LA SERIE DE APRENDIZAJE Y DESCUBRIMIENTO DE LA AUTOCUIDADO

DEL 30 DE OCTUBRE AL 17 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2023

ACERCA
DE LA SERIE

La Serie de Aprendizaje y Descubrimiento de la Autocuidado, que se celebra cada dos años, es una serie de aprendizaje virtual que invita a la comunidad del autocuidado a compartir nuevos conocimientos, elevar los hallazgos y las soluciones, y forjar conexiones a través de temas y geografías. La participación en la Serie de Descubrimiento es gratuita y está abierta a todas las partes interesadas en el autocuidado.

La 2023 Serie de Descubrimiento contó con 21 sesiones muy interactivas organizadas por más de 30 organizaciones internacionales y locales. Las sesiones exploraron temas candentes en la investigación, programación y promoción del autocuidado, incluyendo la anticoncepción autogestionada y la prevención del VIH, soluciones digitales para el autocuidado del aborto, estrategias de autocuidado para la salud mental de los adolescentes, el autocuidado en la resiliencia climática, ¡y mucho más! La Serie de Aprendizaje y Descubrimiento de la Autocuidado 2023 fue organizada por White Ribbon Alliance en nombre del Self-Care Trailblazer Group y con el apoyo de Impact for Health y otras importantes organizaciones asociadas.

Haga clic en los títulos de las sesiones para acceder a sus detalles, grabaciones y presentaciones en PowerPoint.

SESIONES

Miércoles 1 de noviembre

De 8:30 a. m. a 9:30 a. m. EDT/de 12:30 p. m. a 1:30 p. m. GMT

Inicie la Serie de Aprendizaje y Descubrimiento de la Autocuidado con una sesión plenaria de apertura llena de energía. Los participantes reflexionarán sobre los principales hitos del autocuidado a través de una actividad cronológica interactiva, y luego miraremos hacia el futuro con un discurso sobre el impacto y el futuro del autocuidado pronunciado por el Dr. Guillermo Ortiz, Asesor Médico Senior de Ipas.

De 10:00 a. m. a 11:30 a. m. EDT/de 2:00 p. m. a 3:30 p. m. GMT

Durante esta sesión dinámica, discutiremos cómo los modelos de aborto seguro con reducción de daños de América Latina ayudan a impulsar e imaginar nuevas posibilidades en un entorno desafiante como un mundo posterior al caso Dobbs y exploraremos cómo aplicamos la evidencia y adaptamos una solución de América Latina a los EE. UU. a través del diseño centrado en el ser humano y las alianzas estratégicas.

Moderadores:

  • Roopan Gill, cofundadora y directora ejecutiva, Vitala Global, Canadá
  • James Estrada, director de Latinx Innovation, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Estados Unidos

 

Oradores:

  • Lucia Villavicencio, directora sénior de Innovación, Planned Parenthood Global, Ecuador
  • Diana Moreno, directora de Promoción, Profamilia, Colombia
  • Caitlin Gerdts, vicepresidenta de Investigación, Ibis Reproductive Health, EE. UU.
  • Daniela Téllez, directora ejecutiva, Di Ramona, México
  • Sandra Cardona, cofundadora, Necesito Abortar, México
  • Lynsey Bourke, directora de Programas Regionales, DKT México
  • Susana Medina, Codirectora de la Unidad de Ecosistemas Sostenibles, Enfoques Interseccionales, Fòs Feminista, Estados Unidos
  • Isabel Pérez, Jefa del Equipo de Atención, Vitala Global, Estados Unidos
  • Farah Diaz-Tello, consejera principal, If/When/How, Estados Unidos
  • Martha Dimitratou, gerenta de Redes Sociales, Plan C Pills, Estados Unidos
  • Melissa Madera, consultora de Proyectos Especiales, Plan C Pills, Estados Unidos

 

Organizadores: Vitala Global Foundation y Planned Parenthood Federation of America

La autocuidado requiere un complejo cambio de comportamiento. Para mejorar la adopción y el mantenimiento de la autocuidado, los programas deben abordar los factores sociales y conductuales. Conozca el marco de autocuidado para el cambio social y de comportamiento y participe en una sesión de intercambio de conocimientos sobre las enseñanzas y las prácticas recomendadas para diseñar programas eficaces de cambio de comportamiento para la autocuidado.

Moderadora:

  • Abigail Winskell, directora de Proyectos, Delivering Innovation in Self-Care (DISC), Population Services International

 

Oradores:

  • Heather Hancock, Oficial Superior de Programas, John Hopkins University
  • Andréa Ferrand, Asesora Técnica Superior en Cambio Social y de Comportamiento, Population Services International
  • Alison Pack, Responsable de Programas, John Hopkins University

 

Organizadores: Population Services International y John Hopkins University

Jueves 2 de noviembre

DE 6:00 A. M. A 7:30 A. M. EDT/DE 10:00 A. M. A 11:30 A. M. GMT

A pesar de las recomendaciones de que las mujeres y los recién nacidos deben tener tres consultas posnatales en la primera semana de vida, la cobertura sigue siendo baja en muchos países. Los cuidados posnatales dirigidos por la familia (FLPC) ofrecen un prometedor modelo de autocuidado para salvaguardar la salud y el bienestar de las mujeres y los recién nacidos. Esta sesión explorará el desarrollo del modelo y los materiales de los FLPC en Etiopía, presentará los resultados del estudio de investigación e invitará a familias, miembros de la comunidad y matronas a reflexionar sobre sus experiencias directas.

Oradores:

  • Inés Alvarez-Gortari, diseñadora estratégica, ThinkPlace, Kenia
  • Anne Hyre, directora general de Proyectos, Antenatal/Postnatal Research Collective, Estados Unidos
  • Della Berhanu, directora de Proyectos de Etiopía, Colectivo de Investigación Antenatal/Posnatal, Etiopía
  • Konjit Wolde, asesora técnica del Colectivo de Investigación Antenatal/Posnatal, Etiopía
  • Dedefo Teno, directora del Programa Colectivo de Investigación Antenatal/Posnatal, Etiopía
  • Gadise Bekele, líder de Investigación de FPNC, Addis Continental Institute of Public Health, Etiopía
  • Tigist Awekelign, matrona, Hidi Health Center, Etiopía
  • Abebu Muche, matrona, Denkaka Health Center, Etiopía
  • Hirut Ayele, custodia, Aldea de Ude, Etiopía
  • Shuferu Degisew, custodia, Aldea de Bekejo, Etiopía
  • Abreham Sisay, familiar/esposo de FPNC, Aldea de Ude, Etiopía
  • Kelemuwa Ayigoda, madre de FPNC, Aldea de Hidi, Etiopía

 

Organizador: Jhpiego

La salud mental deficiente es el problema de salud más grave al que se enfrentan los jóvenes en todo el mundo, aún así los servicios de apoyo son escasos. Esta sesión describirá una intervención prometedora llamada MindSKILLZ, un programa de promoción y prevención de la salud mental para adolescentes basado en el deporte que se está aplicando en Kenia. Escuche a los instructores y participantes de MindSKILLZ, participe en un ejercicio de muestra de MindSKILLZ y retírese con una rica perspectiva sobre cómo una intervención casi dirigida por pares puede desarrollar las prácticas de autocuidado de los jóvenes.  

