Small Grants Program

The MEASURE Evaluation PRH project proudly supports small grants to build the evidence base in family planning and reproductive health, advance research efforts of developing country researchers and their institutions, and maximize opportunities to use research findings for decision-making. The small grants are intended to support  primary and secondary data analysis and data use activities based on research findings.

Completed Small Grants Research

Assessment of Healthy Timing and Spacing of Pregnancy Practices among Postpartum Women in Butembo, Eastern DRC, and Barriers to the Adoption of Family Planning Methods

Exploring Low Uptake of Skilled Delivery Services and Postpartum Family Planning Services among Women Living in Western Kenya

Spatial Analysis of Contraceptive Use and Unmet Need in Kenya

Effect of Hormonal Contraceptive Use on Virologic Response to Antiretroviral Therapy among Women in Rakai, Uganda

Ongoing Small Grants Research

Dire Dawa Regional Health Bureau, Ethiopia: Understanding the factors influencing the success of integrated HIV/family planning services and the extent of unmet need for family planning among women living with HIV is essential for designing effective, integrated services. Employing both quantitative and qualitative study methods, this study is designed to assess the level of unmet need for family planning among HIV positive women and the level of integration of family planning services into HIV/AIDS care and treatment in health facilities in Dire Dawa City Administration, Eastern Ethiopia.

Center for Health Research & Implementation Support (CHRIS), Ghana: According to the 2008 Ghana Demographic Health Survey, overall, rural women have a greater need for child spacing and a higher level of unmet demand for family planning methods.  Thus, there is a strong need to design family planning services for pregnant women in rural Ghana based on a well-informed understanding of their fertility intentions and the factors that influence their decision to adopt a method. CHRIS is conducting a comparative cross-sectional survey among pregnant women presenting for antenatal clinic in rural and urban health facilities in the Central Region to investigate their intended use of family planning (postpartum) and the factors influencing the decision.

Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC), Uganda: Research has shown that the status of women within households significantly impacts on resources allocated to household health and women's health status.  Using DHS data, EPRC is researching how female empowerment in Uganda affects reproductive health decisions and outcomes, specifically the use of trained providers during childbirth and the decision to give birth at a facility.

Kintampo Health Research Centre, Ghana: Over the past 10 years the Kintampo Health and Demographic Surveillance System (KHDSS) recruited approximately 200,000 female adolescents into a vitamin A supplementation study, which has also been monitoring pregnancy and birth outcomes. Taking advantage of the wealth of KHDSS data, a large study was initiated in 2011 to further address the sexual and reproductive health concerns of the population. Nested within this larger study, the current research seeks to use KHDSS data and additional qualitative data to identify adolescents’ family planning needs in the Kintampo North Municipality and the Kintampo South District. It is hoped the study findings will help improve family planning services to the adolescent population within and beyond the study area.

PHE - Ethiopia Consortium, Ethiopia: Population, health and environment (PHE) interventions are a coordinated and integrated set of activities that include the PHE sectors. PHE evolved from the recognition that communities cannot exercise adequate stewardship over their natural resources and environment if their health, nutrition, and economic needs are not met.  As PHE interventions are relatively new within Ethiopia, this research aims to establish the effectiveness of the PHE approach for achieving family planning outcomes in Ethiopia and determine if  there are any value-added outcomes found in PHE intervention sites that are not present in vertical family planning sites.

National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), Tanzania: A model for integrating family planning into HIV/AIDS care and treatment clinics (CTCs) has been scaled up in Tanzania.  Although a 2008 study conducted by FHI360 showed that the model was feasible and increased method use, quality was not assessed.  NIMR is researching if the quality of family planning services is affected when offered in a CTC.  The goal is to inform nationwide scale up efforts and the development of national guidelines for integration in Tanzania.

University of Malawi, Malawi: The conventional method for family planning data collection at health facilities does not link facilities or providers. Consequently, one can't track the extent of facility switching to determine whether a missing woman has received care elsewhere or if she simply has stopped using contraception.  For this study, all women aged 15-49 in Karonga District will have a card “insert” attached to their health passport for recording contraceptive use and services. After one year, the inserts will be collected and analyzed to better understand how women “shop around” for family planning services, and how they maintain continuity of use.

Health Child, Uganda: Many women who would be good clients for family planning miss out due to lack of knowledge.  Using mobile phone technology, specifically text messages, could be one way in which an increase in access to information and knowledge translates into positive outcomes.  The study is investigating whether sending family planning follow up support text messages mainly addressing potential and commonly known side effects will increase adherence and continuation of family planning for women who take on a contraceptive method.

Medical Students Association of Rwanda (MEDSAR), Rwanda:  Clients involved with PMTCT, VCT, care and support services, and ART programs can benefit from the availability of family planning methods offered in conjunction with these services.  Unfortunately, they are not well attended by men and the prevailing attitude is that family planning is not a man’s issue. In Rwanda's Southern and Kigali City Provinces, this study seeks to understand what affects the integration of men in family planning, what factors will facilitate this integration, and how to raise awareness on the issue.