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Home > News Archive > 2007

News Archive 2007

Hormonal Implants: New, Improved and Potentially Popular
The ACQUIRE Project recently published a technical update on Hormonal Implants, an excellent contraceptive option for women at all phases of their reproductive lives-those who want to delay, space, or limit births. Hormonal implants are a highly effective, very safe, convenient, and simple form of contraception that is provided easily in an outpatient setting. Though implants are the most costly contraceptive method, their availability in programs reduces demand on health services because they are more effective and because their continuation rates are higher than short-acting methods, such as pills and injectables. Informed by the global evidence and experiences from the field, this document provides method-specific chracteristics as well as service program considerations. Read more >>> (PDF, 625KB)

ACQUIRE at the Global Health Mini-University
ACQUIRE participated in several sessions at the recent Global Health Mini University organized by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The ACQUIRE Project presented on Long-Acting and Permanent Methods and the Integration of Antiretroviral Therapy and Family Planning Services. In addition, ACQUIRE hosted a special panel on Gynecologic Fistula.
Read more>>>

ACQUIRE Publishes Reality √: A Programming and Advocacy Tool
In the reproductive health and family planning field, contraceptive prevalence rates (CPR) are often discussed. Programmers and policymakers are frequently asked to forecast overall contraceptive and method prevalence rates at national or local levels and to analyze past CPR trends. Projecting contraceptive and method-specific prevalence rates is essential to evaluating current efforts, setting goals for the future, and planning realistically for the resources the program will require. But we are often not equipped with the data or tools we need to make realistic programming decisions. The ACQUIRE Project developed a programmatic and technical model/tool, Reality √, that enables one to examine the relationship of contraceptive prevalence to contraceptive users, adopters, and commodities. A key principle of the ACQUIRE Project is using data for decision making, and Reality √ is an important tool to facilitate this process. ACQUIRE identified the need for projecting family planning goals and needs at the micro level as a critical element that significantly impacts programming and results. Existing contraceptive prevalence projection tools allow for projecting at the national level, while Reality √ allows for projecting contraceptive prevalence, user, and commodity needs at the district and site levels as well. Reality √ allows one to gauge what are realistic goals for national, district, and facility level programming. Reality √ can help one use existing data to project CPR and method mix into the future and test scenarios that impact CPR. This type of local, specific data is crucial to:

evaluate whether contraceptive prevalence goals are achievable;
program based on data; and,
advocate for the resources needed to actually achieve goals.

Reality √ allows one to project the future CPR needs of the geographic area where one-s program is operating and is important for programmers in planning activities and interventions. The data can also provide evidence to use for advocacy purposes-one can advocate for an increase in family planning resources based on projected data. ACQUIRE developed a Long-Acting and Permanent Method Programming Resource Package, of which the Reality √ tool is a key component. If you would like to learn more about how the Reality √ tool works, we invite you to review the Reality √ User-s Guide (PDF, 1.4MB). If you are interested in receiving a copy of the tool on CD-Rom, please contact info-acquire@acquireproject.org

ACQUIRE Publishes Family Planning-Integrated HIV Services: A Framework for Integrating Family Planning and Antiretroviral Therapy Services

The ACQUIRE Project is pleased to announce the publication of Family Planning-Integrated HIV Services: A Framework for Integrating Family Planning and Antiretroviral Therapy Services. This document was developed for two main purposes: a) to stimulate critical thinking regarding programmatic gaps related to the reproductive health needs of women and couples living with HIV and b) to assist community and facility-based HIV care and treatment providers and supervisors in tailoring services to reflect the family planning needs of the users and communities they serve. Based on demand from the field, this document was developed to look systematically at service delivery consideration to achieve integration. The ACQUIRE Project has field-tested portions of this document among program colleagues interested in integration in Bolivia, Ghana, and Uganda. Read more >>> (PDF, 679KB)

New Journal Publication by ACQUIRE on Long-Acting and Permanent Contraception

The ACQUIRE Project-s Clinical Director, Dr. Roy Jacobstein, recently published an article in the Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health. The article titled "Long-Acting and Permanent Contraception: An International Development, Service Delivery Perspective" reveals the need for effective contraception in general (and long-acting and permanent methods in particular). The largest cohorts in human history are entering their reproductive years and more than half a billion people will use contraception in developing countries (excluding China) by 2015, an increase of 200 million over levels of use in 2000. Read the abstract>>>

ACQUIRE at GHC

ACQUIRE recently participated in the Global Health Council-s 34^th Annual International Conference for Global Health. The theme of this year-s conference is -Partnerships: Working Together for Global Health- and ACQUIRE hosted an auxiliary event Sustaining Long-Term Partnerships in a Short-Term World. This was a facilitated discussion about partnerships in today-s foreign assistance context that examined the challenges of contributing to sustained development within the confines of time-bound projects and what development professionals can do to overcome short-term constraints to achieve lasting partnerships and impact. Field staff from four of our priority country programs as well as global project colleagues provided perspectives on the principles and practices that promote effective partnerships and discuss challenges, pitfalls, and what more we can do. The ACQUIRE Project thanks Doris Youngs from PATH and EngenderHealth Field Staff - Abu Jamil Faisel, Grace Lusiola, Didar Ouladi and Julie Wiltshire - for their participation on this panel, and Margaret Neuse for moderating.