Moderador:

  • Anthony Chazara, responsable técnico, Adolescentes y Jóvenes, Salud Digital y Juventud One2One, LVCT Health, Kenia

 

Oradores:

  • Charmaine Nyakonda, especialista en salud mental, GRS Inc.
  • Benjamin Mutuku, responsable del programa, Salud Mental, LVCT Health
  • Zakiah Magero, instructor de MindSKILLZ, LVCT Health
  • Umi Said, instructora de MindSKILLZ, LVCT Health
  • Elizabeth Okoth, directora del Programa de Asociaciones, GRS Kenia

 

Organizadores:  Grassroot Soccer, LCVT Health

De 8:00 a. m. a 9:30 a. m. EDT/de 12:00 p. m. a 1:30 p. m. GMT

La autocuidado puede practicarse en todas partes, sobre todo cuando los distintos colectivos y canales están equipados para apoyar a las personas que gestionan su propia salud. En esta sesión flash se expondrán los resultados de investigaciones y programas (de entornos estables y humanitarios) sobre cómo mejorar la adopción de la autocuidado en cuestiones de salud sexual y reproductiva, incluidos enfoques innovadores para formar a los proveedores, estrategias prometedoras para ampliar el acceso a farmacias y mucho más. 

Resúmenes destacados:

  • El poder de la empatía para ayudar a las mujeres a autoinyectarse (Nigeria, Uganda, Malawi) | Fauzia Tariq, Asesora de Seguimiento y Evaluación, Population Services International
  • El papel de los grupos de acompañamiento feminista y las líneas directas de aborto seguro en la formación del personal sanitario formal en la atención segura del aborto (Argentina, Indonesia, Nigeria) | Ijeoma Egwuatu, Directora de Datos, Innovación y Comunicaciones, Generation Initiative for Women and Youth Network (GIWYN)
  • Disponibilidad de la anticoncepción autogestionada y preparación de los promotores de la autoacuidado (SCP) en los asentamientos de refugiados de Bidibidi y Palabek (Uganda)  | Juliet Nabunje, Oficial Superior de Investigación e Innovación, International Rescue Committee
  • Mejorar el acceso a una anticoncepción de calidad y a la autocuidado: Exploración de la viabilidad de que las farmacias privadas almacenen y vendan DMPA-SC para autoinyección (Kenia)  | Laura Nabwire, Responsable de Prácticas en Kenia, inSupply Health Ltd
  • Aumentar el acceso al aborto autogestionado a través de las farmacias: Resultados programáticos y lecciones de la prueba piloto en Oromiya, Etiopía
  • Aumentar el acceso al autodiagnóstico del VIH en el sector privado de Nigeria | Dr. Olawale Durosinmi-Etti, Director Nacional, JSI Research & Training Institute 
  • Réponse d’urgence en SSR à l’Est de la RDC (Respuesta de emergencia sobre salud sexual y reproductiva [SSR] en la RDC del Este) | Célestin Iyango, Punto Focal Zona Este RDC, Ipas República Democrática del Congo
  • Mantener la autocuidado mediante la supervisión y la tutoría de apoyo dirigidas por las partes interesadas: El enfoque DISCNG (Nigeria) | Simeon Christian Chukwu, Asesor de Seguimiento y Evaluación, Society for Family Health

 

Moderado por: Bhavya Gowda, Responsable Principal de Acceso al Mercado y Comercialización, PATH

Para que la autocuidado se institucionalice de verdad y se practique ampliamente, es crucial un entorno propicio. Participe en esta mesa redonda para escuchar las ideas clave de defensores y expertos a la vanguardia para acelerar las iniciativas de políticas de autocuidado en sus países y contextos. Saldrá de la conferencia con enfoques, lecciones, inspiración y herramientas que podrá adaptar y aplicar en su entorno.     

Presentaciones destacadas:

  • Creación de un entorno propicio para la autocuidado: La experiencia de Kenia en la adaptación y adopción de directrices nacionales de autocuidado | Pamela Adhiambo, Responsable de Promoción y Comunicación, Reproductive Health Network Kenya
  • Nacionalización de políticas de autocuidado: Enfoque de pruebas de Uganda para adaptar las directrices de autocuidado de la OMS | Moses Muwonge, Asesor, Samasha Medical Foundation
  • La revolución de la autocuidado en Nigeria: Unidos para formar un programa común de promoción en contextos humanitarios y de desarrollo | Tahirat Omolara Eniola, Directora de Investigación e Innovación, Nigeria, International Rescue Committee
  • Movilización de defensores del autocuidado en todos los sectores y áreas de salud de Senegal | Ida Ndione, Oficial Superior de Programas, PATH
  • El papel de la autoinyección a la hora de allanar el camino para unas directrices de autocuidado más amplias en Zambia | Monica Mutesa, Coordinadora Nacional Access Collaborative Zambia, PATH
  • Ideas y recomendaciones para la autoadministración de DMPA-SC en la India | Sushanta Kumar Banerjee, Director Técnico, Investigación y Evaluación, Ipas Development Foundation

 

Moderado por: Kimberly Whipkey, Directora de Promoción y Comunicación, White Ribbon Alliance Global

MIÉRCOLES 8 DE NOVIEMBRE

DE 6:00 A. M. A 7:30 A. M. EST/DE 11:00 A. M. A 12:30 P. M. GMT

El autocuidado del aborto y el postaborto con apoyo telemático puede aumentar el acceso a los servicios y responder mejor a las necesidades de las pacientes que las opciones presenciales. En esta sesión se pondrán en práctica y se presentarán tres modelos africanos diferentes de autocuidado para el aborto y el postaborto, tal como se aplican en Ghana, Camerún y Sudáfrica. Aprenda cómo factores como el coste, la penetración de Internet, la alfabetización digital, la disponibilidad de abortivos al por menor, las preferencias del paciente, la infraestructura financiera y el rendimiento del sistema postal/de mensajería influyen en el diseño de la prestación de servicios, y salga con consideraciones concretas para su propio contexto.

Moderadora:

  • Verónica Fernández, directora de Operaciones, Women on Web

Oradores:

  • Victoria Satchwell, directora ejecutiva, Abortion Support South Africa, Sudáfrica
  • Zyh Akumawah, director ejecutivo, EasyHealth Cameroon, Camerún
  • Elymas E. Dekonor, Jefe de Marketing, Marie Stopes Ghana

 

Organizadores: Abortion Support South Africa, Women on Web

En este taller de desarrollo de habilidades, únase a nosotros para profundizar en el diseño centrado en el ser humano (HCD), explorando cómo eleva nuestra capacidad para crear intervenciones que se alinean con las necesidades de autocuidado de los jóvenes. Prepárese para aplicar un pensamiento creativo y tener una oportunidad práctica para aprender y poner en práctica enfoques creativos en el diseño de intervenciones de autocuidado que se centren en los jóvenes. Partiremos con herramientas de conceptualización y plantillas de HCD, y con la confianza necesaria para empoderar a los jóvenes en su misión por un cambio duradero.

Moderadora:

  • Liz McNeil, HCDExchange, gerenta sénior de la comunidad, Kenia

 

Oradores:

  • Joel Munyaradzi, HCDExchange, líder sénior de HCD, Zimbabue
  • Susan Towett, HCDExchange, responsable de Participación Juvenil, Kenia
  • Collins Ongola, coordinador de Condado de PSI/A360 y socio del Centro de liderazgo juvenil de HCDExchange, Kenia

 

Organizadores: HCDExchange y Population Services International/A360

De 8:00 a. m. a 9:30 a. m. EST/de 1:00 p. m. a 2:30 p. m. GMT

Los activistas de primera línea de los movimientos contra la violencia de género y a favor de las personas LGBTIQ suelen experimentar traumas indirectos y agotamiento. Sin embargo, las necesidades del personal rara vez se tienen en cuenta a la hora de financiar organizaciones. En esta sesión interactiva, los líderes de tres organizaciones comunitarias de Uganda, Sudáfrica y Zimbabue hablan de la diferencia que han logrado las pequeñas subvenciones complementarias para la salud mental y la autocuidado del personal.

