Amid troubling news about defunding domestic and international Family Planning programs, a few beams of light showed through.
The US administration proposed a budget and backed a health care plan that would slash support for Reproductive Health, contraception and other women’s health issues, which the independent Congressional Budget Office said would “result in thousands of unplanned births.” The international implications continue to cause concern in countries across Africa, including in Malawi where an article called the policy a death sentence.
Uganda produced some good news with its DHS survey which showed that the maternal mortality ration had declined.
Reaching young people with information about contraception and sexual health requires some creativity, as seen in DRC where a song competition on the topic is taking place, or in Rwanda where students are writing and producing plays to fight teenage pregnancy.
The importance of addressing societal norms as a whole to be able to promote family planning was brought into sharp focus by an incredible article from Niger, which has the world’s fastest-growing population. Definitely worth a read.
For those involved in counseling, a new client-centered framework from the Family Planning National Training Center was released. While US-oriented, it has useful general information.
Complete News Review References:
General
East African states launch initiative to reactivate family planning services, Coastweek, 16 Mar 2017
Midwives’ Voices, Midwives’ Realities: Results from the First Global Midwifery Survey, New Security Beat, 15 Mar 2017
For Adolescents, Pre-Pregnancy BMI Directly Linked to Excess Pregnancy Weight Gain, U-M Health Blog, 14 Mar 2017
CBO: Trumpcare Would Block Contraception Access, Resulting in Thousands of Unplanned Births, Slate, 14 Mar 2017
Let’s talk about sex. Women’s rights and freedoms depend on it, WEF, 14 Mar 2017
US may go cheek by jowl with women’s rights abusers at UN gender talks, Guardian 13 Mar 2017
Interview: Alexander Sanger says “firm determination to achieve equality and justice” motivated his grandmother, Margaret, SF Review of Books, 13 Mar 2017
Q&A: Senator Shaheen on her fight to repeal the ‘global gag rule’ permanently, Devex, 13 Mar 2017
Gynecologic Oncologists Cite Time, Money as Barriers to Global Health Participation, OncLive, 12 Mar 2017
These Stories Prove Laws Don’t Stop Abortions, They Only Make Them Dangerous (video), Elite Daily, 12 Mar 2017
How women’s health advocates can win in 2017, Guardian, 11 Mar 2017
The Dangerous Way Trump’s Global Gag Order Could Affect Women’s Access to Contraception, Bustle, 10 Mar 2017
7 Tweets & Memes That Show How Important Abortion Providers Are Right Now, Bustle, 10 Mar 2017
Empowering girls through menstrual health (video), Grand Challenges Canada, 7 Mar 2017
Using evidence—and on-the-ground expertise—to improve abortion care quality, Ipas, 3 Mar 2017
Academic
Quality Contraceptive Counseling and Education: A Client-Centered Conversation, FPNTC, 16 Mar 2017 (Useful though US-oriented course)
New Study Finds Little Change in Patterns of U.S. Contraceptive Use from 2012 to 2015, Guttmacher, 13 Mar 2017
How does intimate partner violence influence reproductive health?, Ipas, 10 Mar 2017
Comparison of Different Recruitment Methods for Sexual and Reproductive Health Research: Social Media–Based Versus Conventional Methods, JMIR, 10 Mar 2017
“Is the doctor God to punish me?!” An intersectional examination of disrespectful and abusive care during childbirth against single mothers in Tunisia, Reprod Health, 4 Mar 2017
Mapping the knowledge and understanding of menarche, menstrual hygiene and menstrual health among adolescent girls in low- and middle-income countries, Reprod Health, 1 Mar 2017
Cameroon
Teen Pregnancies Create Health Challenges in Cameroon, VOA, 14 Mar 2017
DRC
Un concours de chansons sur la santé sexuelle et reproductive pour les jeunes de la RDC ouvert du 10 mars au 29 avril 2017, ACP, 15 Mar 2017
Ghana
Mcottley Foundation supports “Next to Die” documentary, The Chronicle, 16 Mar 2017
UER Maternal death cases fluctuate, Ghana News Agency, 15 Mar 2017
Northern Region records 130 maternal deaths in 2016, Ghana News Agency, 15 Mar 2017
NGO ups public education on reproductive health services, Ghana News Agency, 14 Mar 2017
Ho Municipal Hospital now toast of pregnant women, Ghana News Agency, 10 Mar 2017
Pregnant women urged to access antenatal care regularly, Ghana News Agency, 10 Mar 2017
“Almost all maternal deaths are preventable!” , Health meets Tech, September 2016
Kenya
Woman dies while procuring abortion in Nairobi clinic, Daily Nation, 16 Mar 2017
State raises red flag on high population growth, Mediamax, 15 Mar 2017
Migori sets aside family planning funds, Citizen TV, 15 Mar 2017
Should abortion be a crime in Kenya?, Rural Reporters, 14 Mar 2017
Relief for patients as doctors call off strike, Daily Nation, 14 Mar 2017
In Nakuru, women are still waiting for contraceptives, Daily Nation, 14 Mar 2017
The Midwife Who’s Busting Birth Control Myths in Kenya, (video) NewsDeeply, 13 Mar 2017
Kisumu: A place where men are allowed inside labour room, The Citizen, 13 Mar 2017
The pain that abortion can cause, Daily Nation, 11 Mar 2017
Lesotho
Increasing access to health services, UNFPA, 15 Mar 2017
Liberia
We Care Solar to Reduce Maternal Mortality in Liberia, Front Page Africa, 10 Mar 2017
Malawi
Malawi NGOs to be hit by Trump’s abortion order, Malawi 24, 17 Mar 2017
Teenage pregnancies fuel school dropouts, CSJ News, 13 Mar 2017
Global Gag Rule is a death sentence for many women, CSJ News, 13 Mar 2017
First Lady urges Malawi women to go for cervical cancer screening, Nyasa Times, 13 Mar 2017
Niger
Why have four children when you could have seven? Family planning in Niger, Guardian, 15 Mar 2017
Nigeria
Maternal Mortality: Groups Takes Advocacy to Pharmacists Council Of Nigeria, Leadership, 15 Mar 2017
FG approves self-injectable contraceptive for use, Punch, 15 Mar 2017
Selective Laws Against Nigerian Women’s Reproductive Rights, The Nigerian Voice, 12 Mar 2017
Group tasks medicine vendors, others, Pulse, 9 Mar 2017
Nigeria will save $1.5 billion yearly by investing in maternal health – UNFPA, Premium Times, 8 Mar 2017
Nigeria Commits to Scaling Up Use of Antiseptic Gel to Reduce Newborn Deaths, USAID Frontlines, March/April 2017
Rwanda
Students use drama to fight teenage pregnancy, The New Times, 15 Mar 2017
Senegal
Un réseau ambitionne de contribuer à promotion de la santé sexuelle, APS, 9 Mar 2017
South Africa
School asks pupils to sign non-pregnancy commitment form, News24, 17 Mar 2017
#SizaMap: Where to get a safe, legal abortion in SA, Bhekisisa, 15 Mar 2017
UCT trying to identify culprits after abortion dust-up, Times Live, 12 Mar 2017
South Sudan
Giving birth in the shadow of starvation: South Sudan famine especially tough for women, 9 Mar 2017
Uganda
The more we remain silent about abortion, the more it happens, The Observer, 17 Mar 2017
Ubos survey: Maternal, infant death rates drop, The Monitor, 15 Mar 2017
I had an incomplete abortion, will I ever get pregnant?, The Monitor, 14 Mar 2017
Zambia
Stand up for youths’ reproductive health, Times of Zambia, 13 Mar 2017
