John Snow, Inc. - Region

Europe

Projects are listed by award date. Alternatively, list projects by title.

Sustaining Family Planning and Maternal and Child Health Services in Georgia (Sustain)
The Sustain project is an important evolution with significant next steps. The goal of Sustain is to advance Georgia toward a goal of countrywide access to and utilization of modern, evidence-based and family-friendly maternity care and family planning by simultaneously expanding private sector partnerships (service providers, pharmacies, drug distribution companies); encouraging sustainable, affordable financing mechanisms (insurance coverage, social marketing, low cost contraceptives); institutionalizing evidence-based RH care (public and private clinics, maternities, pharmacies); reforming pre-service training (for doctors, midwives, and pharmacists); and creating educated reproductive health consumers. This vision includes young people just entering reproductive years, young couples growing their families, ethnic minorities, rural and urban couples, and the most disadvantaged in Georgian society.
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Global Fund Voluntary Pooled Procurement (VPP)
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is a major financing institution in the fight against these diseases in 140 countries. The Global Fund established a Procurement Support Service for its Principal Recipients, with Voluntary Pooled Procurement and Capacity Building Services aimed at ensuring a cost-effective and efficient procurement process. These services provide support to countries to resolve procurement bottlenecks and supply chain management challenges and facilitate timely access to pharmaceuticals and health products.

In March 2009, the Global Fund selected the Partnership for Supply Chain management (PFSCM) as its Voluntary Pooled Procurement Service Agent. JSI is a managing partner of PFSCM.
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GEORGIA Survive Project
In the Republic of Georgia, breast and cervical cancer are a major cause of mortality and morbidity among adult Georgian women. Georgia has the highest rate of deaths from breast cancer among all former Soviet Union countries, and data on cervical cancer are equally alarming.

The Survive Project increases public awareness of breast and cervical cancer among reproductive aged women by promoting early detection methods and screening for both types of cancer. The Project also reinforces provider skills through trainings in best screening practices, and strengthens existing health systems by building a robust referral and treatment network.

The Survive Project was initially a USAID-funded 1 year grant awarded in March 2009. In March 2010 it was extended 6 additional months and is now due to close in August, 2010. Survive also draws on the strengths and support of a consortium of local partners as well as UNFPA, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and the World Bank.
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Institutionalizing Best Practices in Maternal and Child Health (IBP-MCH)
Remarkable progress has been made in reproductive health (RH) and maternal and child health (MCH) in Russia in the past two decades. Yet, maternal mortality rates continue to markedly exceed those of many European countries. The Institutionalizing Best Practices in Maternal and Child Health (IBP-MCH) project seeks to decrease maternal and infant mortality in Russia by improving access to and use of high quality reproductive health (RH) and maternal and child health (MCH) services. To achieve this goal, JSI helps to introduce and replicate international best practices. The project works to increase contraceptive prevalence among women of reproductive age, thereby contributing to decreased abortion rates in selected federal districts.

JSI works with its Russian partner, the Institute for Family Health Information and Research (IFH-IR), to implement this project.
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AIDSTAR-One (AIDS Support & Technical Assistance Resources)
AIDSTAR Sector I Task Order 1 ("AIDSTAR-One") is USAID's global HIV & AIDS project that provides technical assistance services to the Office of HIV/AIDS and USG country teams in knowledge management, technical leadership, program sustainability, strategic planning and program implementation support.
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GAVI CSO Study (2007 - 2008)
JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc was contracted by the GAVI Alliance to construct a monitoring and evaluability study to guide the development of a sound and practical system for measuring the progress and effectiveness of the GAVI Alliance support for civil society organizations (CSOs) in 10 pilot countries. This M&E system was the first attempt to track the performance and effectiveness of the new and innovative CSO support mechanism after two full years of the funding cycle. Convincing evidence on the pilot phase of GAVI Alliance CSO support, generated through a well-designed monitoring and evaluation system, was essential to enable the Alliance and its partners to manage the support mechanism and learn and think strategically about the role of GAVI Alliance CSO support in the short term. It was also important for establishing M&E approaches beyond the pilot phase and informing the wider public health and CSO community on best practices in supporting immunization and health system strengthening, and optimal modes of partnering.
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UNICEF MICS3 Evaluation (2007 - 2008)
A JSI Evaluation Team was selected to assist UNICEF in evaluating the third round of its global survey program, known as the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys or MICS. Through these surveys UNICEF embarked on a bold initiative to offer household surveys as a gap-filling tool to assist countries in reporting on global goals and targets. Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys evolved rapidly through three rounds during the period 1995 to 2007. UNICEF commissioned this evaluation of the MICS - third round (MICS3) in order to judge if the initiative's results are justified by the expenses and commitments made and to learn how best to use and improve the MICS and similar data in support of global goals and targets.

In addition to a general assessment of all MICS3 countries, this evaluation proposed a set of countries for in-depth study by drawing on the availability of long-established JSI offices in countries around the world. In addition, collaborating organizations in three countries where the MICS3 was conducted partnered with JSI in this evaluation.
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USAID | DELIVER PROJECT: Supply Chain Management for Outbreak Response (SCM-OR)
The USAID | DELIVER PROJECT improves essential health commodity supply chains by strengthening logistics management information systems, streamlining distribution systems, identifying financial resources for procurement and supply chain operation, and enhancing forecasting and procurement planning. Health programs cannot operate successfully without a full supply of essential commodities. The project encourages policymakers and donors to support logistics as a critical factor in the overall success of their health care mandates.