Moderador:

  • Leah Odle-Benson, Directora Adjunta de Impacto y Aprendizaje, Stephen Lewis Foundation, Canadá

 

Oradores:

  • Ssenfuka Joanita Warry, directora ejecutiva de Freedom and Roam Uganda
  • Mpumi Zondi, Director Clínico, Servicios Psicológicos Comunitarios de Sophiatown, Sudáfrica
  • Dinah Sisipenzi, Jefa de Asesoramiento, Musasa, Zimbabue

 

Organizadores: Stephen Lewis Foundation, Freedom and Roam, Musasa y Sophiatown Community Psychological Services

Muchas iniciativas de autocuidado requieren el suministro de productos por parte de una persona formada que pueda responder a las preguntas del usuario final, lo que convierte a las farmacias privadas en un canal de distribución ideal. El hecho de que dispongan de un horario operativo más amplio, menos tiempos de espera, así como de proveedores de farmacia formados, las convierte en un canal preferido para muchas personas. Este panel analizará cómo determinar si las farmacias privadas tienen más probabilidades de aumentar el acceso a las iniciativas de autocuidado; el potencial y las lecciones aprendidas en el trabajo con farmacias; y una comparación entre la demografía y los resultados de la clientela de las farmacias privadas y aquellos que acceden a la autocuidado en entornos del sector público.

Moderadora:

  • Alemeshet Ayalew, farmacéutica, Etiopía

 

Oradores:

  • Risha Hess, directora, Propelevate, Estados Unidos
  • Tabitha Kareithi, farmacéutica, Partners in Health and Research Development, Kenia
  • Josselyn Neukom, vicepresidenta sénior de Salud Pública, SwipeRx, Vietnam

 

Organizadores: Propelevate, SwipeRx y la asociación Pharm PrEP

Jueves 9 de noviembre

De 8:00 a. m. a 9:30 a. m. EST/de 1:00 p. m. a 2:30 p. m. GMT

Aunque la autocuidado no se incluyó en la Declaración Política de 2023 sobre la CSU, contiene importantes compromisos relacionados con los jóvenes y su acceso a la atención médica. En esta sesión, se destacarán las acciones concretas que los defensores pueden llevar a cabo para fortalecer las iniciativas de autocuidado en el país y cómo utilizar la Declaración Política sobre la CSU como herramienta de promoción.

Moderador: Ruele Okeyo, Director, Kenneth and Jacob’s House

Oradores:

  • Priscilla Ama Addo, Becaria de Comunicación y Promoción, Y+ Global;
  • Cyprian Komba, Coordinador de Proyectos, Red de jóvenes que viven con el VIH/SIDA en Tanzania (NYP+);
  • Elina Mwasinga, Coordinadora Nacional, Asociación Nacional de Jóvenes que viven con el VIH (Y+ Malawi);
  • Wankumbu Simukonda, Coordinador de Distrito, Copper Rose Zambia

Organizadores: Asociación entre Aidsfonds, Y+ Global y You(th) Care

Esta sesión ampliará las lecciones de cinco intervenciones de autocuidado en la planificación familiar y la prevención del VIH (con estudios de caso sobre DMPA-SC, el diafragma Caya, la píldora de prevención dual, el autodiagnóstico del VIH, y Triggerise, una plataforma de mHealth) para resaltar las estrategias de autocuidado exitosas aplicables en diferentes entornos y discutir el futuro de la autocuidado en la salud sexual y reproductiva.

Moderadores:

  • Mitchell Warren, director ejecutivo, AVAC, Estados Unidos
  • Wawira Nyagah, directora de Introducción de Productos y Acceso, AVAC, Kenia
  • Anna Rammou, directora interina, Acceso a los Derechos de Salud Sexual y Reproductiva (DSSR), CIFF, Reino Unido

 

Oradores:

  • George William Barigye, asesor técnico regional – Países angloparlantes, acceso colaborativo a DMPA-SC, PATH, Uganda
  • Alexandra Angel, asesora técnica de FP, MOMENTUM Private Healthcare Delivery (MPHD), PSI, Estados Unidos
  • Charlotte Pahe, jefa de Proyecto, Integrated Portfolio, PS Kenya, Kenia
  • Serah Malaba, directora de Impacto, Triggerise, Kenia
  • Kate Segal, directora sénior de Programas, Introducción de Productos y Acceso, AVAC, Estados Unidos

 

Organizadores: AVAC y Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF)

De 10:00 a. m. a 11:30 a. m. EST/de 3:00 p. m. a 4:30 p. m. GMT

La autoinyección de DMPA-SC es una estrategia importante para promover el acceso, la elección y la autonomía de las mujeres en materia de anticonceptivos, y un número creciente de países avanza hacia su introducción y ampliación. En esta mesa redonda se compartirán los resultados de investigaciones realizadas en varios países que ponen de manifiesto el potencial de la autoinyección de DMPA-SC para satisfacer las necesidades de diversas mujeres y adolescentes, y se plantearán cuestiones prácticas y soluciones en los lugares en los que se está implantando.

Resúmenes destacados:

  • Comprensión de la variación entre instalaciones en la adopción de la autoinyección de DMPA-SC en Uganda: ¿La escasa adopción indica una falta de demanda? | Allen Namagembe, Director Adjunto de Proyectos, PATH
  • Modelo de divulgación móvil: Ampliación del acceso a la autocuidado entre adolescentes y jóvenes de Malawi | Elizabeth Katunga Msukwa, Directora de Programas – DISC, Family Health Services
  • Aceptabilidad y viabilidad de la autoinyección de DMPA-SC como intervención de autocuidado en Liberia: Resultados de una implementación piloto | Vekeh L. Donzo, Directora de Seguimiento y Evaluación, Clinton Health Access Initiative
  • Factores asociados con la aceptación y la continuación de la autoinyección de DMPA-SC en Sudán del Sur: Un estudio piloto de métodos mixtos en entornos rurales y urbanos | Lual Agok Luka Luka, Director de Investigación, International Rescue Committee y Dr. Abraham John Thubo, Director de Proyectos, Reproductive Health Association of South Sudan

 

Moderado por: Ebony Fontenot, Asesora Técnica Senior, John Snow, Inc.

Con las crisis climáticas afectándonos cada vez más a todos, hace tiempo que debería haberse iniciado la conversación sobre la autocuidado y la resiliencia climática. Únase a nosotros para explorar temas como la preparación personal y familiar ante emergencias como una forma de autocuidado, soluciones de autocuidado para mitigar los riesgos del calor extremo y recursos de resiliencia climática para trabajadores de la salud de primera línea y comunidades.

Moderadora: Nicole Loher, Estratega de Comunicación sobre el Clima, Investigadora y Conferenciante,  NYU Adjunta, Columbia Climate School, EE.UU.

Oradores:

  • Rafia Rauf, Directora de Proyectos, Forum for Women Development and Research/White Ribbon Alliance Pakistán
  • Carmen Logie, Canada Research Chair in Global Health Equity & Social Justice with Marginalized Populations, Universidad de Toronto, Canadá
  • Nile Nair, doctoranda y embajadora de C-Change, Harvard-C-Change, Fiyi/EE.UU.

