R4D Reproductive Health

Primary HIV Infection in Antenatal and Postnatal Women, Northern KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:19:00 GMT

Miscellaneous S. Mepham 2009 Presentation at Imperial College London, 18 May 2009. 44 pp.

Reducing financial barriers to obstetric care in low income countries

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:10:00 GMT

Miscellaneous S. Witter 2009 Presentation at the University of Aberdeen, 1 June 2009. 38 pp. This presentation deals with:

1. The role of financial barriers for delivery care in low- income settings
2. Approaches to addressing financial barriers
3. Some recent case studies: experiences of different approaches
4. Policy recommendations on effective strategies.

Task shifting for emergency obstetric surgery in district hospitals in Senegal

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:12:00 GMT

Miscellaneous V. De Brouwere, T. Dieng, Mohamed Diadhiou, S. Witter, E. Denerville 2009 Reproductive Health Matters (2009) 17 (33) 32-44 [doi:10.1016/S0968-8080(09)33437-0] Due to a long-term shortage of obstetricians, the Ministry of Health of Senegal and Dakar University Obstetric Department agreed in 1998 to train district teams consisting of an anaesthetist, general practitioner and surgical assistant in emergency obstetric surgery. An evaluation of the policy was carried out in three districts in 2006, covering trends in rates of major obstetric interventions, outcomes in newborns and mothers, and the views of key informants, community members and final year medical students. From 2001 to 2006, 11 surgical teams were trained but only six were functioning in 2006. The current rate of training is not rapid enough to cover all districts by 2015. An increase in the rate of interventions was noted as soon as a team had been put in place, but unmet need persisted. Central decision-makers considered the policy more viable than training gynaecologists for district hospitals, but resistance from senior academic clinicians, a perceived lack of career progression among the doctors trained, and lack of programme coordination were obstacles. Practitioners felt the work was valuable, but complained of low additional pay and not being replaced during training. Communities appreciated that the services saved lives and money, but called for improved information and greater continuity of care.

Socio-cultural, psychosexual and biomedical factors associated with genital symptoms experienced by men in rural India

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:56:00 GMT

Miscellaneous Meenakshi Gautham, Rajesh Singh, H. Weiss, R. Brugha, Vikram Patel, N. G. Desai, Deoki Nandan, K. Kielmann, and H. Grosskurth 2008 Tropical Medicine and International Health (2008) 13 (3) 384-395 [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2008.02013.x] Biomedical, anthropological and psychiatric frameworks have been used to research different elements of men's sexual health sexually transmitted infections, psychosexual concerns and psychological distress but rarely within the same study. We combined these in a study in rural north India. In Tehri Garhwal and Agra districts, we explored male perceptions of genital and sexual symptoms through focus group discussions and then conducted a clinic-based survey of 366 symptomatic men who presented at rural private provider clinics. Men's urine specimens were tested for gonorrhoea and chlamydia infection using polymerase chain reaction techniques. Researchers screened them for probable psychological distress by administering the General Health Questionnaire (12- items). Results revealed that local and traditional notions of health influenced men's symptom perceptions, with semen loss their predominant concern. Dhat, commonly perceived as an involuntary semen loss, corresponded most closely with the symptom of urethral discharge, but was attributed mainly to non-infectious causes. It could also manifest as a syndrome with physical weakness and mental lethargy. FGD participants lacked correct and complete information on reproductive health. Around 75% of the symptomatic men presented with dhat, but only 5.5% tested positive for gonorrhoea or chlamydia. Application of syndromic sexually transmitted infection (STI) guidelines in these settings could result in over diagnosis and over treatment with antibiotics. In contrast, there was a significant association between dhat and probable psychological distress as detected by the GHQ (Adjusted OR, GHQ case positive: 2.66, 95% CI: 1.514.68). Our study confirms the existence of a dhat syndrome in rural India, which is culturally influenced and reflects heightened psychosexual concerns as well as mental distress states. Comprehensive health services for men should include assessments of their psychosexual needs and be supported by reproductive/sexual health education. STI treatment guidelines for urethral symptoms should be revised and be based on epidemiological data.

