the multivariable analysis. FCHVs were able to counsel 83.3% of 1872 mothers at different stages of pregnancy in the communities. In the two hospitals, the proportion of mothers in their immediate post-partum period whom reported they were counseled by FCHVs during their pregnancy increased. It improved from 7% before the intervention to 18.1% (P < 0.001) after the intervention. The qualitative findings suggested that the intervention improved their knowledge in providing PPFP counseling. CONCLUSION: The orientation improved the FCHV's knowledge of PPFP and their community-based counseling. Follow-up studies are needed to assess the longer term effect of the FCHV's role in improving community-based PPFP services
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The present and future of QCD
This White Paper presents an overview of the current status and future perspective of QCD research, based on the community inputs and scientific conclusions from the 2022 Hot and Cold QCD Town Meeting. We present the progress made in the last decade toward a deep understanding of both the fundamental structure of the sub-atomic matter of nucleon and nucleus in cold QCD, and the hot QCD matter in heavy ion collisions. We identify key questions of QCD research and plausible paths to obtaining answers to those questions in the near future, hence defining priorities of our research over the coming decades
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The Present and Future of QCD
This White Paper presents the community inputs and scientific conclusions
from the Hot and Cold QCD Town Meeting that took place September 23-25, 2022 at
MIT, as part of the Nuclear Science Advisory Committee (NSAC) 2023 Long Range
Planning process. A total of 424 physicists registered for the meeting. The
meeting highlighted progress in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) nuclear physics
since the 2015 LRP (LRP15) and identified key questions and plausible paths to
obtaining answers to those questions, defining priorities for our research over
the coming decade. In defining the priority of outstanding physics
opportunities for the future, both prospects for the short (~ 5 years) and
longer term (5-10 years and beyond) are identified together with the
facilities, personnel and other resources needed to maximize the discovery
potential and maintain United States leadership in QCD physics worldwide. This
White Paper is organized as follows: In the Executive Summary, we detail the
Recommendations and Initiatives that were presented and discussed at the Town
Meeting, and their supporting rationales. Section 2 highlights major progress
and accomplishments of the past seven years. It is followed, in Section 3, by
an overview of the physics opportunities for the immediate future, and in
relation with the next QCD frontier: the EIC. Section 4 provides an overview of
the physics motivations and goals associated with the EIC. Section 5 is devoted
to the workforce development and support of diversity, equity and inclusion.
This is followed by a dedicated section on computing in Section 6. Section 7
describes the national need for nuclear data science and the relevance to QCD
research