Reproductive health

ASHAs as Agents of Change: Tackling the Burden of UTIs and Fostering Antibiotic Stewardship in Underserved Communities of India

This project worked with community health workers to help women in Indian slums get care for urinary tract infections. The workers educated women, identified those with symptoms, and helped them get tested and treated at local clinics. Many women who might not have sought care because of stigma were reached. The study shows that trusted community workers can help women get … [Read more...] about ASHAs as Agents of Change: Tackling the Burden of UTIs and Fostering Antibiotic Stewardship in Underserved Communities of India

This study looked at whether full-time, paid community health workers could improve contraceptive use after childbirth in remote areas of Nepal. After the program started, many more women used contraception both soon after giving birth and later in the postpartum period. Ongoing support from community health workers helped women make decisions despite fears about side effects … [Read more...] about “Now that they come to our doorsteps to teach us these things…” – Postpartum contraception outcomes from a pre-post effectiveness-implementation study of an integrated community health worker intervention in rural Nepal

This study in Uganda looked at how community health workers (CHWs) compare to clinic workers in providing family planning counseling and training women to self-inject contraceptives. Interviews with 240 clients and 80 providers showed that many women were interested in self-injection, and CHWs often gave better counseling and training than clinic workers. CHWs were more likely … [Read more...] about DMPA-SC self-injection experiences of clients and providers in Uganda the role of community health workers in reproductive self-care service delivery

In Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), despite high rates of antenatal care and facility births, only 19% of mothers return for follow-up postnatal care. This study found that mothers who had high trust in village health volunteers were over 12 times more likely to seek follow-up care. Key factors that helped included having an older baby and getting immediate care … [Read more...] about Effect of trust in village health workers on the use of facility-based follow-up postnatal care services in two districts in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic

In Nepal, the tradition of chhaupadi isolates women during menstruation and childbirth, leading to health risks. This study in Dailekh used a community-driven approach to develop solutions to reduce its harmful effects. Through Human-Centered Design, key stakeholders were engaged, and five interventions were created, including counseling by female community health volunteers … [Read more...] about From stigma to solutions: harnessing local wisdom to tackle harms associated with menstrual seclusion (chhaupadi) in Nepal