This is Open Access Week

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:00:00 GMT

This week, 19-23 October 2009, is the first International Open Access Week, which aims to broaden awareness and understanding of Open Access.

The economic costs and impact of abortion-related maternal death and ill-health

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 08:58:00 GMT

Miscellaneous H. Standing 2009 Presentation to the EuroNGOs 2009 Conference Investing in Sexual and Reproductive Health in Times of Economic Crisis Riga, Latvia, 7.09.09

Rewarding Achievements in International Development

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:00:00 GMT

DFID, in partnership with Marie Stopes International (MSI) and the Guardian, has unveiled the five finalists of the Guardian Achievements in International Development Award.

Towards 4+5 Annual Meeting, Ghana, November 3rd - 6th 2008.

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:59:00 GMT

Miscellaneous Towards 4+5 Research Programme Consortium. 2008 4 pp. This is the report of the third annual workshop held by the Towards 4+5 Research Programme Consortium. After a general description of the meeting, it describes the 10 sessions from the first day of the meeting, on the 3 themes of epidemiology of maternal and neonatal health, improving health services and health care delivery, and working with communities to improve maternal and neonatal health.

MDG5: Improve maternal health.

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:33:00 GMT

Miscellaneous Campbell, O. 2008 Presentation from 'No Goals at Half-time: What Next for the Millennium Development Goals?', a conference organized by the London International Development Centre, London, UK, 5 November 2008. Delivering a baby can be a time of great celebration, but is also a time of great risk. Two-fifths of maternal deaths occur from the start of labour until 24 hours later. Every minute a woman dies in childbirth or from complications during pregnancy. The current slow progress in achieving MDG 5s target to reduce maternal mortality by three-quarters requires us to speed up the provision of good quality delivery care. There are also huge differences in coverage of such care between and within countries. Maternal mortality is the public health indicator with the greatest gap between rich and poor countries, with 99 per cent of deaths in the developing world. Even in poor countries, the richest women have much greater access to services than rural women. The potential gains from expanding quality delivery facilities are enormous and extend to improvements in neonatal survival. We need to renew our commitment to meeting this priority. [PowerPoint slides and audio file available].

Summary of Submission on Maternal Morbidity.

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:04:00 GMT

Miscellaneous 2008 This document is the written evidence submitted by Towards 4+5 researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to the UK All Party Parliamentary group on Population, Development and Reproductive health, for an inquiry focussing on maternal morbidity. It starts by clarifying where research on maternal morbidity and health systems fits in the overall situation, arguing that study of morbidity is neglected at the expense of that on mortality. It then covers methods for measuring morbidity, followed by specific issues: unwanted pregnancies; unsafe abortion; obstetric morbidity and long-term consequences; malaria infections; and posnatal depression.

Integrating maternal, newborn and child health services: Undertaking research and developing practical tools for Policy Makers.

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:43:00 GMT

Miscellaneous Towards 4+5 Research Programme Consortium 2009 This poster describes 3 of the current pieces of work of the Towards 4 and 5 consortium: a policy paper looking at the challenges of integrating maternal, newborn and child health services from a health systems perspective; a project in Bangladesh that aims to put into use the newly acquired, evidence-based and low-cost interventions for reducing maternal and newborn mortality in an integrated manner; and tables of effective interventions for improving maternal and newborn survival which show how single interventions can be integrated to provide the maximum benefits for women and newborns.

Towards 4+5 Research Programme Consortium: Strategic research to inform policy on maternal and newborn care.

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:25:00 GMT

Miscellaneous Towards 4+5 Research Programme Consortium 2009 This poster introduces the Towards 4+5 Research Programme Consortium, describes its main research themes, and briefly describes 5 examples of its research projects.

New funding opportunities for four health-related Research Programme Consortia (RPCs)

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:00:00 GMT

DFID is calling for expressions of interest for service providers to lead Research Programme Consortia (RPCs) to work on four health themes. Closing date 9th October 2009.

