Callie Simon’s Post

Check out our new report on experiences of first time mothers in Bangladesh! -- We know that comprehensive interventions targeting adolescents and youth as they transition into parenthood can improve use of health services, including postnatal care and postpartum family planning—but that complex interventions can be hard to scale.   A new report from the Connect project led by Save the Children and George Washington University details findings from a baseline study conducted in Bangladesh as part of a cluster-randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of lighter-touch interventions that have potential for sustainability through institutionalization in the existing government and community health system. The baseline data was collected through quantitative surveys with 2,308 first-time mothers ages 14-25 in two districts of Bangladesh.   Findings highlight key factors that influence health service use among these young first-time mothers, including couple communication, reproductive decision-making agency, and knowledge gaps around FP and the purpose of PNC.   Read the full report to learn more: https://ow.ly/FCfP50SzpO7

I'm excited to share these findings from a baseline study of first-time mothers in Bangladesh! https://lnkd.in/eCknUDwy. Here are a few that called our team's attention: ·     Migration shapes Bangladeshi first-time mothers’ transition to parenthood and their use of health services. Many travel to their maternal homes after delivery, and miss out on the relationships with community health workers and facilities that they develop during pregnancy. And many husbands migrate for work for extended periods, which impacts the support available to young mothers during this time. ·     First-time mothers experience high rates of depression and inter-partner violence. It is vital to strengthen health systems to effectively screen for violence and to provide mental health support. ·     Many young mothers do have contact with the health system. But we found important missed opportunities to counsel and provide information on family planning and the importance of health services across the continuum of care. We've also published the survey tool: https://lnkd.in/eZF4fBqT Endline findings from the broader RCT are anticipated early next year. Callie Simon Silvia Paruzzolo Meroji Sebany Rachel Dean

We know that comprehensive interventions targeting adolescents and youth as they transition into parenthood can improve use of health services, including postnatal care and postpartum family planning—but that complex interventions can be hard to scale. A new report from the Connect project details findings from a baseline study conducted in Bangladesh as part of a cluster-randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of lighter-touch interventions that have potential for sustainability through institutionalization in the existing government and community health system. The baseline data was collected through quantitative surveys with 2,308 first-time mothers ages 14-25 in two districts of Bangladesh. Findings highlight key factors that influence health service use among these young first-time mothers, including couple communication, reproductive decision-making agency, and knowledge gaps around FP and the purpose of PNC. Read the full report to learn more: https://ow.ly/JxLR50SzpO8

“When we go on field visits and ask women how many children they have, the counter question is... which ones? The ones who are alive or the ones who died?" Infant and maternal mortality continues to be a pressing concern in Pakistan - which PSI Pakistan is addressing through its interventions and outreach efforts. PSI Pakistan has so far assisted women and communities in 54 districts, organized over 180,000 outreach events, and introduced family planning methods to over a million new users. - This video is part of a documentary series titled “Normalize the Talk” - which explores the challenges surrounding family planning and reproductive health in Pakistan and the innovation and collaboration required to address these challenges. - This docuseries is produced in collaboration with Population Services International, Pakistan. - #childmortality #outreach #concern #community #familyplanning #innovation #reproductivehealth #maternalhealth #population #awareness #PSIPakistan #VCastOnline

📊 Prof. Peter Gichangi reports that 40% of women of reproductive age in Kenya are not using contraceptives, emphasizing the need for improved access to family planning services and reproductive health education. However, Prof. Gichangi also notes encouraging progress: nearly 90% of women in the country now use disposable sanitary products, reflecting advances in menstrual health management. These findings underscore the importance of continuing to address gaps in contraceptive access while celebrating progress in menstrual health. Let’s work to empower more women to take control of their health and wellbeing. #ReproductiveHealth #FamilyPlanning #MenstrualHealth #HealthEquity #WomenInHealth #HealthcareAccess

As a nurse myself, I work to ensure mothers and babies receive quality health care to survive and thrive. It is not just important that they survive; it is equally important that they thrive. We visited the Director of Family Health in Kenya, Dr. Isaak Bashir, to recommit to the work we do with the government in the following areas: ✔️Women’s and family health ✔️Maternal, newborn and child Health ✔️Family planning and reproductive health ✔️Women’s cancers ✔️Adolescent and youth health