 

Organizadores: Harvard C-CHANGE, White Ribbon Alliance, Arsht-Rock Resilience Center

MIÉRCOLES 15 DE NOVIEMBRE

De 8:00 a. m. a 9:30 a. m. EST/de 1:00 p. m. a 2:30 p. m. GMT

En esta sesión, las partes interesadas de los asentamientos de refugiados de Uganda y del noreste de Nigeria afectados por la crisis hablarán de sus esfuerzos por evaluar los conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas en materia de anticoncepción autogestionada entre los proveedores de servicios de salud, los propietarios de droguerías y los farmacéuticos que atienden a las poblaciones desplazadas. Los asistentes refrescarán sus conocimientos sobre anticoncepción autogestionada y compartirán anónimamente sus puntos de vista sobre temas clave durante un concurso/juego anónimo interactivo con preguntas de las evaluaciones. La sesión concluirá con una lluvia de ideas en grupo, para debatir las formas en que los participantes pueden aplicar o ya están aplicando estrategias similares en su trabajo para informar sobre el diseño, la implementación y la calidad de los servicios de los programas de anticoncepción autogestionada.

Oradores:

  • Tahirat Omolara Eniola, directora de Investigación e Innovación, International Rescue Committee, Nigeria
  • Brenda Akot, directora de Programas, WORUDET, Uganda
  • Justus Muhwezi, director de Programas, ACORD Uganda
  • Esther Nandutu, responsable sénior del Programa, International Rescue Committee Uganda
  • Nicholas Otto, responsable sénior de Programas, International Rescue Committee, Uganda

 

Organizadores: Comité Internacional de Rescate, ACORD Uganda, WORUDET (Red de mujeres y desarrollo rural)

La introducción y ampliación de las intervenciones de autocuidado requieren un trabajo de base sustancial para facilitar su adopción e integración en los sistemas de salud. Esta sesión guiará a los participantes a través de la introducción y la ampliación del anticonceptivo autoinyectable subcutáneo DMPA (DMPA-SC), destacando los recursos para la promoción y la coordinación entre las partes interesadas, la planificación de las adquisiciones, el diseño de programas y la financiación.

Moderadora:

  • Bonnie Keith; asesora sénior, Política, Promoción y Aprendizaje; PATH; Estados Unidos

Oradores:

  • Wanjiku Manguyu, Asesor Regional de Promoción y Política, PATH, Kenia
  • Nadia Olson, asesora sénior, JSI, Estados Unidos
  • Monica Mutesa, coordinadora nacional de Access Collaborative, PATH, Zambia
  • Charles Mhango, director de Calidad Clínica y Formación, Banja La Mtsogolo/MSI Reproductive Choices, Malawi

Organizadores: Colaboración para el acceso a inyectables: PATH, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), inSupply Health, Jhpiego y JSI

De 10:00 a. m. a 11:30 a. m. EST/de 3:00 p. m. a 4:30 p. m. GMT

Este panel explorará la autocuidado y la salud reproductiva desde varios puntos de vista interesantes, basándose en los resultados de investigaciones y programas de América Latina, Asia y África. Los temas incluyen necesidades/soluciones de información y productos para el manejo del sangrado durante la menstruación y después de un aborto; uso de misoprostol para la regulación menstrual; y herramientas para asesorar a las usuarias sobre los cambios menstruales asociados al uso de anticonceptivos.

Resúmenes destacados:

  • La aceptabilidad de las compresas menstruales reutilizables desde la perspectiva de la gestión de la higiene menstrual en Bolivia | Mina Lee, Especialista en Seguimiento y Evaluación, UNFPA 
  • MÍREME – Una nueva oportunidad para la regulación menstrual (Guatemala y Perú) | Diana Santana, Directora Regional de Programas, Planned Parenthood Global
  • Preparación para un aborto autogestionado: Examinar la relación entre las expectativas y las experiencias con el sangrado durante el proceso de aborto (India) | Katie Key, Investigadora asociada, Ibis Reproductive Health
  • Aplicación y ampliación de la herramienta de asesoramiento NORMAL para los cambios en el sangrado menstrual en Kenia | Marsden Solomon, Consultor Independiente y Alice Olawo, Oficial Técnico Superior, FHI360

 

Moderado por: Petra Procter, Directora de Programas, Concept Foundation

Esta sesión de “escucha” pretende crear un espacio seguro para explorar preguntas difíciles y reflexionar sobre cómo el diálogo actual en torno a la autocuidado de la planificación familiar se corresponde con la forma en que los individuos entienden la autocuidado, lo que quieren de ella y lo que esto significa para la manera de enfocar la formulación de políticas y la implementación de programas.

Moderadora:

  • Trinity Zan, directora adjunta, Utilización de la Investigación, proyecto R4S, Estados Unidos

 

Oradores:

  • Charles Olaro, Director de Servicios Curativos, Departamento de Servicios Clínicos, Ministerio de Sanidad, Uganda
  • Edward Serem, Jefe, División de Salud Reproductiva y Materna, Ministerio de Sanidad, Kenia
  • Karen Owende, Ministerio de Sanidad, Kenia

 

Organizador: Proyecto FHI 360/Research for Scalable Solutions

Jueves 16 de noviembre

De 8:00 a. m. a 9:30 a. m. EST/de 1:00 p. m. a 2:30 p. m. GMT

En 2023, se preguntó a más de 2 millones de mujeres y jóvenes de más de treinta países cuáles eran sus principales prioridades para su salud y bienestar. En esta sesión culminante, las mujeres, los jóvenes y los organizadores comunitarios responsables de esta empresa masiva nos hablarán directamente de la mejor manera de apoyarles y de sus soluciones para el cambio.  

Oradores:

  • Sujoy Roy, Responsable Nacional de Incidencia, Child in Need Institute
  • Clarisse Aquino, Responsable de Proyectos, Coalition of Services of the Elderly
  • Ben Abdoul Azize Sawadogo, Director de Programas, SOS Jeunesse et Défis
  • Rafia Rauf, Coordinadora Nacional/Directora de Proyectos, Forum for Women Development and Research
  • Patricia López, Coordinadora de Estados y Proyectos, Equidad de Género
  • Amal M., Investigadora Asociada, HelpAge
  • Asha George, Asesora Principal de Salud de la Mujer, Exemplars in Global Health
  • Noha Salem, Directora de Política Mundial de Salud de la Mujer, Organon
  • Diana Copeland, Directora de Promoción y Comunicación, WRA Global
  • Merette Khalil, Directora de la Campaña de Salud y Bienestar de la Mujer, WRA Global
De 10:00 a. m. a 11:00 a. m. EST/de 3:00 p. m. a 4:00 p. m. GMT

Únase a la sesión plenaria de clausura de la Serie de Aprendizaje y Descubrimiento del Autocuidado. Escucharemos las opiniones de los miembros del Comité Directivo de la Coalición SCTG, Solome Nakaweesi y Milka Dinev, sobre el potencial y el impacto del autocuidado. Los participantes reflexionarán sobre los principales aprendizajes y conclusiones de la serie y trazarán colectivamente el camino a seguir, incluida la perspectiva del próximo Informe sobre el estado del autocuidado.

