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2014

  • This report documents the advocacy campaign for Ukraine's 2014-2018 National HIV Program (NHP). The USAID- and PEPFAR-funded Health Policy Project (HPP) worked with the State Service of Ukraine on HIV/AIDS and Other Socially Dangerous Diseases to calculate the impact of funding decisions on Ukraine’s ability to reach the goals of the NHP using the Goals model. These data formed the basis of the advocacy campaign.

  • This USAID-funded Health Policy Project analysis summarizes how one strategy— reducing the unmet need for family planning in line with Malawi’s FP2020 goals—can make achieving and sustaining the MDGs more affordable in Malawi, in addition to directly contributing to the goals of reducing child mortality and improving maternal health. Calculations show that for every dollar invested in family planning between 2013 and 2025, the government of Malawi could save five dollars in other social services such as education, immunization, malaria, maternal health, and water and sanitation.

  • The United Nations Population Fund, the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council, and the USAID-funded Health Policy Project collaborated to analyze how investment in family planning can contribute to achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Zimbabwe. The Family Planning Cost-benefit Calculator was used to estimate the cost savings to achieve five of the eight MDGs.

  • To successfully lead a strategic, effective and sustainable response to AIDS, individuals must be equipped with a diverse set of skills. However, many individuals rise to leadership positions with purely medical backgrounds and lack essential skills in management, finance, advocacy and policy, and governance. For over a decade the National Institute of Public Health (Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública – INSP), part of the National Health Institutes of the Health Ministry in Mexico, has designed and conducted training courses to augment HIV leaders’ skills in these critical areas and to strengthen the regional AIDS response, particularly in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.

    The USAID-funded Health Policy Project commissioned a case study of INSP’s educational programs to better understand what elements are critical for such programs to be successful, what challenges they face, and to identify opportunities to strengthen and expand regional capacity-building efforts in the future.

    The results indicated that the students surveyed felt INSP’s multidisciplinary training approach for leaders in the region’s HIV and AIDS response fostered a more harmonized response to the epidemic. Further, the lessons and tools learned through INSP modules and courses become a principal resource for former students who go on to play strategic roles in national and state AIDS programs, as well as civil society. INSP course alumni feel better equipped to make decisions based on available evidence, to design and implement strategic prevention and care strategies, and to contribute to policy development. However, challenges remain and to sustain and expand, the INSP and other training initiatives must find ways to reduce course costs and required time commitments without sacrificing the quality and comprehensiveness that has made them so effective.

    Opportunities for continued education and virtual support through networking will also provide critical ongoing support. To maximize impact, curricula should take into account the unique economic, political, social, and cultural characteristics of individual countries; differences in infrastructure and human resources; and the diverse ways the AIDS epidemic manifests across the region. Those interviewed indicated that comprehensive training programs such as those developed by INSP play an essential role in equipping national and regional leaders to improve and expand HIV and AIDS services. The INSP programs fill a critical gap in human resource training and efforts should be made to mobilize the resources and support needed to expand and duplicate these kinds of training opportunities.

  • This series of Capacity Development Resource Guides was produced by the Health Policy Project as part of an Organizational Capacity Assessment (OCA) Suite of Tools. The guides highlight the key technical areas of expertise needed to effectively influence health policy design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. Each guide identifies the specific skills, knowledge, and capacities that individuals and organizations should possess in the technical area. The guides also include individual and organization capacity indicators mapped to HPP’s Capacity Indicators Catalog, which can be used for facilitated organizational capacity assessments in the areas of policy, advocacy, governance, and finance. In addition, they provide illustrative activities and useful resources for designing and delivering capacity development technical assistance.

  • This brief describes the Health Policy Project’s perspective on systems change, the expertise needed for effective engagement in the policy process, implementation steps for capacity initiatives, and evaluation. It will be of particular use for those interested in capacity-strengthening approaches specific to policy, advocacy, governance, and finance. For sustained change, HPP encourages its partners to take a systems approach that addresses capacity needs at interrelated levels: individual, organizational, and systems.

    For information on the project's implementation of this approach, see the Capacity Development Topics page, which also includes practical resources such as HPP's recently developed Organizational Capacity Assessment (OCA) Suite of Tools. The tools are specifically designed to assist organizations with building their capacity related to health policy by 

    • Establishing a baseline of the organization’s capacity in key areas
    • Promoting organizational dialogue, learning, and standard setting
    • Informing the development of a capacity-strengthening plan for addressing organizational priorities

  • As a group, non-users of contraception differ greatly in their likely motivation to adopt a method or resume use. This poster, presented at the 2014 Population Association of America Annual Meeting, summarizes a study conducted under the USAID-funded Health Policy Project that presented a new approach by defining high- and low-motivation groups among current non-users according to: stated intention to use, past use, and unmet need.  

  • This presentation, "Communicating Research Findings to Policymakers," was part of a satellite session on policy implementation hosted by the USAID-funded Health Policy Project at the Second Symposium on Health Systems Research in Beijing, China, on October 31, 2012.  

  • There is considerable uncertainty surrounding key population size and HIV prevalence estimates in Tanzania. To address this data gap, the USAID- and PEPFAR-funded Health Policy Project (HPP), the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the Tanzania Commission for AIDS held a one-day workshop in Dar es Salaam in April 2014 to discuss and reach consensus among key stakeholders on key population estimates for mainland Tanzania. A Delphi method was used to seek consensus on the estimated size of and HIV prevalence among the three key populations in Tanzania: female sex workers, men who have sex with men, and people who use/inject drugs. The workshop processes and outcomes are summarized in this report. 

  • Given the importance of effective HIV-related programs for key populations in Kenya, several government entities, donors, and stakeholders expressed the need for country-specific data on the costs of providing oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV infection. Such data would contribute to the development of evidence-based oral PrEP policies and help ensure that the required resources are made available for appropriate implementation and scale-up. In collaboration with the National AIDS and STI Control Program and the Sex Worker Outreach Program, the Health Policy Project conducted a study to address the following questions: How much does it cost to provide oral PrEP to one sex worker for a year? And, how much would it cost to scale up oral PrEP to all sex workers country-wide? The findings show that the average, annual unit cost of providing oral PrEP to one sex worker is US$602 and the total cost to extend the intervention to all HIV-negative male and female sex workers in Kenya ranges from US$24 million to US$48 million, depending on coverage from 50 to 100 percent. The report concludes with recommendations for the Government of Kenya on factors to consider when planning any future scale-up of oral PrEP.