DFID releases a new project database

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 01:00:00 GMT

Information about projects funded by DFID, ranging from emergency aid for countries affected by conflict or humanitarian crises, to ongoing support to improve health, education and sanitation in the poorest countries, is now available online.

UNDP/UNFPA/WHO/World Bank Special Programme Of Research: Human Reproduction Programme (HRP)

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:56:00 GMT

Current

Purpose of engagement:

Research on reproductive health has been identified as one of the top ten global research priorities. Improved access to reproductive health services enables women and men to exercise choice in childbearing and improves the health and quality of life for parents and children. It can also have a direct impact on gender equality and poverty reduction. The September 2005 UN World Summit reaffirmed the commitment of the international community to achieve the goal of universal sexual and reproductive health and rights as set out in the Cairo agenda of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD).

The Human Reproduction Programme (HRP) is central to the United Nations system for research in human reproduction, bringing together policy-makers, scientists, health care providers, clinicians, consumers and community representatives to identify and address priorities for research aimed at improving the sexual and reproductive health of developing country populations. HRP is a joint Special Programme, based at the World Health Organisation (WHO). The programme places a strong emphasis on research with practical application and developing countries have a voice in the management of the research.

The goal of HRP is to contribute to improved sexual and reproductive health. Its purpose is to support the generation of knowledge, products and capacity to help countries meet the sexual and reproductive healthcare needs of their populations. It does this through research, development of norms and standards guidance, training, and capacity strengthening focused on improving the quality, range and availability of reproductive health services in poor countries.

DFID engagement Strategy/DFID line:

Reproductive health is central to attainment of the MDGs (particularly 3 - 6, but also 1, 2 and 8) and so is in line with many DFID strategies and policies.

DFID's ongoing commitment to research into reproductive and sexual health is captured in the Research Strategy 2008-2013, and reflects DFID's firm policy commitment to realising international targets on sexual and reproductive health and rights. Funding HRP activities fits this agenda well and their work complements and builds upon other DFID funded programmes (both operational and research) and covers areas of linkages, for example, between sexual and reproductive health and HIV.

To support the generation of knowledge, products and capacity to help countries meet the sexual and reproductive healthcare needs of their populations, through research, development of norms and standards guidance, training and capacity strengthening focused on improving the quality, range and availability of reproductive health services in poor countries. 1. With the latest research information HRP established a model of antenatal care that halves the time and money women spend accessing services without compromising the quality of care. At least 15 developing countries now use the model. USAID has adapted it and promotes its use as "focused antenatal care." The health sector could save as much as $16 billion annually by implementing this new approach world wide.

2.HRP pioneered research in emergency contraception, led an international consortium including industry to put a dedicated product on the market, and confirmed a new, effective emergency contraception regimen that has now been registered in more than 100 countries covering 80 percent of the world's population.

3. With others in WHO, HRP revealed the extent and nature of domestic violence against women in 10 countries and the impact on sexual and reproductive health. The findings support advocacy and new ways to help women and health care providers to manage, treat and prevent such violence.

4. For the first time, HRP demonstrated that women who have undergone genital mutilation have increased complications at childbirth and that the risk of death of their newborn is increased. These results have boosted advocacy movements to stop the practice and are supporting the development of training materials for health care providers. With ten other UN agencies WHO developed a new Interagency Statement on Eliminating Female Genital Mutilation, launched in 2008.

5. After two years of convening global experts, HRP on behalf of WHO, submitted recommendations for sexual and reproductive health indicators to measure progress within the context of MDG 5, in particular the new target 5B, 'achieve universal access to reproductive health'. These recommendations became officially recognized by the United Nations in January 2008, following deliberations within the Interagency and Expert Group on MDG indicators.

DFID seeks applications for three posts in the Research Uptake Team

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 01:00:00 GMT

DFID is seeking to fill three posts in the Research Uptake team within the Policy and Research Directorate - Team Leader and two Research Evidence Brokers

STIs and HIV in Pakistan: from analysis to action

Thu, 21 May 2009 01:00:00 GMT

A recent study from Realising Rights published as a special issue in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections seeks to understand the drivers of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Pakistan.

