Population Assessment
Council Study Clarifies Status of Vulnerable
Populations After Pakistan Earthquake
The Population Council was chosen by the United Nations to gather data on
the people living in tent camps in Pakistan after the devastating earthquake
of October 2005. The Council collaborated with the Pakistan Ministry of
Social Welfare and Special Education, the United Nations Population Fund,
and the United Nations Children’s Fund to complete this study. Council
researcher Arshad Mahmood led the team. The main objective was to locate and
assess the size and needs of the most vulnerable populations. The fieldwork
began 4 January 2006 and took just 28 working days to complete, despite the
harsh terrain and weather conditions. The Council collected information from
every individual living in camps that contained ten or more tents. Data were
collected on more than 45,000 families and 250,000 individuals.
Reproductive Health
Partner-Delivered Therapy Viable in Resource-Poor
Areas
In South Africa and Brazil, the Population Council has
recently studied alternative methods of notifying partners of women with
sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that they need treatment. These
studies have verified that offering women with STIs the option of
bringing medicines to their partners, rather than requiring partners to
come to the clinic, results in high treatment rates.
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Illuminating the Status of Mayan Girls in Guatemala
Guatemala’s population is among the poorest, least educated, youngest,
and fastest growing in Latin America. Indigenous (Mayan) girls are among the
most disadvantaged, vulnerable members of the population. The Population
Council has conducted research to better understand the status of Mayan
girls. The results of these studies have been used to design programs to
improve Mayan girls’ lives and health and to address the educational
inequities they face.
Reproductive Health
CDB-2914 May Be an Effective Fibroid Treatment
Studies of the drug
CDB-2914 suggest that it may be an effective treatment for fibroids. It is
possible that CDB-2914 could be delivered into the body via a vaginal ring
or intrauterine system. The Population Council and its International
Committee for Contraception Research are also studying CDB-2914 for use as a
potential contraceptive.
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