  • The USAID-funded Health Policy Project (HPP) formed a study team to estimate the unit costs associated with a minimum package of HIV services for female sex workers (FSWs) and men who have sex with men (MSM).

    To support the use of the analysis and cost data presented in the final study, the HPP study team also identified the need to develop a companion user guide to provide policymakers and program planners with a practical, stepwise approach to using data for decision making and evidence-based HIV programs, services, and policies, that address the needs of people living with HIV (PLHIV), MSM, and FSWs in Côte d’Ivoire.

    Using a stepwise approach with accompanying tables and worksheets, the guide first explains the importance of calculating average costs using data analysis presented in the larger study. Next, it explains how to determine and use program reach to estimate annual unit costs for HIV programs. Finally, the reader is shown how to project programmatic and national annual costs for FSWs and MSM. 

    The guide is available in English and French.

  • Geospatial analysis of epidemiological and health service data can generate maps of hotspots—locations where HIV prevalence is concentrated—and existing medical and social services and infrastructure. Using this method of data visualization, program planners can easily determine where HIV resources and services are lacking and where they should be deployed to have the greatest impact.

    With support from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and in collaboration with the Global Fund, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Health Policy Project (HPP) is providing technical assistance to ten high-impact countries in Africa and Asia to strengthen their use of geospatial analysis in HIV policymaking and strategic, financial, and program planning. This brief explains how a South African district improved HIV services using maps.

  • This brief describes the potential for a demographic dividend in Kenya, based on the pilot application of DemDiv, a new modeling tool developed by the USAID-funded Health Policy Project that projects the demographic and economic effects of interacting policy changes in the family planning, education, and economic sectors. The DemDiv model was piloted in Kenya by a multisectoral Technical Working Group chaired by the National Council for Population and Development. Four scenarios for the period between 2010 and 2050 were developed. The results show that combined family planning, education, and economic policies boost investment and employment, with GDP per capita growing more than 12 times above current levels and a potential demographic dividend of US$2,500 per person. The brief includes specific and multisectoral policy recommendations for Kenya to successfully achieve the demographic dividend.

  • Stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV (PLHIV) and key populations, such as sex workers and men who have sex with men, reduces access to critical services, adversely affects health outcomes, and undermines human rights. Legal services, however, are poorly resourced in low- and middle-income countries, and access is often limited to the wealthiest people.

    Drawing on lessons learned from other contexts, the Health Policy Project (HPP) collated international best practices, research on legal codes and systems in Ghana, and consultations with key stakeholders to determine approaches to monitoring discrimination. Using this information, the report the describes internet- and text message-based platforms for reporting HIV-related discrimination to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), providing a mechanism for civil society organizations to report cases to CHRAJ, track case progress, and use data on stigma and discrimination to guide future advocacy on HIV- and other related policies in Ghana.

  • This brochure provides an overview of a web-based platform that civil society organizations in Ghana can use to report cases of discrimination to the country's Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ). The system, developed with support from the USAID- and PEPFAR-funded Health Policy Project, links civil society to CHRAJ through case tracking, follow-up, and data reporting. The brochure provides information on why someone would submit a complaint, how to submit a complaint, and how to follow up on a complaint. It is meant solely for informational purposes. Step-by-step guidance on how to use the system is provided by the Discrimination Reporting System User Guide.

  • The Discrimination Reporting System User Guide outlines how civil society organizations in Ghana can use a web-based platform to report cases of discrimination to the country's Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ). The system, developed with the support of the USAID- and PEPFAR-funded Health Policy Project, links civil society to CHRAJ through case tracking, follow-up, and data reporting. The user guide provides civil society organizations with a visual description of how to navigate the online system, submit complaints on behalf of clients, track the progress of complaints, and generate reports. It will be distributed to civil society organizations in Ghana that support people living with HIV and key populations.

  • The Policy Unit of the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (NIHFW), the USAID-funded Health Policy Project (HPP), the National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC), and the Government of the State of Uttarakhand conducted a study to understand the effectiveness of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) financing in terms of allocation, disbursement, efficiency, and utilization. The study was designed to identify barriers in the flow of NRHM funds from state to district and sub-district levels of the public health system in Uttarakhand State. It found evidence of highly centralized, top-down planning, despite NRHM’s intent for a bottom-up approach. The state often does not allocate funds according to district requests, and below the district level funds are not fully utilized. There is some evidence that expenditures were efficient in that resource use was connected with performance. This study is the follow-on report to Effectiveness of Fund Allocation and Spending for the National Rural Health Mission in Uttarakhand, India: State and District Report.

  • India's National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) is one of the world's largest government-funded primary healthcare programs. Improving the effectiveness of financing for this program is crucial for both the central and state governments in India. In partnership with the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare and the National Health System Resource Centre, the USAID-funded Health Policy Project examined the allocation and spending of funds for NRHM in Uttarakhand, one of the program's "high focus states." This report summarizes the results of the first phase of the analysis, which examined fund flows from the state to the 13 districts using financial records from fiscal years 2008–09 to 2011–12. The analysis explored three questions: 1) whether funds are allocated to districts according to their health needs, 2) whether districts are able to spend the funds allocated to them, and 3) how districts spend funds relative to health needs. Results indicate that NRHM funding in Uttarakhand could be made more efficient by aligning allocations and spending with health needs, and improving districts’ ability to spend all the funds available to them. 

  • The Plano Estratégico do Sector da Saúde (PESS) 2014-2019 (the Health Sector Strategic Plan), is the overall expression of the priorities, implementation approaches, and resource commitments for health of the government of the Republic of Mozambique (GRM). With support from the USAID-funded Health Policy Project (HPP), the Ministry of Health (MISAU) applied the OneHealth model to estimate the financial and health system resources need to implement the plan, and the likelihood of meeting key indicators in maternal and child health and HIV/AIDS related to the Millennium Development Goals. Detailed cost analysis was conducted for over 40 disease programs across primary and secondary health. Financial requirements for the overall human resources for health (HRH), logistics, health infrastructure, governance and leadership, and health information systems were also estimated. The report identifies potential constraints for the scale-up of services, such as inadequate human resources, and includes an HRH gap analysis. It also contains a review of the strategic planning process at MISAU, and recommendations for the institutionalization of the OneHealth approach.

    The report is available in English and Portuguese.