Linking Migration, Reproduction and Wellbeing: Exploring The Reproductive Strategies of Low-Income Rural-Urban Migrants in Vietnam

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 11:37:00 GMT

Current Rural-urban migration is a core livelihood strategy for many poor people in the developing world and in post-socialist economies, like Vietnam and China, its significance is growing rapidly. Poor migrants often find themselves vulnerable to exploitation and serious concerns have been raised about the impact of migration on wellbeing. However, the reproductive dimensions of migration and its linkages with changes in wellbeing have been rather poorly understood. Reproductive concerns around migrants have revolved around issues such as poor access for migrant workers to reproductive health services, whilst wider reproductive concerns, such as the impact of migration on marriage, childbearing and child-rearing strategies, have been neglected. These wider concerns are significant for maternal and child health, for parenting and child development, and because they will profoundly shape the gendered outcomes around new economic opportunities. Understanding the way that migrants manage their reproductive lives needs to be integral rather than peripheral to thinking about what new opportunities for economic migration mean for poor people's wellbeing. This study will focus on the reproductive strategies of low-income rural-urban migrants and their implications for wellbeing in Vietnam. It will ask:
- How do the reproductive aspirations of poor male and female migrants fit into their migratory strategies for building a life?
- What are the strategies that poor male and female migrants use for managing their reproductive lives?
- How do institutional conditions enable and constrain the gendered strategies of poor male and female migrants for managing reproductive life? This research will develop new understandings of the gendered linkages between reproduction, migration and wellbeing for poor men and women. Its objectives are to:
- Explore the reproductive aspirations of migrant men and women
- Develop understanding of how migrants manage their reproductive lives
- Investigate how these strategies are shaped by varying institutional conditions
- Explore the implications for wellbeing over time of self, spouse and children.

Sexuality is a policy issue

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 01:00:00 GMT

The latest November issue of id21 insights suggests that sexuality needs to be recognised as a policy issue

Southern African Federation of the Disabled (SAFOD) Research Programme (SRP)

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:27:00 GMT

Current

The Southern Africa Federation of the Disabled (SAFOD) is a regional network of disabled peoples organisations (DPOs) whose main objective is to represent the collective voice and aspirations of disabled people in Southern Africa. SAFOD's works to promote the rights of people with disabilities, and enhance their lives and livelihoods through raising wider public awareness on their living conditions, facilitating greater access to needed services, and capacity and institutional building of DPOs .

SAFOD has been working to establish a Disability Research Programme called the SAFOD Research Programme (SRP). The strategic purpose of the SRP is to build the capacity of SAFOD and its member organizations to design, drive, own and to use research to influence policy and practice that is responsive to the particular needs and interests of disabled people in SAFOD member countries.

The main objective of this disability research programme is to build capacity in SAFOD to support disabled people's organisations (DPOs) to undertake research and use its findings to influence policy and practice that is responsive to the needs of disabled peoples in Southern Africa. SAFOD and its member organisations develop increased capacity to undertake, use and own research; design and deliver effective research programme; achieve policy engagement through dissemination and communication of research findings

In 2008-2009, DPOs trained in generic research skills and database management; training ongoing in 2009-10.

By early 2009, 5 pilot studies were completed (Literature Review, Disability Policy Audit in 4 countries, DPOs' Needs Assessment, and HIV/AIDS & Reproductive Health).

DFID seeks research fellows to design and execute research programmes

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 01:00:00 GMT

Notification of forthcoming appointment opportunities at the Department for International Development (DFID) for senior research fellows

DFID's Research Strategy on Health

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 01:00:00 GMT

DFID's focus will be operational research to make health programmes more effective, research on health systems and the development of drugs and vaccines for major diseases

Research and capacity building in reproductive and sexual health and HIV/AIDS in developing countries