ORGANIZADORES

SOCIOS

Agradecemos a los miembros del comité directivo de la Serie de Aprendizaje y Descubrimiento de la Auto-Cuidado:

  • Adewole Adefalu, John Snow, Inc
  • Christy Asala, Independent Consultant
  • Kimberly Whipkey, White Ribbon Alliance
  • Sandy Garçon, Population Services International/Self-Care Trailblazer Group
  • Aïssata Fall, Population Reference Bureau
  • Claire Rothschild, Population Services International/Self-Care Trailblazer Group
  • Liz Bayer, Independent Consultant
  • Sarah Onyango, Population Services International/Self-Care Trailblazer Group
  • Andrea Cutherell, Impact for Health
  • Gilda Sedgh, Independent Consultant 
  • Molly Browning, White Ribbon Alliance
  • Saumya RamaRao, Independent Consultant 
  • Babamole Olanrewaju, National Youth Network on HIV/AIDS, Population and Development
  • Harjyot Khosa, International Planned Parenthood Federation South Asia Regional Office
  • Nathaly Spilotros, Rescue Committee 
  • Bonnie Keith, PATH
  • Jaitra Sathyandran, Impact for Health 
  • Pritha Biswas, Pathfinder International

CÓDIGO DE CONDUCTA

Lo invitamos a asistir a esta serie virtual con un espíritu de curiosidad, cordialidad, mente abierta y respeto. Durante la serie, no toleraremos ningún tipo de acoso. Se le pedirá que no participe. También le pedimos que respete las solicitudes de confidencialidad y privacidad de los organizadores y oradores de las sesiones.

ACCELERATING UPTAKE OF HEALTH INSURANCE

Governments in LMICs that have opted for a pathway toward UHC involving health insurance are implementing various measures to increase health insurance coverage. However, these efforts do not automatically translate into high uptake of health insurance or, among those enrolled, into increased utilization of services, as several barriers may still prevent individuals from enrolling or from utilizing the available services provided under insurance schemes. How can governments navigate the complexities of health insurance to accelerate uptake in LMICs?

Explore our resources

04

Building Resilient, Consumer-Powered Health Systems

PSI’s Health Systems Accelerator is built on 50+ years of experience collecting and elevating consumer and health system insights, scaling innovations and partnering with government and private sector actors to shape stronger, more integrated health systems that work for consumers. Learn more here.

CAN DIGITAL LOCATOR TOOLS IMPROVE ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY HEALTH SERVICES AND PRODUCTS IN LOW-RESOURCE SETTINGS?

In the absence of a trusted and dedicated Primary Healthcare (PHC) provider, individuals often spend valuable time and resources navigating through a multitude of health facilities, visiting various providers in search of the right place to address their health concerns. Challenges navigating the health system can result in delays in assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, potentially leading to poor quality of care and adverse health outcomes. One promising solution is the digital locator, which can enable healthcare consumers to promptly find high quality, affordable health products and services when they need them. What are current applications of digital locator tools?  How can they be improved? What are the challenges faced in utilizing these tools?

Explore our resources

listen to the podcast

Better data for stronger health systems

In the ever-evolving health landscape, a robust health management information system (HMIS) stands as a cornerstone of a strong health system. It not only guides decision-making and resource allocation but also shapes the well-being of individuals and communities. However, despite technological advancements that have revolutionized data collection, analytics, and visualization, health systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) continue to grapple with a fundamental challenge: fragmented data and limited effective data use for decision-making. What are some promising solutions?

Explore our resources

View our short interviews

In this video, Wycliffe Waweru, Head of Digital Health & Monitoring at Population Services International outlines three barriers to the use of data for decision-making in health in low- and middle-income countries. For each barrier, Wycliffe proposes some concrete solutions that can help overcome it.

In this video, Dominic Montagu, Professor Emeritus at the University of California, San Francisco, and CEO of Metrics for Management outlines the three levels of data from private healthcare providers in low- and middle-income countries that need to be sequentially integrated into a country’s health information system to assure that governments can manage the overall health system more effectively.

Join us in this illuminating session as we explore the evolution of the STAR self-testing project, sharing insights, challenges, and successes that have emerged over the years. By examining the lessons learned and considering the implications for future healthcare strategies, we hope to foster a deeper understanding of the transformative potential of self-testing in improving healthcare accessibility and patient-centric services.   

This enlightening session promises to provide updates from WHO guidelines and share insights on the journey toward viral hepatitis elimination. It will also showcase outcomes from the STAR hepatitis C self-testing research and discuss how these findings could potentially inform hepatitis B antigen self-testing and the use of multiplex test kits in the context of triple elimination. Join us in this crucial discussion as we work together to fast-track the global journey toward a hepatitis-free world by 2030. 

In this two-part session, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, PSI, and Population Solutions for Health will share lessons and best practices from rigorous research and hands-on implementation experience in Zimbabwe. The session will cover important topics like client-centered, community-led demand creation, differentiated service delivery, sustainable financing, and digital solutions. The sessions will also cover lessons in the program.  

In this session, PSI and PSH will share lessons for optimizing access to comprehensive, culturally sensitive HIV and sexual and reproductive health services. Topics will include enhancing the accuracy and reliability of sex worker population data, improving HIV case finding among men who have sex with men (MSM) through reverse index case testing, and scaling differentiated service delivery models. The session will also cover integrating mental health and substance abuse in key populations (KP) programming and lessons in public sector strengthening.  

Additionally, the session will showcase solutions that MSMs have co-designed, highlighting how this collaboration has improved the consumer care experience. It will demonstrate the critical role of KP communities in establishing strong and sustainable HIV responses, including amplifying KP voices, strengthening community-led demand, and establishing safe spaces at national and subnational levels for KP communities to shape and lead the HIV response.

This enlightening session promises to provide updates from WHO guidelines and share insights on the journey toward viral hepatitis elimination. It will also showcase outcomes from the STAR hepatitis C self-testing research and discuss how these findings could potentially inform hepatitis B antigen self-testing and the use of multiplex test kits in the context of triple elimination. Join us in this crucial discussion as we work together to fast-track the global journey toward a hepatitis-free world by 2030. 

In this two-part session, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, PSI, and PSH will share lessons and best practices from rigorous research and hands-on implementation experience in Zimbabwe. The session will cover important topics like client-centered, community-led demand creation, differentiated service delivery, sustainable financing, and digital solutions. The sessions will also cover lessons in program management. These insights are applicable beyond Zimbabwe and can be used to scale up HIV prevention efforts in the region.

03

Scaling Digital Solutions for Disease Surveillance

Strong surveillance systems are essential to detect and respond to infectious disease outbreaks. Since 2019, PSI has worked alongside the Ministries of Health in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam to strengthen disease surveillance systems and response. Learn more here.

02

Misinformation and Vaccine Hesitancy

As COVID-19 spread globally, so did misinformation about countering the pandemic. In response, PSI partnered with Meta to inspire 160 million people to choose COVID-19 preventative behaviors and promote vaccine uptake. Watch the video to learn how. 

01

The Frontline of Epidemic Preparedness and Response 

Early warning of possible outbreaks, and swift containment actions, are key to preventing epidemics: disease surveillance, investigation and response need to be embedded within the communities. Public Health Emergency Operations Centers (PHEOCs) are designed to monitor public health events, define policies, standards and operating procedures, and build capacity for disease surveillance and response. Learn more here. 

HOW COULD PRIVATE SECTOR PHARMACIES AND DRUG SHOPS ADVANCE PROGRESS TOWARDS UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE?