Access to comprehensive family planning services empowers women to make informed choices about their reproductive health, enhances the health outcomes of women and girls, and ultimately reduces pregnancy-related complications as well as maternal and child mortality rates. Given the pivotal role family planning plays in advancing women's health, it becomes critical to prioritize initiatives that empower women through family planning, thereby nurturing healthier and more equitable societies where every individual can thrive. Here is how HEALTH SYSTEMS CONSULT LIMITED (HSCL), through the Nigeria State-Led Strategic Purchasing for Family Planning project, has increased access to #familyplanning and #MNCH services in Lagos, Yobe, and Bauchi states. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/d8T5GVPu #HSCL #EndOfSP4FPMNCHProjectDissemination #SP4FPMNCH

💪🏾Empowering communities through RH advocacy aligns seamlessly with celebrating this year’s World Logic Day in Kenya 🇰🇪. By promoting critical thinking skills based on the effective application of logic 💭, we empower both the public to actively seek out care earlier and healthcare providers with better capacity to provide optimal reproductive health care. 💡It would also empower policy makers to ensure that systems are better empowered to enable better resource allocation for quality care. This is a logical and powerful three-pronged investment at patient, provider and policy-maker levels 🔥🌟. Critical thinking fosters informed decision-making 🧠, ensuring that individuals are equipped to navigate complex healthcare choices 🧮. This would contribute to a society where effective application of knowledge becomes a powerful tool for RH process and outcome optimization 🧰. Some important areas in which logic plays a critical role in RH include 🤓: Understanding the menstrual cycle; Appreciating how fibroids adversely affect RH; Learning about how to enhance the safety of pregnancy through patient-driven monitoring; Empowering pregnant mothers to have workable birthing plans; Learning about the stages of an IVF cycle; and Appreciating the various ways of preventing and treating cancers, just to name a few Together, we can create a world where every decision is made with clarity and consideration 🛜. Acquiring and applying critical thinking skills is not just an investment in oneself but a commitment to a healthier, more informed future for ourselves and for those that will come after us. Join forces with Paul Koigi and Angela Anzeze to ensure optimized Reproductive Health outcomes! 💙 #drpaulkoigi #dranzeze #worldlogicday #rhadvocacy #kenya #health #optimizingrhoutcomes #logic #criticalthinking https://lnkd.in/dtJhcinq

🌍 Today is #WorldPopulationDay! 30 years ago, the 1994 International Conference on Population & Development (#ICPD30) called for reliable, timely, & culturally relevant data. This landmark event led to the development of the “Compendium of Indicators for Evaluating Reproductive Health Programs” by MEASURE Evaluation & USAID in 2002. The compendium has been expanded and digitized as D4I’s Family Planning & Reproductive Health Indicators Database. Explore 400+ indicators: https://ow.ly/lnC050SyllW

How is the annual World Health Assembly relevant? The case of women’s health from my experience this year. 📜Resolution: Every year, 287k women die in pregnancy or childbirth, 4.9 million children die of largely preventable causes before their fifth birthday, and there are 1.9 million stillbirths. Alarmed by the stagnation of progress, countries passed a critical Resolution committing to specific actions; emphasizing the need for health systems to deliver quality, safe and effective care, through well-stocked facilities, well-trained and motivated health workers, and safe water and sanitation. The resolution also stresses comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care services, including family planning, as foundational to women’s health. 📢Spotlight on women: advocacy begins with awareness. The #WHA77 prioritized women’s health, engaging diverse stakeholders through different channels. I had the privilege of moderating a panel with remarkable experts and advocates, reaching over 10k viewers of a live session on social media. My key takeaways in the video below, but don’t miss the full episode featuring Alia El-Yassir, Avni Amin from the World Health Organization and Vivianne Ihekweazu from Nigeria Health Watch. https://lnkd.in/gdJxnSVA 🫱🏿🫲🏼Partnerships: events like those organized by PMNCH allow stakeholders to share knowledge, engage and agree on actionable steps. I do want to emphasize that we must continue advocating for equal opportunity to participate in events organized during the World Health Assembky, as many colleagues faced visa issues accessing Switzerland and couldn’t attend. Let’s take this example as one of many that sets the path for us to achieve #HealthForAll