Population Council Research that makes a difference

A Mother's Day gift for poor women in developing countries

Read Population Council president Peter Donaldson's commentary on the life-saving potential of family planning programs, Melinda Gates's new commitment to the issue, and the need for expanded access to contraception around the world. (offsite link to Huffington Post commentary) (read more about the power of family planning)

Current News

Population Council applauds FDA committee recommendation on PrEP for HIV prevention

The Population Council applauds the recommendation by an FDA advisory committee that emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF/FTC or Truvada) be approved for use as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV infection among sexually active adult men and women. “This represents an important step forward in providing additional HIV prevention options to women and men,” said vice president Naomi Rutenberg, who oversees the Council’s HIV and AIDS program. “The Council urges the FDA to follow the recommendation from its advisory committee and approve PrEP in order to support its safe and effective use.”

The Population Council confronts difficult issues facing people in the developing world, from stopping the spread of HIV to expanding contraceptive choices. We are developing vaginal and rectal microbicides to protect women and men against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. In addition, the Council is developing combined microbicide/contraceptive products, which also provide protection against unintended pregnancy. Our comprehensive approach to microbicides development comprises all aspects of research, from the laboratory to the field, product introduction, and public education.

For more information about the committee’s recommendation, read The New York Times coverage (offsite link) and an article from the Associated Press (offsite link). For more information about the Council’s HIV prevention work, visit http://www.popcouncil.org/topics/microbicides.asp

Join the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the Council’s Benjamin Bellows, and other experts for Family Planning and Results-Based Financing: Opportunities and Challenges on Monday, 21 May, 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM EST. This meeting will be held at the Washington DC-based Wilson Center (offsite link). Bellows is leading a multinational effort to evaluate the success of reproductive health care vouchers in improving women’s access to maternal health and family planning services. The study is part of a larger Council project designed to generate evidence to help governments and partners improve voucher programs. Read more about the Population Council’s work to improve women’s lives.

Council researchers in Dhaka at Asia Regional Meeting on Interventions for Impact in Essential Obstetric and Newborn Care, 4–6 May. This high-level meeting brought together maternal and newborn health leaders and experienced clinicians and program managers. Bangladesh country director Ubaidur Rob moderated a session on maternal and neonatal health, and Sharif M. I. Hossain and Charlotte Warren presented results from research in Nigeria on pre-eclampsia and eclampsia and from a project in Kenya on respectful care at birth.

Council research highlighted in new ICRW report. “Women’s demand for reproductive control: Understanding and addressing gender barriers” describes the barriers women face in defining and achieving their reproductive intentions and summarizes programmatic strategies and interventions that have been used to address these barriers. The report highlights two Population Council projects: the Navrongo Community Health and Family Planning project in Ghana and the Mainstreaming EC project in Kenya. (offsite link)