  • These evidence-based advocacy materials, based on Spectrum projections, were produced under the USAID-funded Health Policy Project by the White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria to support national- and state-level advocacy efforts aimed at increasing access to family planning.

  • The USAID-funded Health Policy Project supported partners at Gondar University to use the FamPlan model to analyze the demographic and family planning program implications of meeting Ethiopia’s Family Planning 2020 (FP2020) targets. The projections show that, if Ethiopia achieves a contraceptive prevalence rate of 73.3 percent by 2020 (the target set by the Federal Ministry of Health), the total fertility rate would fall to less than two children per woman in 2020 and the annual population growth rate would slow to less than 1 percent by 2020. In addition, under-five and infant mortality rates would drop significantly due to increased use of family planning. The model projection also estimated the number of contraceptive commodities required to achieve the target, which can be used to ensure contraceptive security.  

  • In June 2013, President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya announced policies to remove user fees in dispensaries and health centers and to provide free maternal health services in all public health facilities. This report presents the findings of a study conducted in Kenya by the USAID-funded Health Policy Project (HPP) to establish baseline measures for evaluating the impact of these policies. The Kenya Ministry of Health, with support from HPP, identified the need to monitor and evaluate the impact of the policies on utilization, service provision, and revenue collection, among other indicators.

  • St. Kitts and Nevis is implementing an intervention package to achieve “stigma-free” HIV services. This brief summarizes the results from a survey of health facility staff to inform the intervention, and review of these data in a participatory workshop with health sector stakeholders. The National AIDS Programme is leading the implementation effort with technical support from the University of the West Indies (UWI) and the USAID- and PEPFAR-funded Health Policy Project (HPP). The package includes: a comprehensive survey of all health facility staff; training for health staff and NGO leaders on stigma reduction in health facilities; development of policies and facility Codes of Conduct to reduce HIV stigma; routine monitoring of stigma and discrimination; and where possible, tracking progress on treatment adherence and uptake of testing, treatment, and prevention. The package is part of a regional initiative led by the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP) and facilitated by HPP and UWI to apply a jointly agreed framework for effective stigma reduction in health facilities.

  • The results of a survey of health facility staff in St. Kitts and Nevis, conducted by the University of the West Indies, the St. Kitts and Nevis Ministry of Health, and the USAID- and PEPFAR-funded Health Policy Project (HPP), illustrated  that key drivers of stigma and discrimination in health facilities (fear of HIV infection, negative attitudes and facility environment, including policy) are present across all levels of staff, both medical and non-medical. HPP organized a participatory analysis of the evidence and dissemination of the results  among health facility staff to promote reflection and propel a sense of urgency to reduce stigma in the health setting. Baseline evidence provided a tool to motivate staff and policymakers to measurably improve services. Recommendations developed by the healthcare workers focus on a range of training suggestions including who, when, and how to strengthen capacity through training of health and auxiliary staff; and policy development strategies. They urged a call to action based on human rights and a professional obligation to provide equitable, quality services to all. The discussion and recommendations highlight the effectiveness of a participatory approach to data analysis to inform action.       

  • In 2013, the USAID-funded Health Policy Project, in collaboration with the National Population Council (NPC) of Ghana, supported the development of a Ghana RAPID application. The NPC, comprising governmental and nongovernmental organizations, focuses on the state of family planning in Ghana and the need for more support and funding for the national family planning program. “RAPID” stands for “Resources for the Awareness of Population Impacts on Development,” and it is a tool designed to help policymakers understand the relationships between fertility, population growth, health, education, agriculture, and economic growth. The presentation uses RAPID projections to highlight the impact of Ghana's population growth on national development and its ability to provide education, health, and nutrition to all its citizens. The presentation also highlights the policies the government must put in place to benefit from the demographic dividend.

  • This brief by Uganda’s National Planning Authority describes how Uganda and its people could benefit from the demographic dividend, based on results from DemDiv, a new modeling tool developed by the USAID-funded Health Policy Project. DemDiv shows that a combined scenario of investments in family planning, education, and economic policies would provide the strongest benefits in terms of health, investment, employment, and GDP per capita. Specific policy recommendations for the three sectors are included.

  • This brief provides an overview of the USAID-funded Health Policy Project's work in health financing in Afghanistan.

  • Kenya’s Health Sector Intergovernmental Forum (HSIF) brings together health sector managers from national and county governments, the Public Service Commission, the national treasury, and development partners to share experiences in managing devolved health services. In October 2014, the Health Policy Project/Kenya supported a two-day meeting of the HSIF to deliberate over issues affecting health service delivery under devolution, including management and financial inefficiencies. Published by the Government of Kenya, this report presents a summary of the meeting.

  • The Indian state of Jharkhand has shown commitment to improve the implementation of its family planning (FP) program and undertook a capacity-building program, with technical assistance from the USAID-funded Health Policy Project (HPP), to strengthen capacities of the state Family Planning Cell, civil society organizations, and district- and block-level health functionaries to operationalize the state's FP strategy and oversee its effective implementation. This program was piloted in three focus districts—Simdega, West Singhbhum, and Giridih—and followed an intensive approach that included a capacity needs assessment and development of a program that was in line with the findings of the needs assessment.

    This toolkit was developed as an aid for HPP’s capacity-building program in the Jharkhand. It consists of the Manager's Tool to record data during mentoring and supervisory visits; the Manual for District and Block Managers and accompanying PowerPoint slides that provide training and guidance to build capacity for a stronger health system that supports family planning programs; and the Training of Trainers Manual and accompanying PowerPoint presentations to build participants' skills to become trainers of district- and block-level managers in health systems strengthening and effective management to improve FP programming.

  • The USAID-funded Health Policy Project applied its new ImpactNow model to estimate the near-term health and economic benefits of achieving family planning goals in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. This report presents the proceedings of the preliminary results dissemination meeting, held in Bahir Dar in May 2014, attended by the Amhara Regional Health Bureau and representatives from the Federal Ministry of Health. Following presentation of the draft results, attendees' discussions and recommendations were recorded to inform the final ImpactNow analysis, to be completed in late 2014.

  • This brief, produced by the USAID- and PEPFAR-funded Health Policy Project, provides an introduction to conditional grants and how Kenya can use them to strengthen its health systems during the transition to a devolved system of government and a decentralized health infrastructure.

  • This report by the USAID- and PEPFAR-funded Health Policy Project provides and introduction to conditional grants and describes how Kenya can use them to strengthen its health systems during the transition to a devolved system of government and a decentralized health infrastructure.