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:40:00 GMT

Current Reversal of the spread of HIV/AIDS is one of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Failure to achieve this goal will jeopardise other MDGs on poverty eradication, education, and maternal and child health. Success depends critically on improving access to effective interventions for those who are particularly vulnerable to infection (e.g. the poor). Access may be improved and protective behaviour increased through a number of strategies: e.g. mass communication of safe sex messages, together with social marketing of products such as condoms and STI diagnostic tests; provision of integrated SRH and HIV services which decrease stigma and thereby increase uptake; and provision of more effective biomedical interventions which can bring improved diagnostics and preventive technologies to all sections of society. Consortium partners have a long history of working in each of these areas. To support a research programme that will strengthen the evidence base to enable policy makers to identify and prioritise interventions that will improve reproductive and sexual health and reduce HIV incidence among economically poor populations in Africa and Asia. Strategies for behaviour change.

Integration of SRH and HIV services.

New biomedical tools.

Two large community randomised trials measuring the effectiveness of school-based and peer-led adolescent SRH interventions in Tanzania (Mema kwa Vijana study) and Zimbabwe (Regai Dzive Shiri study) have shown that young peoples knowledge about how to prevent HIV increased, and that these effects were sustained for at least 5 years. However, the interventions did not lead to a reduction in HIV, other STIs or unplanned pregnancies. These results will be important in guiding the future direction of HIV prevention activities for young people. The two studies communicated their results simultaneously in several fora including with national and international policy makers and researchers and have proven very influential in shaping the WHO Adolescent and Child Health Departments strategies for curbing HIV incidence in young populations.
A study commissioned by the National AIDS Control Programme in Pakistan, funded by DFID Pakistan and conducted by LSHTM researchers and collaborators from Pakistan shed much-needed light on the health and behaviour of populations often neglected or persecuted, in South Asia and elsewhere. The research has shown that violence, abuse and discrimination are commonly experienced by sex workers and injecting drug users, and can increase the likelihood of HIV and sexually transmitted infections. A future HIV epidemic is likely to be concentrated in those with highest levels of STIs and the highest levels of abuse transgender sex workers. Our research has also shown that policy recommendations targeted at transgender sex workers will have little support among society, and will be difficult for the government and public sector to implement, but they could be implemented successfully by NGOs, with donor funding and support.
As a result of our published evaluations which showed that the new point-of-care (POC) diagnostic dipstick tests for syphilis perform well in screening programmes for pregnant women, these tests were made available at discounted prices through the WHO bulk procurement programme. In 2009, a decision was made to use them for antenatal screening in Ghana, and they will now being rolled out nationally to all antenatal clinics in the country. In Tanzania, our results encouraged the government to agree to introduce one of POC test as a demonstration project, which we will evaluate. The Brazilian government has also decided to use them for screening hard-to-access populations in the Amazonas Region, following several evaluations which we conducted in the region.

Enabling Adolescents to Improve Reproductive Health - Safe Passages to Adulthood

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Completed To generate and communicate new knowledge that will contribute to the development of policy and the provision of effective services and education for young people's reproductive health.

More specifically:

To fill knowledge gaps relating to the nature, magnitude and consequences of reproductive and sexual health problems amongst young people
To identify the situation-specific determinants of young people's sexual behaviour
To identify culturally-appropriate means by which barriers to good sexual and reproductive health can be overcome
To identify new opportunities to introduce and evaluate innovative programmes and interventions
To develop concepts and methods appropriate to the investigation of young people's sexual and reproductive health.

Improving People's benefit from Reproductive Health Services - Sexual and Reproductive Health: Policy and Practice

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Completed Research activities were conducted in five main areas:

1. Research on needs for reproductive health care
2. Research on reproductive health policy
3. Research on improving and promoting services
4. Research on incorporating new interventions into services
5. Research on methods for monitoring and evaluation The overall goal of the research programme into sexual and reproductive health is to improve the reproductive health of men and women in developing countries, in particular that of the poor. The programme works to strengthen research capacity in developing countries and conduct collaborative research that will contribute to improved reproductive health policies and programmes. For a report derived from the meeting 'Moving Beyond Research to Influence Policy Workshop, University of Southampton, 23-24 January 2001' which had participants from 3 DFID programmes: Safe Passages to Adulthood; Opportunities and Choices; and Sexual and Reproductive Health: Policy and Practice, see also the document record for Going beyond research found under the Safe Passages to Adulthood programme.