Private sector pharmacies and drug shops play an important role in improving access to essential health services and products for millions of people living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where healthcare resources are often limited. However, the way in which these outlets are, or are not, integrated into health systems holds significant importance. Do they serve as facilitators of affordable, high-quality care? Or have they become sources of substandard health services and products?

Explore our resources

listen to the podcast

The Consumer as CEO

For over 50 years, PSI’s social businesses have worked globally to generate demand, design health solutions with our consumers, and work with local partners to bring quality and affordable healthcare products and services to the market. Now consolidating under VIYA, PSI’s first sexual health and wellness brand and social business, our portfolio represents the evolution from traditionally donorfunded projects towards a stronger focus on sustainability for health impact over the long term. Across 26 countries, the VIYA model takes a locally rooted, globally connected approach. We have local staff, partners and providers with a deep understanding of the markets we work in. In 2022, we partnered with over 47,000 pharmacies and 10,000 providers to reach 11 million consumers with products and services, delivering 137 million products. VIYA delivers lasting health impact across the reproductive health continuum, from menstruation to menopause. Consumer insights drive our work from start to finish. Their voices, from product exploration to design, launch, and sales, ensure that products not only meet consumers’ needs but exceed their expectations. The consumer is our CEO. 

In 2019, our human-centered design work in East Africa explored ways that our work could support and accompany young women as they navigate the various choices required for a healthy, enjoyable sexual and reproductive life. Harnessing insights from consumers, VIYA is revolutionizing women’s health by addressing the confusion, stigma, and unreliability surrounding sexual wellness. Across five markets – Guatemala, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and Pakistan – VIYA utilizes technology to provide women with convenient, discreet, and enjoyable tools for making informed choices about their bodies. The platform offers a wealth of high-quality sexual wellness information, covering topics from periods to pleasure in an accessible and relatable manner. Additionally, VIYA fosters a supportive community where users can share experiences and receive guidance from counselors. In 2023, VIYA will begin offering a diverse range of sexual wellness products and connect users with trusted healthcare providers, ensuring comprehensive care tailored to individual needs.  

Digitalizing contraceptive counseling to reach rural women and girls in Ethiopia

By: Fana Abay, Marketing and Communications Director, PSI Ethiopia 

In rural Ethiopia, women and girls often face significant barriers in accessing healthcare facilities, which can be located hours away. Moreover, there is a prevailing stigma surrounding the use of contraception, with concerns about potential infertility or the perception of promiscuity. To address these challenges, the Smart Start initiative has emerged, linking financial well-being with family planning through clear and relatable messaging that addresses the immediate needs of young couples—planning for the lives and families they envision. Smart Start takes a community-based approach, utilizing a network of dedicated Navigators who engage with women in their localities. These Navigators provide counseling and refer interested clients to Health Extension Workers or healthcare providers within Marie Stopes International-operated clinics for comprehensive contraceptive counseling and services.  

In a significant development, PSI Ethiopia has digitized the proven counseling messaging of Smart Start, expanding its reach to more adolescent girls, young women, and couples. This approach aligns with the priorities set by the Ethiopian Ministry of Health (MOH) and is made possible through funding from Global Affairs Canada. The interactive and engaging digital messaging has revolutionized counseling services, enabling clients to make informed and confident decisions regarding both their finances and contraceptive choices. 

Clients who received counseling with the digital Smart Start tool reported a higher understanding of their options and were more likely to choose contraception (74 percent) compared to those counseled with the manual version of Smart Start (64 percent). Navigators also found the digital tool more effective in connecting with clients, leading to higher ratings for the quality of their counseling. 

By December 2023, PSI Ethiopia, working in close collaboration with the MOH, aims to reach over 50 thousand new clients by leveraging the digital counseling tool offered by Smart Start. This innovative approach allows for greater accessibility and effectiveness in providing sexual and reproductive health services, contributing to improved reproductive health outcomes for women and couples across the country. 

Building community health worker capacity to deliver malaria care

By: Christopher Lourenço, Deputy Director, Malaria, PSI Global 

Community health workers (CHWs) are critical lifelines in their communities. Ensuring they have the training, support, and equipment they need is essential to keep their communities safe from malaria, especially in the hardest to reach contexts. 

For example, in Mali, access to formal health services remains challenging, with four in ten people living several miles from the nearest health center, all without reliable transportation or access. In 2009, the Ministry of Health adopted a community health strategy to reach this population. The U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) Impact Malaria project, funded by USAID and led by PSI, supports the Ministry with CHW training and supervision to localize health services.  

In 2022, 328 thousand malaria cases were recorded by CHWs); 6.5 thousand severe malaria cases were referred to health centers, according to the national health information system. 

During that time, the PMI Impact Malaria project (IM) designed and supported two rounds of supportive supervision of 123 CHWs in their workplaces in the IM-supported regions of Kayes and Koulikoro. This included developing and digitizing a standardized supervision checklist; and developing a methodology for selecting which CHWs to visit. Once a long list of CHW sites had been determined as accessible to supervisors for a day trip (including security reasons), the supervisors telephoned the CHWs to check when they would be available to receive a visit [as being a CHW is not a full-time job, and certain times of the year they are busy with agricultural work (planting, harvesting) or supporting  health campaigns like mosquito net distribution].  

Supervisors directly observed how CHWs performed malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and administered artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). They recorded CHW performance using the digitized checklist, interviewed community members, reviewed records, and provided on-the-spot coaching. They also interviewed the CHWs and tried to resolve challenges they expressed, including with resupply of commodities or equipment immediately or soon afterwards.  

Beyond the observed interactions with patients, supervisors heard from community members that they were pleased that CHWs were able to provide essential malaria services in the community. And the data shows the impact. 

In IM-supported areas of Mali, 36% of CHWs in the first round were competent in performing the RDT, which rose to 53% in the second. 24% of CHWs in the first round compared to 38% in the second were competent in the treatment of fever cases and pre-referral counseling. Between both rounds, availability of ACT increased from 80 percent to 90 percent. 

Supportive supervision with interviews and observations at sites improved the basic competencies of CHWs between the first and second rounds, and additional rounds will help to understand the longer-term programmatic benefits.

Safiya Ahmed, from Oromia region of Ethiopia, is seen immersed in transformative technical training on floor solutions and SATO pan installation

Taking a market-based approach to scale sanitation in Ethiopia

By: Dr. Dorothy Balaba, Country Representative, PSI Ethiopia  

In Ethiopia, PSI leads the implementation of USAID Transform WASH (T/WASH) activity with consortium partners, SNV and IRC WASH. Contrary to traditional models that rely on distribution of free or heavily subsidized sanitation products, T/WASH utilizes a market-based sanitation approach. This approach creates sustainable and affordable solutions, by integrating market forces and supporting businesses to grow, while creating demand at the household level. 

During the last six years, T/WASH has worked alongside the private sector and government (Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health, Ministry of Water and Energy, and Ministry of Labor and Skills), among other stakeholders, to increase household access to affordable, quality sanitation products and services. For example, more than 158 thousand households have invested in upgraded sanitation solutions with rapid expansion to come as the initiative scales and market growth accelerates. 

T/WASH has successfully trained more than 500 small businesses, including community masons and other construction-related enterprises, with technical know-how in sanitation product installation, operational capacities, and marketing and sales skills needed to run successful, growing businesses. The Ethiopian government is now scaling the approach to all districts through various national, regional, and local institutions with requisite expertise. T/WASH has also worked the One WASH National Program, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Water and Energy, and Ministry of Labor and Skills to examine policies that influence increased household uptake of basic WASH services, such as targeted sanitation subsidies, tax reduction to increase affordability, and increased access to loan capital for business seeking to expand and households needing help to improve their facilities. 

