Introduction: Demand for vasectomy-1 of 2 contraceptive methods for men-has been low, with deep-seated myths, misconceptions, and provider bias against it widespread. Programmatic attention and donor funding have been limited and sporadic.
Methods: We analyzed vasectomy use in 84 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) plus the 11 high-income countries with vasectomy prevalence above 1%.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the burden on health systems, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where health systems already struggle. To meet health workforce planning needs during the pandemic, IntraHealth International used two tools created by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe. The Health Workforce Estimator (HWFE) allows the estimation of the quantity of health workers needed to treat patients during a surge, and the Adaptt Surge Planning Support Tool helps to predict the timing of a surge in cases and the number of health workers and beds needed for predicted caseload.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The World Health Organization's Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health (HRH) emphasizes the importance of dynamic and effective health worker regulation for achieving the health-related Sustainable Development Goals, with the establishment of education standards and quality assurance of education programs being critical. Governments in West Africa have struggled to address the problems within their higher education systems for health professionals, and it is now generally acknowledged that private institutions can play a crucial role in revitalizing the region's outdated universities. However, the rapid expansion of private schools raises concerns about the quality of education and adequacy of regulatory mechanisms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Obstetric fistula significantly impacts women's mental health and well-being. Routine screening for mental health in fistula repair programs can be a gateway to link patients to services, and can produce routine data to inform programmatic investments. This study observed the integration of a mental health screening program into an obstetric fistula repair program in Mali, with two specific objectives: 1) to describe the social and mental health well-being of women presenting with obstetric fistulas in Mali, and 2) to document the impact of the mental health screening pilot on policy change in Mali.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn Mali, small ruminants (SRs) are an important means for enhanced livelihood through income generation, especially for women and youth. Unfortunately, opportunities for livestock farmers to tap into these resources for economic growth are hindered by high burden of endemic diseases such as peste des petits ruminants (PPR). A key component for the control of PPR is vaccination of SRs.
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