RTI team provides key advice to Duke Big Data for Reproductive Health Team

RTI team provides key advice to Duke Big Data for Reproductive Health Team

by Megan HuchkoNo Comments
On Monday afternoon, the Big Data for Reproductive Health Data+ Team met with Alex Pavluck and Alison Mitchell LeFew from RTI to describe their project and get direction in how to develop a “minimally viable product.” The meeting represents one of the first educational engagements of the Duke-RTI Collaboration. The goal for the 10-week Data+ project is to build a web-based application that will allow users to visualize and analyze contraceptive calendar data from the DHS. Students presented their research on currently available tools, identifying core elements they liked and key areas a new tool could improve. Pavluck, a senior manager for information and communication development for the Global Health Division of the International Development Group at RTI, shared his experience and provided advice on how to develop an MVP for user testing. The active discussion ranged from big picture needs to the technical details necessary to move the project forward. The meeting was a great example of key stakeholder...
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New studies show HPV screening is less expensive and more efficient when offered at community health campaigns compared to health clinics in rural Kenya

New studies show HPV screening is less expensive and more efficient when offered at community health campaigns compared to health clinics in rural Kenya

by Megan HuchkoNo Comments
Cost concerns now dominate considerations for the expanded use of HPV screening for cervical cancer prevention in high and low-resource settings. As part of a trial comparing two implementation strategies for HPV testing offered via self-collection, our team recently published innovative analyses of the material and time costs for each strategy. In the larger trial, the team showed that HPV-screening through community-health campaigns (CHCs) reached more women than testing in government-supported health facilities. These new papers show that HPV-screening through CHCs was also lower in cost and provided a quicker and more efficient experience for women compared to offering HPV screening at health clinics in rural Kenya. The next step is a cost-effectiveness analysis to compare alternative screening and treatment strategies using primary data from this study along with, published data to determine the cost per disability-adjusted life year (DALY). These results can be used to help policy-makers and funders make key decisions about how to implement cervical cancer prevention...
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Director’s Blog: May 2018

by Megan HuchkoNo Comments
I’m excited to introduce a new monthly feature in which we reflect on current Center activities, upcoming events, and important reproductive health topics in the news. For my first blog, I want to reflect a little on why we wanted to create a Center for Global Reproductive Health at Duke, and what we are planning to do. We created this Center to help catalyze new relationships, research ideas and advocacy that will address the reproductive and sexual health disparities we see around the world. These stark disparities in health outcomes and human rights disproportionately impact women, and have remained present in the face of phenomenal expansions in technology, financing and health systems. They are driven by poverty, gender disparities, restrictive policies, and failure to recognize or implement effective, evidence-based solutions. We’ve all heard about the World Bank report that says more people have access to cell phones than toilets—well, certainly cell phone access is substantially greater than access to cervical cancer...
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Guttmacher-Lancer Commission on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights releases report in special Lancet edition

Guttmacher-Lancer Commission on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights releases report in special Lancet edition

by Megan HuchkoNo Comments
Last week, the Lancet published a series of articles resulting from the Guttmacher-Lancet Commission on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. This important commission highlighted the links between SRH and rights, and the crucial role that both play in sustainable development. The commission advocates for inclusion of SRH services into universal health coverage, as one step in making them accessible and affordable to all individuals, regardless of age, race, SES, sexual orientation or sexual identity. Finally, they extol countries to make crucial reforms to promote gender equality and give women greater control over their bodies.  This timely series of articles can be found at the Lancet website....
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