  • Injectable contraception has been available in the private sector in India since 1986, but is not accessible to public sector clients. With support from the USAID-funded Health Policy Project, the Policy Unit of the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare conducted a stakeholder analyses to understand the barriers to introducing injectables in the package of methods available through the public sector. This descriptive brief combines primary and secondary data to provide a status update and policy analysis to stakeholders advocating for policy change to expand the basket of contraception in the public sector.

  • Developed by the USAID-funded Health Policy Project, the Integrating Gender into Scale-up Mapping Tool is designed to provide program managers with a methodology to systematically integrate gender into scale-up initiatives. The process begins with a gender-based analysis to identify factors that influence women’s and men’s experiences related to health and the best practice to be scaled up. The findings from the analysis are then used to inform development of a scale-up road map with a gender lens. The mapping tool enables the user to identify when gender-based constraints may arise during the scale-up process, and develop strategies to address constraints and opportunities to reduce gender inequality during scale-up. Lastly, the user will develop indicators to monitor both the scale-up process and the gender strategies incorporated into the scale-up process. At the end of the mapping exercise, the user will have a concrete plan outlining the gender barriers that may arise throughout the scale-up process, strategies for addressing these barriers, and indicators to monitor both the scale-up process and the gender strategies incorporated into the process.

    This tool features a gender analysis template and the Integrating Gender into Scale-up Mapping template. Illustrative examples for completing the mapping template are also provided. 

  • In Jamaica, Woman Inc., with support from the Health Policy Project (HPP), implemented a pilot project to assess the feasibility of integrating screenings and referrals for gender-based violence (GBV) with clinical services for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. The links between GBV and HIV are widely acknowledged, but relatively few people access services for GBV, especially women and key populations with high HIV burdens such as men who have sex with men and sex workers. The pilot project involved gender training for healthcare providers and community agencies, adaptation and implementation of a GBV screening tool, and mapping and strengthening of GBV referral systems. The findings, summarized in this brief, indicate that the pilot enhanced the capacity of HIV healthcare providers to improve access to GBV support services and better meet the needs of their patients, especially women and key populations.

  • Saving Mothers, Giving Life (SMGL) is five-year public-private partnership aiming to drastically reduce maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. As part of the proof of concept, the USAID- and PEPFAR-funded Health Policy Project conducted an expenditure analysis to identify what additional expenditures were made to reduce maternal mortality in the eight SMGL pilot districts in Uganda and Zambia. The overall study findings showed that investments in infrastructure, transportation, training for healthcare workers, and demand creation for facility-based deliveries led to maternal mortality decreases in both countries in one year—30 percent in one, 35 percent in the other. HPP's expenditure analyses complement these evaluations, and help to inform budgeting and planning for scale-up of the district strengthening model.

  • In March, the Kenya Ministry of Health convened an international consultation forum in collaboration with the World Bank Group and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Health Policy Project to deliberate on the challenges of providing universal health coverage (UHC) to all Kenyans, regardless of their ability to pay, and to explore strategic and sustainable health financing options. The Kenya Health Policy Forum reviewed options and lessons learned from other countries, and proposed recommendations on how the country can improve efficiency to achieve UHC.

    The meeting brought together local and international experts with diverse expertise spanning the health sector, including both the public and private sectors. Participants from Kenya included representatives from both levels of government, nongovernmental organizations, faith-based organizations, and the private sector. International speakers shared experiences from Brazil, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, and Mexico. Development partners who support Kenya’s health sector were also represented, including the USAID, the UK Department for International Development, the German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation, and the World Bank.

  • Investing for impact is an explicit goal of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The institution’s strategy for 2012 to 2016 focuses on countries and populations where interventions promise maximum rewards for public health. As part of this “New Funding Model,” the Global Fund is asking applicant countries seeking financing to more accurately  demonstrate where and how their HIV programs will yield significant, measurable improvements in limiting the spread of the virus. Accomplishing this will depend to a great extent on each country’s ability to use geospatial analysis of epidemiological data to target resources to areas with the greatest need.

    Not all countries seeking Global Fund support have extensive experience with geospatial analysis. To address this gap, the Health Policy Project (HPP)—funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)—is working with 9 countries eligible for Global Fund support to strengthen their use of geospatial analysis in HIV policymaking and in strategic, financial, and program planning.

  • This policy brief highlights the USAID-funded Health Policy Project's in-depth analysis of fertility and family planning trends in the Amhara Region, based on the Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) 2011. The findings demonstrate that early marriage is pervasive in Amhara (leading to earlier childbearing), and that 22 percent of married women in the region have an unmet need for family planning. There are disparities in the uptake of family planning, with rural women and those with no formal education being particularly difficult to reach. The quality of family planning services was also found to be a barrier to family planning use, with many women receiving inadequate counseling about available contraceptive methods or side effects. Based on the study's findings, crucial actions are recommended for expanding and improving family planning services and reducing fertility in the Amhara Region, which can inform family planning policy development and advocacy in the region.

  • Once dominated by infections among people who inject drugs, the adult HIV incidence in Ukraine is increasing among other key populations and the national prevention strategy must adapt. In this context, the USAID-supported Health Policy Project (HPP) partnered with State Service of Ukraine on HIV/AIDS and Other Socially Dangerous Diseases, and the Institute for Economy and Forecasting of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in July 2013 to analyze the cost and effectiveness of HIV prevention over 2014–2018. The analysis aimed to inform the National AIDS Programme (NAP) 2014–2018. HPP applied the Goals mathematical model to examine the effects of scaling up treatment, harm reduction, and other behavioral interventions on incidence, and developed an Excel-based model to estimate the implementation cost. Recent Ukraine-specific epidemiological, behavioral, demographic, and cost data were obtained from the Ministry of Health and other secondary sources. Results suggest that the NAP with universal access targets for prevention is the most cost-effective prevention strategy. This suggests additional investment in Ukraine would be rational and could save lives. Non-renewal of Global Fund support for key prevention interventions in Ukraine would substantially weaken the efficiency and effectiveness of its HIV response and requires an urgent resource mobilization strategy.  