To share the journey to market-based sanitation, representatives of the Ethiopian Ministry of Health and the USAID Transform WASH team took to the stage at the UN Water Conference in 2023.

“Rather than relying on traditional aid models that often distribute free or heavily subsidized sanitation products, market-based sanitation creates sustainable and affordable solutions, integrating market forces and supporting businesses to grow.”  

— Michael Negash, Deputy Chief Party of T/WASH 

Promoting self-managed care like Self-testing and Self-Sampling

By: Dr Karin Hatzold, Associate Director HIV/TB/Hepatitis

Building upon the success and insights gained from our work with HIV self-testing (HIVST), PSI is actively applying this approach to better integrate self-care, more broadly, in the health system beginning with Hepatitis C and COVID-19. Self-testing has emerged as a powerful tool to increase access to integrated, differentiated, and decentralized health services, accelerating prevention, care, and treatment for various diseases, while also increasing health system resilience against COVID-19.

Here’s how we got there.

Seven years ago, the landscape of HIV self-testing lacked global guidelines, and only the U.S., the UK and France had policies in place that allowed for HIV self-testing. High disease burdened countries in low-and-middle-income-countries (LMICs) lacked evidence and guidance for HIVST despite major gaps in HIV diagnosis.

However, through the groundbreaking research from the Unitaid-funded HIV Self-Testing Africa (STAR) initiative led by PSI, we demonstrated that HIVST is not only safe and acceptable but also cost-effective for reaching populations at high risk with limited access to conventional HIV testing. This research played a pivotal role in informing the normative guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and shaping policies at the country level. As a result, more than 108 countries globally now have reported HIVST policies, with an increasing number of countries implementing and scaling up HIVST to complement and  partially replace conventional testing services. This became especially significant as nations tried to sustain HIV services amidst the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

By leveraging our expertise, PSI is conducting research to identify specific areas and populations where the adoption of Hepatitis C and COVID-19 self-testing could significantly enhance testing uptake and coverage. This research serves as the foundation for developing targeted strategies and interventions to expand access to self-testing, ensure that individuals have convenient and timely options for testing for these diseases, and are linked to care, treatment and prevention services through differentiated test and treat approaches.

Using peer coaches to counter HIV stigma in South Africa

By: Shawn Malone, Project Director, HIV/AIDS Gates Project in South Africa, PSI Global

In South Africa, where the HIV response has lagged in reaching men, PSI’s Coach Mpilo model has transformed the role of an HIV counselor or case manager into that of a coach and mentor who provides empathetic guidance and support based on his own experience of living with HIV. Coaches are men who are not just stable on treatment but also living proudly and openly with HIV. Situated within the community and collaborating closely with clinic staff, they identify and connect with men struggling with barriers to treatment and support them in overcoming those barriers, whether that means navigating the clinic or disclosing their HIV status to their loved ones.

PSI and Matchboxology first piloted the model in 2020 with implementing partners BroadReach Healthcare and Right to Care as well as the Department of Health in three districts of South Africa. Since then, the model has been rolled out by eight implementing partners in South Africa, employing more than 300 coaches and reaching tens of thousands of men living with HIV. To date, the model has linked 98 percent of clients to care and retained 94 percent of them, in sharp contrast to the estimated 70 percent of men with HIV in South Africa who are currently on treatment.

Given the success of the program, South Africa’s Department of Health and the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) have each embraced the Coach Mpilo model in their health strategy and are embedding it in their strategies and programs. 

“The men we spoke to [while I was traveling to South Africa for a PrEP project with Maverick Collective by PSI] were not only decidedly open to the idea of taking a daily pill…many were willing to spread the word and encourage friends to get on PrEP too. We were able to uncover and support this new way forward because we had flexible funding to focus on truly understanding the community and the root barriers to PrEP adoption. This is the philanthropic funding model we need to effectively fight the HIV epidemic, and it’s beneficial for all sorts of social challenges.”

– Anu Khosla, Member, Maverick Collective by PSI

simplifying consumers’ journey to care in Vietnam

By: Hoa Nguyen, Country Director, PSI Vietnam

In late 2022, with funding from the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, PSI and Babylon partnered to pilot AIOI in Vietnam. By combining Babylon’s AI symptom checker with PSI’s health provider locator tool, this digital health solution analyzes symptoms, recommends the appropriate level of care, and points them to health providers in their local area. The main goal is to support people in low-income communities to make informed decisions about their health and efficiently navigate the healthcare system, while reducing the burden on the healthcare workforce. The free 24/7 service saves people time and subsequent loss of income from taking time off work and from having to pay unnecessary out-of-pocket expenses. Under our global partnership with Meta, PSI launched a digital campaign to put this innovative product in the hands of people in Vietnam. By the end of June 2023 (in the nine months since product launch), 210 thousand people accessed the AIOI platform; 2.4 thousand people created personal accounts on the AIOI website, 4.8 thousand triages to Symptom Checker and linked 2.2 thousand people to health facilities.   

Babylon’s AI symptom checker and PSI’s health provider locator tool captures real-time, quality data that supports health systems to plan, monitor and respond to consumer and provider needs. But for this data to be effective and useable, it needs to be available across the health system. Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard provides a common, open standard that enables this data exchange.
PSI’s first consumer-facing implementation of FHIR was launched in September 2022 as part of the Babylon Symptom Checker project in Vietnam, enabling rapid alignment between PSI and Babylon’s FHIR-enabled client records systems. PSI already has several other consumer health FHIR implementations under active development in 2023, including PSI’s collaboration with the Kenya MOH to launch a FHIR-enabled WhatsApp national health line for COVID-19 health information. PSI will also look to adopt and scale health workforce-facing FHIR-enabled tools, such as OpenSRP2, which will be piloted in an SRH-HIV prevention project in eSwatini in partnership with Ona by the end of 2023.

— Martin Dale, Director, Digital Health and Monitoring, PSI

Engaging the private sector for disease surveillance in Myanmar

By: Dr. Zayar Kyaw, Head of Health Security & Innovation, PSI Myanmar

Under a three-year investment from the Indo-Pacific Center for Health Security under Australia’s Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), PSI is enhancing disease outbreak surveillance and public health emergency preparedness and response capacities in Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. When PSI conducted a review of existing disease surveillance systems in Myanmar, it identified several gaps: although the Ministry of Health had systems in place for HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and other communicable diseases, they were fragmented, with different reporting formats and reliance on paper-based reporting. In addition, private sector case surveillance data were not routinely captured, yet private clinics and pharmacies are the dominant health service delivery channel in the country. This hindered effective disease prevention and control efforts.

Building on our extensive private sector malaria surveillance work under the BMGF-funded GEMS project in the Greater Mekong Subregion, PSI implemented a case-based disease notification system using social media channels to overcome the limitations of paper-based and custom-built mobile reporting tools. These chatbots, accessible through popular social media platforms like Facebook Messenger and Viber, proved to be user-friendly and required minimal training, maintenance, and troubleshooting. The system was implemented in more than 550 clinics of the Sun Quality Health social franchise network as well as nearly 470 pharmacies. The captured information flows to a DHIS2 database used for real-time monitoring and analysis, enabling rapid detection of potential outbreaks. Local health authorities receive instant automated SMS notifications, enabling them to promptly perform case investigation and outbreak response.

