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The Other 16 and Pregnant

July 2013 by Katelyn Bryant-Comstock
TAGS: Family Planning, Health Workers, Katelyn Bryant-Comstock, World Population Day

This post was originally published on the IntraHealth International blog.

Katelyn Bryant-ComstockCurrently, almost half of the world’s population is under the age of 25. That represents three billion adolescents who have their full lives ahead of them. A strong education and economic opportunities can help adolescents plan productive and fulfilling futures, but without access to reproductive health services, their plans could be interrupted by unintended pregnancy. Unfortunately, many adolescents currently live in places that restrict access to these services for young people.  

And in some cases, these adolescents are married. Some communities view early marriage as a protective factor for a young woman’s sexual health and safety; however, early marriage is a risk factor for many health and social issues. Often married to older men, these young women typically have little to no negotiating power in their relationships, resulting in unsafe sex and adolescent pregnancies. Read more »

Three Answers for Walking Faster and Reaching Farther in Our Response to AIDS

July 2013 by Malik Jaffer
TAGS: Civil Society Organizations, HIV/AIDS, Malik Jaffer, Nongovernmental Organizations

Last week I ppanelists at the discussionarticipated in Walking Faster and Reaching Farther: Strengthening Public Sector-NGO Partnerships in the AIDS Response, the final discussion in a four-part series on capacity development and country ownership hosted by AIDSTAR-Two.

This topic is very timely. Many local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations (CSOs) around the world depend on the Global Fund, PEPFAR, and other donor money to respond to HIV and support people living with the virus. But with diminishing donor funds expected, the funding base of these organizations is unstable. In many cases, they are not closely aligned with the Ministry of Health or other public-sector entities, and their relationships need strengthening. There are, however, some examples of local CSOs and NGOs working closely with the public sector, as well as examples of what it takes to strengthen both sectors to work together productively to assure an appropriate HIV response. Further strengthening of these partnerships is critical. Read more »

Overcoming Obstacles to Accessing Mental Health Services in Ethiopia

June 2013 by Malik Jaffer
TAGS: Ethiopia, Mental Health, Social Service Workforce

Malik JafferThis post was originally published on the IntraHealth International blog.

“What do you see as one major obstacle to people seeking treatment that may be needed, and what advice or suggestion do you have to help overcome that obstacle, whether for the person, family member, or practitioner?”

That was the main question posed to panelists at the Ethiopian Global Initiative’s Ethiopia Public Health Forum, the focus of which was “Beyond the Stigma of Mental Health and Substance Abuse.” On June 1, I attended this forum as a representative of IntraHealth International. Read more »

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