  • Following the 2010 earthquake, Haiti has attracted increased interest as a source for international adoptions. Yet groups interested in child welfare and protection feared irregularities in the child adoption process. In 2012, Haiti ratified the Hague Convention which enshrines the principle that international adoption should be considered a protective measure, to ensure a child's best interest. It took the establishment of a new law in Haiti to ensure that national legal provisions conformed with the Hague Convention. The Haitian government passed the "Loi réformant l'Adoption” (the law reforming adoption), which was published in October 2013. This brief explains the rationale for and the purpose of this new law. It also describes the Haitian Government’s efforts to reform the legal framework for child protection, with the technical support of international actors including the  HPP AKSE project, funded by the U.S. Agency for  International Development (USAID) and implemented by Futures Group.

  • In October 2013, the Haitian government passed a law to regularize adoption. This new law focuses on children's best interests and aims to promote international adoption as a last-resort measure after reviewing all the national options. The USAID-funded Health Policy Project AKSE program reproduced the text of the law in this booklet to make it accessible to actors in the child protection chain and to promote its application through trainings for Haitian judicial actors and dissemination among human rights NGOs.

  • In June 2014, government of Haiti passed a new law against human trafficking. The main purpose of the legislation was to minimize the incentives for people to become human traffickers. The act establishes penalties for trafficking-related crimes, including imprisonment for up to 15 years, and fines of more than US$30,000. Prior to the passage of this law, there were no provisions in the Haitian legal framework that criminalized trafficking in persons. The USAID-funded Health Policy Project AKSE program published this law to disseminate the content of this important legal instrument and help protect survivors of trafficking. It is intended for use by judges, lawyers, and human rights-focused NGOs, and is used by HPP AKSE to train judicial actors, in partnership with the Haitian government

  •  In June 2014, the government of Haiti passed a new law: the Responsible Paternity Act. With this law, Haiti sent a clear signal promoting the “protection of all children, without discrimination.” A significant implication of the act for parents is that children born within and outside of marriage must be afforded the same opportunities and rights (e.g., inheritance rights)—an important principle in a society with five forms of union. This booklet reproduces the text of the law, and was produced by the USAID-funded Health Policy Project AKSE program to educate parents and judicial actors about the new law and advocate for its concrete application. The law is not retroactive.

  • Through this case study, the USAID- and PEPFAR-funded Health Policy Project (HPP) seeks to share Thailand’s experience implementing the AIDS Zero Portal (AZP) and its initial impact at the national and provincial levels. The AZP offers a potential model for other countries looking to institutionalize and leverage information systems as part of their routine monitoring and evaluation, strategic planning, and resource allocation efforts.

  • This presentation is a summary and report of findings regarding varying motivational intensity of unmet need for family planning and is based on a study conducted by the USAID-funded Health Policy Project. The oral presentation was delivered at the November 2013 International Family Planning Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

  • With a high government debt burden and declines in donor assistance, Jamaica faces challenges in sustaining its national HIV and family planning programs. To heighten efficiency and sustainability, the Jamaican Ministry of Health (MOH) integrated elements of its national HIV program into its family planning (FP) program to create a new national agency for sexual health. The new sexual health agency absorbs all the functions previously carried out by the national FP and HIV/STI programs except for treatment and clinical services. In undertaking this reform, the MOH found a dearth of guidance about national HIV-FP program integration. Thus, the MOH collaborated with the USAID- and PEPFAR-funded Health Policy Project to develop this case study assessing lessons to date in Jamaica and next steps.

  • The USAID- and PEPFAR-funded Health Policy Project assisted the Ghana AIDS Commission with updating the country's National HIV/AIDS and STI Policy. The updated policy reflects the state-of-the-art and best practices in HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment, especially in the areas of human rights and key populations. The new policy provides the overarching vision for the national HIV and AIDS program in Ghana and will ensure that all new strategies and guidelines are in line with the best practices in HIV implementation incorporated into the new policy. 

  • Malawi's Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare recognizes the breadth and seriousness of intimate partner violence and coordinates the national response to end this violence and strengthen support for survivors. To aid the ministry’s efforts, the Health Policy Project (funded by USAID and PEPFAR) reviewed research, program reports, and government documents to produce a profile of what is documented about intimate partner violence (and gender-based violence, more generally) in Malawi, how the problem has been handled to date, and where action is needed most urgently. The findings are the basis for this brief.

  • The Policy Analysis and Advocacy Decision Model for Services for Key Populations in Kenya provides stakeholders—including policy makers, service providers, and advocates—with tools to assess and advocate policies that govern accessibility and sustainability of services for key populations (men who have sex with men, sex workers, people who inject drugs, and transgender people). By comparing existing Kenyan policies to the global normative guidelines and best practices, the model reveals gaps and challenges in implementation. This document, prepared by the USAID and PEPFAR-funded Health Policy Project for the National AIDS Control Council of the Ministry of Health, analyzes more than 120 policy and program documents related to HIV and key populations.  It also makes policy recommendations for enhanced service scale-up and uptake by key populations in Kenya. 

  • This checklist, developed by the USAID-funded Health Policy Project, draws from lessons learned and best practices moving from policy to action. It is meant to provide guidance to stakeholders on how to contribute to a policy environment that supports countries to fulfill their FP2020 commitments. The tool allows users to compare current policies with the best practices discussed in this document, to assess whether current policies need to be revised or better implemented, and whether new policies should be developed. 

  • This handout provides an overview of the Positive Health, Dignity and Prevention (PHDP) Curriculum created by the Jamaican Network of Seropositives (JN+)—with support from the Jamaican Ministry of Health’s National HIV/STI Program (GIPA Unit) and the USAID- and PEPFAR-funded Health Policy Project. The curriculum aims to promote personal health and advocate for high-quality health services for people living with HIV (PLHIV). Although it was developed in Jamaica, the curriculum offers a promising, practical tool to help strengthen PLHIV leadership and advocacy to advance PHDP in the region and globally, and to enhance health systems and health outcomes across prevention, care, and treatment.

  • The Health Policy Project designed this training manual for civil society organizations implementing HIV prevention and orphan and vulnerable children (OVC) care and support programs in Mozambique. The manual aims to raise awareness and sensitize participants on the concepts and interlinkages between gender inequality, HIV, and gender-based violence (GBV). By doing so, the organizations will better understand and appreciate the influence of gender and violence on HIV- and OVC–related issues and will be in a better position to develop and implement program strategies and interventions that will promote gender equality and help prevent GBV. The manual contains eight sessions covering a range of topics from a basic introduction to gender to developing a multisectoral response to gender-based violence.