In 2022, private clinics reported 1,440 malaria cases through the social media chatbots, while community mobilizers working with 475 private providers and community-based malaria volunteers reported more than 5,500 cases, leading to the detection of two local malaria outbreaks. Local health authorities were instantly notified, allowing them to take action to contain these surges in malaria transmission. During the same time, pharmacies referred 1,630 presumptive tuberculosis cases for confirmatory testing – a third of which were diagnosed as tuberculosis and enrolled into treatment programs.

Training health workers in Angola

By: Anya Fedorova, Country Representative, PSI Angola  

The shortage of skilled health workers is widely acknowledged as a significant barrier to achieving Universal Health Coverage. To address this challenge, PSI supported ministries of health to develop a digital ecosystem that brings together stewardship, learning, and performance management (SLPM). The ecosystem enhances training, data-driven decision-making, and the efficiency of healthcare delivery.

Here’s what it looks like in practice.

In July 2020, PSI Angola, alongside the Angolan digital innovation company Appy People, launched Kassai, an eLearning platform that targets public sector health workers in Angola. Through funding from USAID and the President’s Malaria Initiatve (PMI), Kassai features 16 courses in malaria, family planning, and maternal and child health – with plans to expand learning topic areas through funding from ExxonMobil Foundation and private sector companies. A partnership with UNITEL, the largest telecommunication provider in Angola, provides all public health providers in Angola free internet access to use Kassai.

Kassai’s analytics system to follow learners’ success rate and to adjust the course content to learners’ performance and needs. Kassai analytics are integrated with DHIS2 – the Health Management Information System (HMIS) of Angolan MOH, to be able to link learners’ knowledge and performance with the health outcomes in the health facilities.  The analytics track learners’ performance by course and gives visibility by health provider, health facility, municipality, and province. Each course has pre-and post-evaluation tests to track progress of learning, too.

By the end of 2022, there were 6,600 unique users on the Kassai platform and 31,000 course enrollments. PSI Angola’s partnership with UNITEL, the largest telecommunication provider in Angola, allows for free internet access to learn on the Kassai for all public health providers in Angola. Building on its success for malaria training, Kassai now also provides courses in family planning, COVID-19, and maternal and child health. This reduces training silos and provides cross-cutting benefits beyond a single disease.

Implementing the SLPM digital ecosystem brings numerous benefits to health systems. It allows for more strategic and efficient workforce training and performance management, enabling ministries of health to track changes in health workers’ knowledge, quality of care, service utilization, and health outcomes in real time. The ecosystem also supports better stewardship of mixed health systems by facilitating engagement with the private sector, aligning training programs and standards of care, and integrating private sector data into national HMIS. Furthermore, it enables the integration of community health workers into the broader health system, maximizing their impact and contribution to improving health outcomes and strengthening primary healthcare.

OUR COMMITMENTS

WHISTLEBLOWER AND ANTI-RETALIATION

PSI does not tolerate retaliation or adverse employment action of any kind against anyone who in good faith reports a suspected violation or misconduct under this policy, provides information to an external investigator, a law enforcement official or agency, or assists in the investigation of a suspected violation, even if a subsequent investigation determines that no violation occurred, provided the employee report is made in good faith and with reasonable belief in its accuracy.

OUR COMMITMENTS

Global Code of Business Conduct And Ethics

PSI’s code sets out our basic expectations for conduct that is legal, honest, fair, transparent, ethical, honorable, and respectful. It is designed to guide the conduct of all PSI employees—regardless of location, function, or position—on ethical issues they face during the normal course of business. We also expect that our vendors, suppliers, and contractors will work ethically and honestly.

OUR COMMITMENTS

The Future of Work

With overarching commitments to flexibility in our work, and greater wellbeing for our employees, we want to ensure PSI is positioned for success with a global and holistic view of talent. Under our new “work from (almost) anywhere,” or “WFAA” philosophy, we are making the necessary investments to be an employer of record in more than half of U.S. states, and consider the U.S. as one single labor market for salary purposes. Globally, we recognize the need to compete for talent everywhere; we maintain a talent center in Nairobi and a mini-hub in Abidjan. PSI also already works with our Dutch-based European partner, PSI Europe, and we’re creating a virtual talent center in the UK.

OUR COMMITMENTS

Meaningful Youth Engagement

PSI is firmly committed to the meaningful engagement of young people in our work. As signatories of the Global Consensus Statement on Meaningful Adolescent & Youth Engagement, PSI affirms that young people have a fundamental right to actively and meaningfully engage in all matters that affect their lives. PSI’s commitments aim to serve and partner with diverse young people from 10-24 years, and we have prioritized ethics and integrity in our approach. Read more about our commitments to the three core principles of respect, justice and Do No Harm in the Commitment to Ethics in Youth-Powered Design. And read more about how we are bringing our words to action in our ICPD+25 commitment, Elevating Youth Voices, Building Youth Skills for Health Design.

OUR COMMITMENTS

Zero Tolerance for Modern-Day Slavery and Human Trafficking

PSI works to ensure that its operations and supply chains are free from slavery and human trafficking. Read more about this commitment in our policy statement, endorsed by the PSI Board of Directors.

OUR COMMITMENTS

UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL COMPACT

Since 2017, PSI has been a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, a commitment to align strategies and operations with universal principles of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption. Read about PSI’s commitment to the UN Global Compact here.

OUR COMMITMENTS

Environmental Sustainability

The health of PSI’s consumers is inextricably linked to the health of our planet. That’s why we’ve joined the Climate Accountability in Development as part of our commitment to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030. Read about our commitment to environmental sustainability.

OUR COMMITMENTS

Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity

PSI does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability, protected veteran status or any other classification protected by applicable federal, state or local law. Read our full affirmative action and equal employment opportunity policy here.

OUR COMMITMENTS

Zero Tolerance for Discrimination and Harassment

PSI is committed to establishing and maintaining a work environment that fosters harmonious, productive working relationships and encourages mutual respect among team members. Read our policy against discrimination and harassment here.

PSI is committed to serving all health consumers with respect, and strives for the highest standards of ethical behavior. PSI is dedicated to complying with the letter and spirit of all laws, regulations and contractual obligations to which it is subject, and to ensuring that all funds with which it is entrusted are used to achieve maximum impact on its programs. PSI provides exceptionally strong financial, operational and program management systems to ensure rigorous internal controls are in place to prevent and detect fraud, waste and abuse and ensure compliance with the highest standards. Essential to this commitment is protecting the safety and well-being of our program consumers, including the most vulnerable, such as women and children. PSI maintains zero tolerance for child abuse, sexual abuse, or exploitative acts or threats by our employees, consultants, volunteers or anyone associated with the delivery of our programs and services, and takes seriously all complaints of misconduct brought to our attention.

OUR FOCUS

Diversity and Inclusion

PSI affirms its commitment to diversity and believes that when people feel respected and included they can be more honest, collaborative and successful. We believe that everyone deserves respect and equal treatment regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, cultural background or religious beliefs. Read our commitment to diversity and inclusion here. Plus, we’ve signed the CREED Pledge for Racial and Ethnic Equity. Learn more.

OUR COMMITMENTS

Gender Equality

PSI affirms gender equality is a universal human right and the achievement of it is essential to PSI’s mission. Read about our commitment to gender equality here.

Cover

01 #PeoplePowered

02 Breaking Taboos

03 Moving Care Closer to Consumers

04 Innovating on Investments

ICFP Q&A:
Let's Talk About Sex

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