From Project to Program: Tupange's Experience with Scaling Up Family Planning Interventions in Urban Kenya.

This paper describes how the Urban Reproductive Health Initiative in Kenya, the Tupange Project (2010-2015), successfully applied the ExpandNet approach to sustainably scale up family planning interventions, first in Machakos and Kakamega, and subsequently also in its three core cities, Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa. This new focus meant shifting from a "project" to a "program" approach, which required paying attention to government leadership and ownership, limiting external inputs, institutionalizing interventions in existing structures and emphasizing sustainability. The paper also highlights the project's efforts to prepare for the future scale up of Tupange's interventions in other counties to support continuing and improved access to family planning services in the new context of devolution (decentralization) in Kenya.

Beginning with sustainable scale up in mind: initial results from a population, health and environment project in East Africa.

Small-scale pilot projects have demonstrated that integrated population, health and environment approaches can address the needs and rights of vulnerable communities. However, these and other types of health and development projects have rarely gone on to influence larger policy and programme development. ExpandNet, a network of health professionals working on scaling up, argues this is because projects are often not designed with future sustainability and scaling up in mind.

Preventing maternal and newborn deaths globally: using innovation and science to address challenges in implementing life-saving interventions.

We have made important progress toward achieving Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5, with an estimated 47% decrease in maternal deaths and 28% decrease in newborn deaths globally since 1990. However, rapidly accelerating this progress is vital because far too many maternal and newborn deaths still occur each day. Fortunately, there are major initiatives underway to enhance global efforts in preventing these deaths, including the United Nations Secretary General's Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health.

Tracking maternal mortality declines in Mongolia between 1992 and 2007: the importance of collaboration.

Objective: To describe the declining trend in maternal mortality observed in Mongolia from 1992 to 2007 and its acceleration after 2001 following implementation of the Maternal Mortality Reduction Strategy by the Ministry of Health and other partners.

Methods: We performed a descriptive analysis of maternal mortality data collected through Mongolia's vital registration system and provided by the Mongolian Ministry of Health. The observed declining mortality trend was analysed for statistical significance using simple linear regression.

Once-a-month contraceptive pills in China: a review of available evidence.

Objective: A review of evidence was conducted to assess the safety, effectiveness and continuation of once-a-month contraceptive pills.

Methods: Papers were identified by electronic searches in Chinese and international databases and manual searches of Chinese journals and index of family planning literature. Data on pharmacokinetics, clinical performance and laboratory examinations were extracted from 17 papers of mixed quality on pills containing quinestrol 3 mg and norgestrel 12 mg (Quin-Ng) or levonorgestrel 6 mg (Quin-Lng) used by women in China.