  • With support from the USAID-funded Health Policy Project, the Ethiopian Public Health Association applied the DemProj module of the Spectrum suite of models to project the size of the Ethiopian population from 2012 to 2050. The projection showed that the population is expected to increase steadily from 83.7 million in 2012 to 171.8 million in 2050. The young (0 to 14 years) age group is projected to decline after 2030, while the working-age population (15 to 64 years) and older age population (65 years+) are expected to continue growing. Ethiopia’s window for capturing a possible demographic dividend is projected to peak around 2040. Based on the data from the model, recommendations were made to accelerate access to family planning services and to increase investments in health, education, and other development sectors to take advantage of the demographic dividend.

  • The public expenditure tracking survey with service delivery indicators (PETS-Plus) survey was a comprehensive exercise conducted in 2012 by the Ministry of Health, Kenya in collaboration with the USAID- and PEPFAR-supported Health Policy Project, Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis, the World Bank, and the Kenya Medical Research Institute. The PETS-Plus combines the expenditure tracking surveys previously conducted in Kenya with health service indicators (SDI) to provide a comprehensive view of health facilities' overall performance and the impacts of key policy reforms in the sector. Data collected from 294 sampled facilities across 15 counties provide information on the adequacy of infrastructure, medical equipment, medical drugs, human resources for health, and financial planning and management at the facility level. Levels of adherence to key health financing policies on user fees (10/20 policy) and the Health Services Sector Fund/Hospital Management Service Fund (HSSF/HMSF) were also measured, providing critical insights into levels of readiness for devolution in the health sector and the implementation of policies such as free maternal healthcare and removal of user fees at the primary level. 

    Results of the survey suggest that counties in Kenya need to pay urgent attention to essential drug availability and improve human resource levels by reducing absenteeism and through redeployment. Access to IT equipment and electronic data record systems is needed. Adherence to past user fee policies has been non-uniform, suggesting that implementation of current user fee removal policies should be carefully monitored, and the delivery of HSSF/HMSF funds needs to be improved and strengthened. The PETS-Plus report is supported by three focused policy briefs that examine the results from different perspectives, diving deeper into the findings: effective implementation of the health financing policies; quality of primary healthcare services (using the SDI results); and county readiness for healthcare delivery (a comprehensive look across health inputs). These briefs are available on this page alongside the main report.

  • The United Nations Population Fund and the USAID-funded Health Policy Project used the Gather, Analyze, and Plan (GAP) Tool to analyze data on Zimbabwe’s demographic patterns and family planning (FP) costs. The analysis is intended to give decisionmakers in Zimbabwe a picture of the additional investment in FP that will be needed to achieve the country’s FP2020 goals.

  • This policy brief highlights the USAID-funded Health Policy Project's application of the RAPID model to forecast integrated data and evidence on population and socioeconomic projections for the Amhara region. The analysis can support experts and policymakers to engage in data-driven decision making, planning, budgeting, and monitoring and evaluation of regional population issues linked with related factors such as the economy, education, health, agriculture, and urbanization. The projections were made according to the Central Statistical Agency 2012 Intercensal Population Survey’s low and high variants for 2007 to 2037.

  • This suite of tools, developed by the USAID-funded Health Policy Project, the University of Washington, USAID, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was designed to strengthen the capacity of key stakeholders to engage in and monitor health policy development and advocacy interventions. The Road Map consists of eight different tools that can be used separately or together to help stakeholders systematically review the policy process and take steps toward full implementation. Each tool is meant for a different stage of the policy process and helps users fully view the different actions necessary to move the policy process forward from development to implementation and evaluation. The Road Map is also available in French and Spanish.

  • Adolescent girls and young women are a critical priority in HIV prevention programming. People born with HIV and those becoming sexually active in an era of HIV and AIDS face complicated risks and challenges that were unknown to previous generations. Today, 1.8 billion young people ages 10–24 comprise 26 percent of the world’s population and as much as 32 percent in some regions, such as sub-Saharan Africa. Many of the countries with the highest HIV prevalence are experiencing a massive "youth bulge" in population, so even with decreasing HIV prevalence, the absolute number of young people living with HIV or at risk of acquiring HIV will grow in the next five years. Young women are especially vulnerable, with HIV infection rates nearly twice as high as those for young men. At the end of 2012, approximately two-thirds of new HIV infections in adolescents ages 15–19 were among girls. Scaling up evidence-informed interventions for adolescents is essential. This brief offers priority interventions for programmers based on evidence from successful programming for women and girls; though a number of the interventions listed also benefit men and boys. The brief is divided into three parts: evidence-informed priority areas for programming; implementation and research gaps that must be addressed; and considerations for scaling up successful programming for girls and young women. For more information on these and other interventions see www.whatworksforwomen.org. 

    What Works for Women & Girls is supported by the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and Open Society Foundations and is being carried out under the auspices of the USAID-supported Health Policy Project, the Public Health Institute, and What Works Association, Inc. For more information, please visit www.whatworksforwomen.org or email mcrocegalis@gmail.com.

  • This poster presents the results of a study on measuring HIV stigma among all levels of health facility staff. A tool developed by international program implementing agencies, university and non-university based researchers, the global network of people living with HIV (GNP+), and UNAIDS was field-tested to refine it and create a brief questionnaire that can be used s a standalone survey or a module in a broader HIV survey for health facility staff. The poster was presented by staff of the USAID- and PEPFAR-funded Health Policy Project at the 17th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa in December 2013, in Cape Town, South Africa.

  • Ministries of health are largely responsible for achieving the commitments that their national governments have made as part of the FP2020 initiative. As stewards, ministries of health are responsible for fostering effective policy implementation. Yet, putting policies into practice is challenging, and all too often policy implementation is weak. This brief identifies three ways for ministries of health to address barriers to policy implementation and strengthen their role as stewards of national FP2020 efforts. It is part of a series of three briefs produced by the USAID-funded Health Policy Project to provide guidance to MOH officials and members of parliament (MPs) on three different approaches to strengthen MOHs’ stewardship functions for FP2020. The other briefs in the series are Stewardship for FP2020 Goals: The Role of Parliamentarians, and Stewardship for FP2020 Goals: Working with the Private Sector.

