Is AGEP building assets for vulnerable girls in Zambia? Preliminary research findings

The Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (AGEP) is a randomized controlled trial that evaluates a multisectoral program intended to increase girls’ social, health, and economic resources. AGEP involves over 10,000 vulnerable girls aged 10–19 in Zambia. The girls participate in weekly girls’ group meetings (safe spaces), receive vouchers for health services, and open savings accounts. AGEP operates in ten sites—five urban and five rural—across four provinces in Zambia. The AGEP evaluation is based on the randomization of girls to participate in one of four arms of the program: 1) safe spaces only, 2) safe spaces + health voucher, 3) safe spaces + health voucher + savings account, and 4) no program (control). The sample being tracked in the evaluation includes over 5,000 unmarried girls 10–19 years of age at the baseline survey. The girls will be observed over four years, including the two years of the program and two years after the program has ended. This brief highlights trends in the data after the girls participated in one of the two years of the program

Reducing barriers to accessing fistula repair: Establishing a baseline in Katsina

As a partner on the Fistula Care Plus (FC+) project, the Population Council is conducting implementation research that tests solutions to treatment barriers. Formative research in Nigeria’s Katsina State found that a lack of knowledge among lower-level providers and women and families of how the condition occurs, where treatment is available, and the signs and symptoms of obstetric fistula, as well as transportation costs, affect women’s access to screening and repair. Baseline data reveal the necessity of a comprehensive intervention to address fistula treatment barriers in Katsina. Not only do primary healthcare providers lack adequate knowledge of fistula, referral, and counseling, but women and community members report that access barriers to fistula centers bring persistent logistical, financial, awareness, and social challenges. These findings inform the intervention, which builds on existing enablers in Katsina, such as media communication and social/transport support, and aims to promote greater access to fistula repair in the state

Introducing contraceptive methods in low-resource settings: New opportunities in Nigeria

This factsheet outlines the Delivering Contraceptive Vaginal Rings project, awarded by USAID to the Population Council in October 2013 to foster the introduction of two contraceptive methods. The objectives of this project are to: 1) improve availability and affordability of a three-month Progesterone Vaginal Ring for postpartum breastfeeding women, and 2) facilitate regulatory approval and introduction of a one-year contraceptive vaginal ring containing Nestorone® and ethinyl estradiol—a long-acting method for non-breastfeeding women that is in the late stages of development. The factsheet identifies milestones achieved and new opportunities in Nigeria to implement activities in the year ahead

Population Briefs, Vol. 18, no. 1

IN THIS ISSUE: Population Council research defines broad benefits of family planning | Council-partnered family planning foundation significantly reduces risk of unintended pregnancy among poor women in the United States | Council research offers insights into meeting the health needs of vulnerable female sex workers | Council research improves HIV policy for male migrants in Indi

Kenya: COVID-19 Perceptions, Prevention Practices, and Impact—Responses from third round of data collection in five Nairobi informal settlements (Kibera, Huruma, Kariobangi, Dandora, and Mathare)

This brief presents findings from Round 3 of data collection in five Nairobi informal settlements (Kibera, Huruma, Kariobangi, Dandora, and Mathare). On May 10–11, 2020, phone interviews were completed with 1,750 adults, representing 87% of the original COVID-19 KAPstudy cohort. The average age of respondents was 36 years, and 63 percent were female. Almost all resided in the same location as in the previous interview three weeks prior. Overall, most participants are impacted economically and socially by the COVID-19 pandemic and associated social distancing and lockdown policies. Many report losing their source of income while also reporting increased costs of household items and needs as well as worsening household tensions. While more were receiving assistance in May than April, more report that this is not sufficient to meet basic needs. This brief examines knowledge, attitudes, and perceived risk of infection; prevention methods (social distancing/mobility restrictions; wearing face masks; handwashing); effects of and coping with the response to COVID-19 (food security; income/job loss; crime/gender-based violence perceptions; access to and use of health services; receiving assistance); and recommendations

Advancing women\u27s health

IN THIS ISSUE: Celebrating leadership and a legacy: The Peter J. Donaldson Fund | Confronting sexual violence in Africa | Improving women\u27s health through voucher programs | Bringing lifesaving treatment to the community level | Protecting women\u27s health, promoting safe motherhoo

Adolescent Girls Initiative-Kenya: Financial Education Curriculum, Kibera

The Adolescent Girls Initiative–Kenya builds the social, health, and economic assets of adolescent girls in urban slums and Northeastern Kenya. This collection of learning sessions was designed to prepare adolescent girls for the financial responsibilities of adulthood. The sessions were developed to be delivered without a lot of resources or materials, with limited time available for training. The guide contains step-by-step descriptions of the learning activities as well as background information

Sexual and gender-based violence: Baseline findings

The Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (AGEP) is a program for girls ages 10-19 in rural and urban Zambia that aims to find the best ways to improve their social, health, and economic resources. Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is a pervasive global health problem. Women and girls are most at risk, and consequences include physical injury, psychological trauma, unwanted pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. The AGEP program involves over 10,000 girls participating in weekly girls’ group meetings, receiving health vouchers and opening savings accounts. Over 5,000 girls, unmarried at baseline, are enrolled in a randomized, controlled trial and are being followed over four years—including the two years of the program and two years after. This brief describes the characteristics of these girls at baseline

Operationalizing a proposed national protocol for the prevention and management of severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia using a loading dose of magnesium sulphate at community health facilities in Bangladesh

About 20 percent of maternal deaths in Bangladesh are caused by pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. Most of these deaths, which occur during care within local communities due to lack of maternal health information, poor antenatal care attendance, and delays in seeking care, can be easily prevented with low-cost maternal health commodities. A quasi-experimental pre- and post-test study, with no control group, was implemented to assess the abilities of community facility service providers to screen and detect eclampsia patients, administer a loading dose of magnesium sulphate to diagnosed patients, and refer them to an appropriate facility for condition management. These interventions were instituted for nine months in 19 Union Health and Family Welfare Centers and 53 community clinics in two upazilas in Brahmanbaria district. The general objective of this study was to assess the abilities of community facility-based service providers in screening and detecting PE/E patients, then administering a loading dose of MgSO4 to appropriate patients and referring them to higher-level-care facilities. This report presents findings from this study