In September, winners were announced for the Pam Pack Awards 2019 packaging design competition. FHI 360’s Collaborative Action for Handicraft Exports project, also known as Action Collaborative pour les Exportations Artisanales (ACEA), and partners organized the competition for local artisans to create packaging that promotes Tunisian handicrafts and increases product export to international markets. ACEA focuses on sales and exports of Tunisian handicrafts, especially those made by rural women and cooperatives in northwest Tunisia.
Marking five years of accomplishments by FHI 360’s Challenge TB project, the United States and Mozambique signed the Strategic Partnership Statement to Improve Tuberculosis Control to end tuberculosis in Mozambique. Challenge TB increased access to tuberculosis-related services by focusing on high-risk patient groups that included people living with HIV, children under five years of age and health care workers.
To expand opportunities for youth employment, the Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica signed an agreement with the Jamaica Producers Group, the Bureau of Standards Jamaica and GraceKennedy to support technical degree programs for disadvantaged youth. The new opportunity is a part of FHI 360’s Advance program working to make technical training programs more relevant to the market and based on local workforce needs.
The Evidence for Contraceptive Options and HIV Outcomes, (ECHO) consortium — led by FHI 360 — released study data indicating that there is no substantial difference in HIV risk among three highly effective methods of contraception. Tim Mastro, Chief Science Officer at FHI 360 and ECHO Management Committee member, said, “We hope that the ECHO results will be used to expand, not restrict, women’s options for contraception.”
Through the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), journalists from Latin America and the Caribbean met with staff from The Kentucky Standard to discuss rural journalism. They examined the difference between local, regional and national news and the importance of community news. FHI 360 develops programs for IVLP participants to meet with their American counterparts to share experiences and learn about U.S. culture.
In India, FHI 360’s Alive & Thrive (A&T) project is partnering with government medical colleges and attached hospitals in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states. A&T conducted surveys with the colleges and hospitals and is using the data to help them integrate maternal, infant and young child nutrition into their curricula.
FHI 360’s Sustainable HIV Response From Technical Assistance (SHIFT) project in Vietnam hosted a national event on March 8 to celebrate the first HIV patients receiving antiretrovirals (ARVs) covered by the country’s social health insurance. Vietnam is now using social health insurance to provide HIV treatments and integrate HIV clinics into the public health system.
Peter Lamptey, retired Distinguished Scientist and President Emeritus at FHI 360, and Ann Aerts from the Novartis Foundation discuss the effectiveness of community-based care for cardiovascular disease in Ghana. FHI 360’s Community-based Hypertension Improvement Project (ComHIP) worked with local shops and businesses to screen for hypertension and provided evidence and possibilities to replicate the work.
Patrick Fine, FHI 360 Chief Executive Officer, and leaders of other development organizations discuss the effect of the United States government shutdown on projects and international partnerships. Fine says, “While most programs are running on prior year funds, they may eventually run out. That could then lead to more tangible impacts of the shutdown.”
FHI 360 scientists and researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology report on a long-acting contraceptive using microneedle skin patch technology to provide a new family planning option. Gregory S. Kopf, Director of Research and Development for Contraceptive Technology Innovation at FHI 360 said, "This self-administered long-acting contraceptive will afford women discreet and convenient control over their fertility, leading to a positive impact on public health by reducing both unwanted and unintended pregnancies."
FHI 360 implements the University Support and Workforce Development Program in Afghanistan, through which we provided technical expertise to Balkh University to improve their financial independence. The Ministry of Higher Education has officially stated the university is now financially autonomous, which will help increase their academic services in the region.
At the 4th annual Triangle Global Health Conference, Dr. Timothy Mastro, FHI 360’s Chief Science Officer, gave a keynote lecture on innovation successes and new areas for future innovations. The conference, hosted by the Triangle Global Health Consortium, focused on how digital technologies can reshape health care and included presentations on global health program innovation, medical technology, mHealth and innovative business models.
This article is a summary of FHI 360’s Strengthening HIV/AIDS Services for Key Populations in Papua New Guinea project. From 2012 to 2018, FHI 360 developed training programs and tools to strengthen the capacity of local agencies to provide key populations with prevention, care and support for HIV and gender-based violence. The project team learned valuable lessons for future programs that included the need for consistent adaptation of interventions toward key populations and communities.
This article reviews the history, design and safety of the intrauterine device (IUD). David Hubacher, FHI 360 Senior Epidemiologist, and others discuss the acceptance of IUDs in various countries. They also compare availability and compliance of IUDs with other contraceptive methods.
Queen Rania of Jordan discusses the quality of homemade traditional foods with women from the U.S. Agency for International Development Jordan Local Enterprise Support (USAID LENS) project, implemented by FHI 360 and its partners. They also discuss the increased interest in healthy artisanal foods and networking with other home-business owners.
The U.S. Agency for International Development Jordan Local Enterprise Support (USAID LENS) project – implemented by FHI 360 and its partners – organized a Jordan Food Week festival in Amman, Jordan. The festival highlights artisanal food from local businesses and restaurants. USAID LENS support for some of the local entrepreneurs includes product development, distribution and access to financial aid.
FHI 360 provided technical assistance in developing the Service Availability Mapping for HIV, Sexually Transmitted Infections, Gender-based Violence and Tuberculosis, National Capital District – Papua New Guinea report for the Strengthening HIV/AIDS Services for Key Populations in Papua New Guinea project. In this article, Dr. Justine Nankinga, FHI 360 Senior Technical Officer and Research Team Leader, discusses how the report can provide information on the gaps to be addressed to scale up services.
This article provides a historical overview of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and the challenges of recruiting and retaining the volunteers who host visitors. FHI 360 designs and implements some of the programs funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
In this interview with Voice of America (VOA), FHI 360’s Phil Psilos, Asia-Pacific Technical Director for Economic Development and Innovation, talks about The Atlas of Innovation for Economic Stability. The document is a global research and crowdsourcing report published by FHI 360 with support from The Rockefeller Foundation. Psilos highlights a few innovations from the report that are helping economies in Africa become more inclusive, such as loans for small farmers and access to emergency services.
The author uses data from the USAID LENS project survey, 2014 and 2015, to examine Jordan’s informal economy and its relationship to newly elected Prime Minister Omar Razzaz’s agenda. She argues that the current Jordanian social contract is too expensive to maintain and that the new government needs a social contract based on a more transparent and inclusive dialogue between state and society. The U.S. Agency for International Development Jordan Local Enterprise Support (USAID LENS) project is implemented by FHI 360.