  • Ministries of health (MOHs) are largely responsible for achieving the commitments that their national governments have made as part of the FP2020 initiative, which aims to enable 120 million more women and girls to use contraceptives by 2020. However, MOHs’ ability to meet FP2020 goals depends on the strength of their stewardship functions, including the support they generate from and collaboration with other actors and sectors.This brief describes four skills that parliamentarians can develop and strengthen to become more effective at lobbying for, demanding, and securing additional funding for FP. It is part of a series of three briefs produced by the USAID-funded Health Policy Project to provide guidance to MOH officials and members of parliament (MPs) on three different approaches to strengthen MOHs’ stewardship functions for FP2020. The other briefs in the series are Stewardship for FP2020 Goals: Working with the Private Sector, and Stewardship for FP2020 Goals: MOH Role in Improving FP Policy Implementation.

  • Ministries of health (MOHs) are largely responsible for achieving the commitments that their national governments have made as part of the FP2020 initiative, which aims to enable 120 million more women and girls to use contraceptives by 2020. The ministries' ability to meet FP2020 goals depends on the strength of their stewardship functions, including collaboration with and support they generate from other actors and sectors. This brief describes how ministries of health can strengthen linkages with the private sector to achieve FP2020 goals. It is part of a series of three briefs produced by the USAID-funded Health Policy Project to provide guidance to MOH officials and members of parliament (MPs) on three different approaches to strengthen MOHs’ stewardship functions for FP2020. The other briefs in the series are Stewardship for FP2020 Goals: The Role of Parliamentarians, and Stewardship for FP2020 Goals: MOH Role in Improving FP Policy Implementation.

  • Part of an Organizational Capacity Assessment (OCA) Suite of Tools and developed by the Health Policy Project, the Strengthening Capacity in Policy, Advocacy, Governance, and Finance: A Facilitator Guide for Organizational Capacity Assessments is a facilitated self-assessment tool tailored to an organization’s mission as it relates to health policy. The participatory capacity assessment process supports an organization by

    • Establishing a baseline of the organization’s capacity in key areas
    • Promoting organizational dialogue, learning, and standard setting
    • Informing the development of a capacity-strengthening plan for addressing organizational priorities

    The process outlined in the guide supports staff members and other key stakeholders to share their perspectives about the organization’s functioning, strengths, and challenges to undertake work related to health policy. Accompanying the guide are a Capacity Indicators Catalog that identifies the key capacities needed to support relevant technical policy areas and an OCA Results Spreadsheet that creates an electronic report and visual depictions of the capacity assessment based on the indicators chosen from the catalog and a participatory scoring process.

  • The USAID- and PEPFAR-funded Health Policy Project (HPP) supports health systems strengthening (HSS) by bringing together different actors and disciplines within the health system to improve policy and ultimately achieve more equitable and sustainable access to health services. The importance of HSS for HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria programs is recognized in Tanzania’s national strategic plans.

    In May 2014, USAID/Tanzania approached HPP to assist the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s Directorate of Policy and Planning in conducting a rapid HSS assessment with two main objectives: to build initial consensus around priority HSS actions that will inform a new national HSS strategy, and to provide information for the ministry to advocate for additional HSS funding. The latter includes presenting HSS priorities, activities, and actions to the Global Fund’s Tanzania National Coordinating Mechanism to be considered for inclusion in the upcoming grant application process.

  • The USAID-funded Health Policy Project supports African women leaders through coaching, as part of a larger capacity development model. Too often knowledge and skills gained during training are eclipsed by the demands of returning to work—and to one's old habits. In order to nurture the seeds planted through the Empowering Women Leaders for Country-led Development program's three-week women's leadership workshop, HPP carefully matches each participant with a coach from her own country. Thus begins a year-long relationship that enables the participant to grow professionally and personally through prioritizing, networking, and learning. This brief describes workshop participants' experiences with their coaches, and includes guidance on the effective use of a coaching model for capacity development.

  • The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) supports the implementation of the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a United States government (USG) initiative to save the lives of people around the world who are suffering from HIV and AIDS, in almost 100 countries. Since 2003, PEPFAR has worked with these countries to create systems that have stabilized the HIV epidemic by preventing new infections and providing care, support, and treatment to those infected and affected by HIV. Due to the progress that has been made in Guyana, the PEPFAR program will transition from a service delivery model to one that provides targeted technical assistance over the next five years (2013–2017). This will also result in a shift in USG funding, inclusive of USAID.

    Within this context, there is an identified need to clearly define roles and responsibilities for all key stakeholders and delineate next steps in the transition to ensure long-term sustainability of HIV prevention, care, and support services and the continuum of care for people infected and affected by HIV and AIDS.  Toward this effort, the USAID- and PEPFAR-funded Health Policy Project (HPP) supported PEPFAR Guyana by conducting a high-level assessment of HIV and AIDS NGOs, relevant private sector entities, the Ministry of Health (MOH), the National AIDS Program Secretariat (NAPS), and other relevant line ministries in Guyana. The aim of this assessment was to document the country’s capacity gaps and needs to support the transition of HIV services from donors to the country, and suggest approaches for ensuring an ethical transition and sustainability of these services over time.

  • The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) supports the implementation of the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a United States government (USG) initiative to save the lives of people around the world who are suffering from HIV and AIDS, in almost 100 countries. Since 2003, PEPFAR has worked with these countries to create systems that have stabilized the HIV epidemic by preventing new infections and providing care, support, and treatment to those infected and affected by HIV. Due to the progress that has been made in Guyana, the PEPFAR program will transition from a service delivery model to one that provides targeted technical assistance over the next five years (2013–2017). This will also result in a shift in USG funding, inclusive of USAID.

    Within this context, there is an identified need to clearly define roles and responsibilities for all key stakeholders and delineate next steps in the transition to ensure long-term sustainability of HIV prevention, care, and support services and the continuum of care for people infected and affected by HIV and AIDS.  Toward this effort, the USAID- and PEPFAR-funded Health Policy Project (HPP) supported PEPFAR Guyana by conducting a high-level assessment of HIV and AIDS NGOs, relevant private sector entities, the Ministry of Health (MOH), the National AIDS Program Secretariat (NAPS), and other relevant line ministries in Guyana. The aim of this assessment was to document the country’s capacity gaps and needs to support the transition of HIV services from donors to the country, and suggest approaches for ensuring an ethical transition and sustainability of these services over time.

  • In 2012, the Government of Haiti worked in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention to conduct the Violence Against Children Survey (VACS). The objective of the study was to measure the prevalence and consequences of physical, emotional, and sexual violence against children. The results would inform the design, implementation, and evaluation of a violence prevention program for children, and the building of systems for child protection. The USAID-funded HPP AKSE developed this brief to provide context and information to guide the Government of Haiti's strategies to respond VACS survey results and identify ways to strengthen child protection.

