Transitions to Adulthood
Ishraq Expands Horizons for Girls in Rural Upper Egypt
The transition from childhood to adulthood is often considered a time of growth in opportunities, self-awareness, and knowledge about the world. For girls in rural Egypt, however, these changes often do not occur. As girls reach adolescence, their lives becomes increasingly confined to the home, their opportunities limited to household chores, and their future prospects restricted to early marriage and childbearing. A comprehensive program in rural Upper Egypt, known as Ishraq (“enlightenment”), has succeeded in expanding the horizons of adolescent girls, increasing their knowledge and self-confidence and promoting their civic engagement.
Biomedicine
Council Biologist Discovers Stem Leydig Cells
Population Council reproductive biologist Matthew P. Hardy and his colleagues have discovered the precursors of Leydig cells, the primary source of testosterone in males. These precursor cells, known as stem Leydig cells, were isolated from rats. Unlike embryonic stem cells, which are derived from embryos, these stem cells were found in fully developed animals. Stem Leydig cells could potentially be used to treat hypogonadal boys and men who suffer from male-hormone deficiency.
Drug Development
Meeting Explores Pricing of Pharmaceutical Products
The Population Council convened a daylong meeting of an eminent group of academics, scientists, representatives from the nonprofit sector, the pharmaceutical industry, foundations, and government donor agencies, as well as practicing lawyers and doctors—all of whom have a connection with pharmaceutical products. The purpose of the Day of Dialogue was to explore ways of getting medicinal products—especially those invented and developed partially or fully using public funding—into the hands of the poor people of the world, wherever they live.
Public Health
Could Eliminating Malaria Significantly Extend Life Expectancy?
A recent study has shown that eliminating malaria in northern Ghana, where the disease is very prevalent, could increase residents’ life expectancy at birth by between six and nine years. “That is a huge increase from eliminating a single cause of death,” says Ayaga A. Bawah, a Population Council Berelson postdoctoral fellow, who conducted the study along with Fred N. Binka, executive director of the INDEPTH Network in Ghana.
Schooling
Poverty and School Dropout in Pakistan
What elements of schooling and home environments in rural Pakistan have the greatest influence on whether girls and boys start and remain in school? Is there a link between investments in children’s schooling and a mother’s reproductive behavior? Recent Population Council research provides unique longitudinal data that give insights into these questions. The analysis is based on two waves of panel data, collected in rural Punjab and North West Frontier Province in December 1997 and January 2004. A noteworthy feature of the study is the availability of data on the arrival of “unwanted” births between the two surveys—a shock to the household whose effects have rarely been investigated.
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