HD4 Realising Rights: improving sexual and reproductive health for poor and vulnerable populations RPC

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Current Poor Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) is a source of enormous suffering for millions of the world's poorest people. It accounts for a high proportion of the global burden of ill health, particularly for reproductive age women. Yet it is a largely invisible burden in many countries. Despite two decades of sustained effort, progress on improving SRH has remained slow and SRH rights are often not understood or remain unrealised in practice. As well as being a denial of human rights, denial of SRH and rights affects physical security, bodily integrity, health, education, mobility, and economic status.

This project has been successful, particularly through the communications strategy, in reaching a wide range of stakeholders at international, national and local levels. These include agencies working in the SRHR field, national policy makers such as parliamentarians, practitioners and advocacy organisations, and donors. There have been a large number of contacts with policymakers and practitioners. Stakeholder forums have been convened in three countries. RPC research on contraception in Africa, gender based violence, sexuality and sexual rights has been extensively picked up in the media.

Substantial progress has been made with the two target groups: media and parliamentarians. Choice of these two particular targets has proved timely and enabled us to capitalise on a dynamic SRHR situation. The main objectives of the programme are to:

Improve the evidence base on the high levels of SRH morbidity, mortality and unmet need among poor and vulnerable populations and communicate it to policy and advocacy audiences
Find innovative ways to improve access to existing and new low cost SRH technologies and services by poor women and men
Improve knowledge of how SRH rights can be translated into reality in locally appropriate and sensitive ways
Build capacity to put sexual and reproductive health and rights onto national and local policy agendas

Some of the work of the RPC will be concentrated in RPC partner countries of Ghana, Kenya and Bangladesh but geographical coverage will be much wider and take advantage of the international and regional research and service delivery sites and networks of the consortium partners.

Research from Realising Rights partners has been tracking fertility change in subSaharan Africa and has shown that while there is evidence of increased use of condoms among single women, fertility decline has slowed in many African countries. These findings have been fed into parliamentary enquiries on population and development in the UK and in Kenya.
Research on rights based approaches to sexual and reproductive health has informed national and international policy and debate. For example, DFID funded work in Ghana on gaps between policy and practice was presented to the Parliamentary Committee which was drafting Ghanas domestic violence bill and informed the successful passage of the bill through parliament; research with sex workers and people who inject drugs in Pakistan uncovered high rates of human rights abuses leading to increased vulnerability to HIV and contributes to an emerging international consensus that the realisation of rights, and action to overcome stigma and discrimination, are a key component of health interventions
In Bangladesh, research on mens sexual and reproductive health revealed high levels of anxiety and use of unqualified providers for a wide range of health concerns that are completely neglected by formal services. These findings are being used for both national and international advocacy to tackle the neglect of mens health in mainstream policy and programmes and develop interventions to address this.
The consortium has been systematically targeting parliamentarians to raise the profile of neglected areas of SRH. There has been sustained engagement with parliamentary committees, forums and groupings in the UK, Kenya and Ghana where RPC research has contributed to setting agendas for enquiries, providing evidence and raising the profile of population issues, unmet needs for family planning, maternal health morbidities, the contribution of unsafe abortion to maternal deaths and the need to engage open debate about adolescents and sexuality.
The consortium links with media organisations to carry out research and undertake training and capacity development for journalists covering sexual and reproductive health issues. In Bangladesh, this has resulted in increased and sensitive coverage and greater public debate of issues that were previously very stigmatised. In Kenya, researchers have been working with a television company which produces a popular daily drama to cover difficult issues such as abortion and sexual relationships. After an episode on abortion was aired, the company received hundreds of texts from viewers commenting, asking questions and requesting information.