  • Decentralization of family planning is a critical concern for policymakers as international family planning commitments and the expansion of decentralization reforms become more common. Building on the latest research, this paper presents a family planning and decentralization analytical framework that was developed by the USAID-funded Health Policy Project to help key stakeholders better understand family planning decentralization processes, identify potential challenges and opportunities, and guide decentralization reforms. 

  • This manual provides the user with step-by-step instructions to apply the GAP Tool (Gather, Analyze, and Plan). The GAP Tool is a simple Excel-based tool to help policymakers, ministry officials, health officials, and advocates understand and plan for the costs associated with expanding family planning to achieve their country's contraceptive prevalence or fertility goals. The two main outputs produced by the tool are the country’s funding gaps for a national family planning program and for family planning commodities. 

    The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) supported development of the GAP Tool through the USAID | Health Policy Initiative, Task Order 1, and continues to support work on the tool, as well as this manual, through the Health Policy Project. 

  • Using the ImpactNow model, the USAID-funded Health Policy Project collaborated with the Amhara Regional Health Bureau (RHB) to estimate the near-term benefits of achieving Ethiopia’s ambitious family planning goals in the region. This brief summarizes key health and economic benefits associated with achieving these goals and offers recommendations for the Regional Health Bureau to increase investment in and improve family planning services. The analysis found that if the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) in the Amhara Region increases from 46 percent in 2014 to 73 percent in 2020 and if women adopt more long-acting and permanent methods (LAPMs), family planning would save the lives of 13,000 mothers and 112,000 children over that time period. Moreover, compared to current trends in the CPR, the Amhara Region would save an additional US$19 million in maternal and child healthcare costs. Using these results, the RHB promotes data-driven FP policy development and can advocate for increased access to family planning and LAPMs to achieve national FP goals in the region. 

  • The USAID-funded Health Policy Project applied its new ImpactNow model to estimate the near-term benefits of achieving the FP2020 goals in Zimbabwe. This brief describes some key benefits associated with achieving these goals, and offers recommendations for the government of Zimbabwe and development partners to increase investment in and improve family planning services in the country.

  • The Gender, Policy and Measurement program, funded by the Asia bureau of the U.S. Agency for International Development and implemented by the Health Policy Project (HPP) and MEASURE Evaluation, undertook a comprehensive, systematic review of the impact of gender-integrated programs on health outcomes. The findings are primarily intended to inform the work of government officials, donors, nongovernmental organizations, and other key stakeholders involved in health programming in India, as well as other low- and middle-income countries around the world.

    This review presents evidence showing how gender-integrated programming influences health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: in particular, reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health; HIV prevention and AIDS response; gender-based violence; tuberculosis; and universal health coverage.

    To read the full report—Transforming Gender Norms, Roles, and Power Dynamics for Better Health: Findings from a Systematic Review of Gender-integrated Health Programs in Low- and Middle-Income Countries—please visit www.healthpolicyproject.com?zp=381.

  • The Gender, Policy and Measurement program, funded by the Asia bureau of the U.S. Agency for International Development and implemented by the Health Policy Project (HPP) and MEASURE Evaluation, undertook a comprehensive, systematic review of the impact of gender-integrated programs on health outcomes. The findings are primarily intended to inform the work of government officials, donors, nongovernmental organizations, and other key stakeholders involved in health programming in India, as well as other low- and middle-income countries around the world.

    This review presents evidence showing how gender-integrated programming influences health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: in particular, reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health; HIV prevention and AIDS response; gender-based violence; tuberculosis; and universal health coverage.

    This report was authored by Arundati Muralidharan, Jessica Fehringer, Sara Pappa, Elisabeth Rottach, Madhumita Das, and Mahua Mandal.

    To read the subject briefs associated with this report, please visit: http://www.healthpolicyproject.com/index.cfm?id=publications&get=pubID&pubId=382. 

  • According to the 2011 census, India’s population is 121 crore (1.21 billion), an increase of 18.1 crore (181 million) since 2001. United Nations estimates indicate that India will be the most populous country in the world by 2030, surpassing China. The Empowered Action Group (EAG) states constitute 45.9 percent of the country’s population, so the future of India’s population will largely be governed by the socio-demographic status of these states. This brief, developed by the Policy Unit of the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare and the USAID-funded Health Policy Project, presents a situational analysis of fertility and family planning indicators of the EAG states in India, focusing on the levels of and trends in certain crucial indicators, such as the total fertility rate, contraceptive prevalence rate, current scenario of method mix, and unmet need for contraception. This analysis could be used as a ready reckoner for stakeholders at different stages of planning and implementing family welfare programs across the EAG states.

  • Developed by the USAID- and PEPFAR-funded Health Policy Project, this guide is a training tool that provides a standard for stigma reduction. It is a resource for facilitators seeking to train participants to reduce HIV and key population stigma and discrimination, and for leaders of community dialogue and policy development in this area. The guide has been piloted in the Caribbean and other settings and can be readily adapted for other contexts.

  • Universities and research centers have traditionally been places of knowledge generation rather than knowledge translation. Though they produce important research findings, these institutions have not traditionally played a strong role in disseminating this information to key decisionmakers. In many cases, this paradigm is changing. Advances in information technology and globalization have eased the flow of technical information between researchers and policymakers, amplifying their voices in important policy discussions. However, there are currently no clear guidelines on how universities can ensure their research findings are utilized in health decision making. Documenting the ways in which universities have sought to bridge the research-to-policy divide can provide useful guidance to institutions looking to do the same. This white paper, prepared by the Health Policy Project with support from USAID and PEPFAR, provides an overview of three models of university engagement in advocacy and examples of each approach. It also describes practices from non-educational institutions whose frameworks could be useful for linking research to policy or opportunities for partnerships. Finally, it identifies key points for universities to consider when designing an approach to health advocacy. 

  • This booklet presents an analysis of family planning (FP) in Zimbabwe and explains how FP saves the lives of women and children, promotes economic development, and saves money in other areas of development. It also examines the funding gap that Zimbabwe must address to achieve its FP2020 objectives.

    The analysis was conducted by a group of partners from the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Care, the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council, the United Nations Population Fund Zimbabwe (with pooled funding from the United Kingdom Department for International Development, the Government of Sweden, and Irish Aid), and the Health Policy Project (funded by the United States Agency for International Development).