See excerpts from the auxiliary event >>>

ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE: Integrating Family Planning with Antiretroviral Therapy Services in Uganda

This project brief looks at a pilot project conducted by the ACQUIRE Project to integrate family planning within HIV care and treatment services. ACQUIRE worked with The AIDS Support Organization (TASO) in Uganda to implement a number of strategies, such as:

Determining the fertility desires and reproductive health issues of HIV-positive women and couples, including how women accessing HIV care and treatment service met their family planning needs
Assessing the service-delivery system-s capacity to provide family planning within HIV care and treatment services, looking at factors such as service providers- capability, supervisory support, and medical policies
Assisting service providers, supervisors, and service-delivery systems in using a model to provide family planning within HIV care and treatment sites
Monitoring and evaluating family planning-integrated HIV care and treatment services
Sharing project experiences to guide expansion of family planning-integrated services

Reena-s Story: One Girl-s Fight to Stop Child Marriage

In Nepal, child marriage is common, with children often married at the age of 5 and living together at the age of 12 or 13. Through the Reproductive Health for Married Adolescent Couples Project, ACQUIRE is increasing the access of young married couples to reproductive health information, counseling, and services. Read about how the project has inspired and empowered one young woman to postpone her marriage. >>> (PDF, 102KB)

ACQUIRE at GHC

ACQUIRE will be participating in several sessions at the Global Health Council-s 34^th Annual International Conference for Global Health. The theme of this year-s conference is -Partnerships: Working Together for Global Health- and ACQUIRE is hosting an auxiliary event Sustaining Long-Term Partnerships in a Short-Term World as well as participating in roundtable sessions, panels, and poster presentations. Read more>>>

Creating Awareness of Fistula in Guinea

On April 25, 2007, the ACQUIRE Project organized an information day on fistula in Conakry, Guinea. The event brought together approximately 60 people representing the U.S. Agency for International Development; different government ministries; a range of multilateral and other donors; local and international nongovernmental organizations; and the media. The event highlighted the project-s successful work on fistula prevention and repair. Read more >>>

ACQUIRE Participates in Gender Norms Initiative

The President-s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is launching an initiative, under the guidance of its Gender Technical Working Group, to integrate evidence-based program models and practices into HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment programs to achieve positive change in male norms, roles, and behaviors. As part of this initiative, the ACQUIRE Project and Instituto Promundo are providing technical assistance to local implementing partners in three countries. Read more>>>

Empowering Community Members to Mobilize Postabortion Care in Kenya

Esther Nyokabi, like many women in her community, married early and delivered most of her 10 children at home. During one of her births, she suffered pelvic damage that affected her ability to walk. But through ACQUIRE-s COMMPAC project, Esther is using this experience to inform others and mobilize her community to improve postabortion care.

Read Esther-s story>>> (PDF, 79KB)

National Week-Long Campaign to Empower Men to Reduce HIV/AIDS and Gender-Based Violence

From April 23-30, 2007, the ACQUIRE Project and the Men As Partners (MAP) Network will lead the first annual Men As Partners Week in South Africa to motivate men to take action against HIV/AIDS and gender-based violence. Read more>>>

Increasing Access to Comprehensive PAC in Tanzania

The ACQUIRE Project is implementing comprehensive postabortion care (cPAC) services at 11 health facilities in Geita district, in the Mwanza region of Tanzania. Quality cPAC services are being decentralized to low-level facilities to increase access and family planning integrated into these services. Read more>>>

Using Data for Decision-Making to Address Stalls in Contraceptive Uptake

In 2001, Uganda seemed well on its way to meeting its national goal of a 50% contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) by 2010. But over the last five years the annual gain in contraceptive prevalence has declined dramatically (dropping from an average of 1.4 for 1988-2001 to 0.2 for 2001-2006). Working with Uganda-s Ministry of Health, the ACQUIRE Project recently conducted a workshop to pilot Reality √, a simple forecasting tool that helps program managers plan realistically based on past trends or future goals, enabling projections of method users and the commodities and service delivery capacity required. Read more>>>

Expanding Access to Family Planning in Tanzania

One approach of the ACQUIRE Project is to increase access to methods like the IUD by bringing family planning services closer to people, through lower-level providers who have received the appropriate training. In December 2006, ACQUIRE held an IUD clinical workshop for providers from health centers in the Mwanza, Shinyanga, and Tabora regions of Tanzania.