Development Research Centre on Chronic Poverty and Development Policy - Inception Phase

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Current Although the Centre is not yet established, this proposal builds on the findings of two recently completed ESRC research projects:

*The first revealed that market-based economic development in remote rural areas in Africa is associated with growing inequality, reduced access to natural resources for the poorest and the social and economic marginalisation of significant numbers of people. Analysing patterns of in- and out-migration and rural-urban linkages is fundamental to understanding the dynamics of social exclusion within, and outside, such regions.

*Secondly, opportunities for economic diversification in remote rural areas are discouraged by public policy and the difficulties of establishing mutually beneficial partnerships between 'communities' and the formal private sector. The benefits of 'value added' diversification (e.g. tourism and safari-hunting) largely accrue to national and international elites rather than to local residents. To provide analysis and policy guidance that will stimulate national and international debate and action about achieving greater inclusion of the chronic poor in the formulation of, and benefits from, developing policy. Policy relevant working papers, articles in professional and academic journals, policy briefings and media items on the extent and nature of chronic poverty.

Website providing easy electronic access to items.

Three regional 'Chronic Poverty Reports' (CPRs), (South Asia, East Africa and Southern Africa) published and launched in region on two occasions.

Two major international conferences mounted on 'Chronic Poverty and Development Policy'.

High quality customised capacity-building work in the four regions focused on individual skills and organisational capacity.

Production of a low cost student textbook on chronic poverty. (Might be developed into a distance learning module).

Participation in relevant conferences and workshops, meetings with relevant agencies and provision of advisory services.

HIV Knowledge Programme on HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Current Outputs from this programme have already been prolific. There are only several concrete examples of direct influence on policy, including introduction of cotrimoxazole prophylaxis for HIV positive TB patients and adoption of a programme of ARV therapy for miners by a number of South African companies. Impact is currently limited due to the early stage of the programme. Also the findings of some completed projects do not necessarily directly translate to changes in policy and practice (e.g. prevalence studies, descriptive studies of behaviour patterns, etc.). It is likely their influence will be more subtle in informing programme design, policy debate and further research priorities. To reduce the incidence of HIV infections and other STIs, to improve the quality of life of HIV+ people, to estimate the cost and cost-effectiveness of such interventions and to ensure that the most appropriate interventions are prioritised and implemented. 1. New knowledge
A substantial body of policy-relevant new knowledge created with respect to:
1. the factors that influence sexual behaviour
2. the biological risk factors for HIV and STI transmission
3. the factors that affect utilisation of care and prevention services for HIV/AIDS and STIs
4. impact and cost-effectiveness of interventions
5. effective prioritisation and implementation of HIV/AIDS and STI prevention and care policies.

2. Dissemination
1 New knowledge disseminated to key policy makers nationally and internationally.
2 Research agenda responsive to needs identified by policy makers.

3. Capacity building
Research capacity in collaborating institutions in Africa and Asia strengthened.

Improving People's Benefit from Reproductive Health Services - Opportunities and Choices

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Completed The 6 research themes were as follows:
New Knowledge to Improve Maternal Health
New Knowledge regarding HIV and Reproductive Health
New Knowledge to Improve the Availability of Family Planning Services
New Strategies to Operationalise the Delivery of Quality Care
Evaluating, Monitoring and and Establishing Effective Research into Practice Techniques
New Knowledge of Affordability of Family Planning The overall goal of the Opportunities and Choices programme is to conduct operations research to provide evidence-based family planning and reproductive health service delivery in developing countries.
The two main purposes of the knowledge programme are:
1. To increase the impact of existing reproductive health services through enhanced understanding of methods for improving their efficiency, effectiveness and quality of care.
2. To develop new mechanisms for providing reproductive health services to meet the needs of currently under served groups. For a report derived from the meeting 'Moving Beyond Research to Influence Policy Workshop, University of Southampton, 23-24 January 2001' which had participants from 3 DFID programmes: Safe Passages to Adulthood; Opportunities and Choices; and Sexual and Reproductive Health: Policy and Practice, see Going beyond research.

Issues of gender and sexuality discussed in Bangladesh

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 01:00:00 GMT

First International Workshop on Gender and Sexuality held at BRAC University