Task Order 2 (TO2) supports USAID's Avian and Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Unit. Objectives include procuring commodities; and establishing and operating a secure and reliable global distribution system to store, transport, rapidly deliver, and track in-country distribution of current and future USAID Avian Influenza International Stockpile (USAID AI Stockpile) assets.

Implemented by John Snow Inc., the project designs, develops, strengthens, and, upon request, operates safe, sustainable, and reliable supply systems that provide a range of affordable, quality essential health commodities, including drugs, diagnostics, and supplies, to clients in country programs. Under this task order, JSI will establish a comprehensive management information system to provide current information about all aspects of the AI global distribution mechanism.
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UKRAINE Maternal and Infant Health Project II
The Maternal and Infant Health Project II (MIHP-II) rolls-out services and key evidence-based medicine (EBM) interventions that were developed and employed during the life of the project's predecessor, MIHP I. With funding from USAID, private sector funding, and the support (financial, logistical, legal, and technical) of the MOH and participating facilities, JSI will achieve nearly complete roll-out by the end of the project.

Through MIHP-II, JSI continues to improve women's reproductive and newborn health and increase public awareness of healthy behaviors. In new facilities, JSI achieves the same profile of results observed under the former MIHP - the development of family-friendly delivery rooms, the reduction of practices such as amniotomies and episiotomies, and an increase in free position during delivery, immediate breastfeeding, and the rooming-in of mothers and newborns.

Read the following success stories about the program:
Husband Casts Tradition Aside and Helps Deliver Son
Keeping Warm after Birth
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Europe & Eurasia Regional Family Planning Activity
Lack of access to modern contraceptives and quality family planning services--including limited method choice, provider bias and misinformation, and out-of-pocket costs--are among the greatest health challenges faced by women in Eastern Europe and Eurasia. These factors contribute to abortion rates that are higher than those found in many other parts of the world, and negatively impact women's health.

The Europe and Eurasia (E&E) Regional Family Planning Activity was a three-year initiative implemented by John Snow, Inc from October 1, 2006 until September 30, 2009 and funded by the USAID E&E Bureau. The Regional Activity was designed to leverage best practices in family planning with the goal of accelerating FP program implementation across the region, ultimately increasing modern contraceptive use and decreasing abortion rates. The program was designed as an institutional support activity working for and through USAID country missions to enhance and complement country-level family planning programs and USAID bilateral projects.

E&E Regional Family Planning Activity final report

Improving Family Planning PreService Education Experience from the Eastern E&E Region
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UKRAINE TFH (Together for Health: Improving Family Planning and Reproductive Health in Ukraine)
Until early 2000, abortion and intrauterine devices (IUDs) were the leading methods of birth control in the Ukraine. The concept of being able to choose among a range of contraceptive methods was unknown to many people in Ukraine, mainly due to widespread concerns about hormonal side-effects. Limited knowledge on modern family planning counseling and practices led many of the 12,000 ob-gyns to prescribe mainly non-hormonal methods, without counseling their clients. There is now a broad range of contraceptive methods available on the market in Ukraine - at least in cities - contributing to an increasing use of contraception.

JSI and its partners, Harvard School of Public Health and the Academy for Educational Development along with USAID, the Ukrainian Ministry of Health, and other stakeholders are building the technical capacity to reduce the number of abortions, unintended pregnancies, and incidence of sexually transmitted infections through improved provision of and access to quality reproductive health (RH) and family planning (FP) services supported by both public and private sectors.
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Albania Family Planning Activity (2004 - 2007)
The Albania Family Planning Project (AFPP) recently analyzed the contraceptive market, and identified policy issues affecting market segmentation and their impact on the long-term availability of contraceptives in Albania. The Project assisted the Institute of Public Health (IPH) and MOH in managing and successfully overcoming barriers affecting the Logistics Management Information System (LMIS), as well as contraceptive storage and distribution. The AFPP worked with the MOH to prepare for the first scheduled meeting of the Contraceptive Security Committee that is replacing the now-abolished National Contraceptive Security Commission.

During the period July through September 2006, the Albania Family Planning Project conducted follow up Family Planning Trainings in three districts: Kukes, Has and Tropoje. The follow-up trainings provided additional data regarding the outcome of AFPP interventions, assessment of the effectiveness of training, and provided on-the-job support and teaching when needed. The purpose of these trainings is to create awareness to promote the nationwide availability of quality family planning services and to address the knowledge gaps revealed by the recent Albanian Reproductive Health Survey. The cumulative number of MOH providers trained during the period April 2006 through May 2006 totals 588.

Training providers have assisted the Ministry of Health (MOH) to gradually expand the number of service delivery points (SDPs) offering family planning services. To date a total of 188 MOH service delivery points are providing family planning services. The Albania Family Planning Activity focuses on health centers because the majority of under-served Albanians live in rural areas where health centers are the first point of contact. The Project has also aired two television spots promoting family planning on four channels (mainly national TV) during the period July through September 2006.

The past success of USAID/Albania's programs can be seen through the evolution of the health portfolio as it has moved from a family planning emphasis to reproductive health to its current and broader primary health care focus, thereby incorporating family and reproductive health within the primary health care system. There is still much work to be done in family planning, however. In Albania's recent preliminary Reproductive Health Survey, the total fertility rate of 2.6 is the highest in Europe and only 5.2% of women between the ages of 15 and 44 are current users of any form of modern contraceptive while 42.4% currently use traditional methods.

The JSI Albania Family Planning Activity is addressing the three project components of policy reform, training, and behavior change. This three-pronged focus will ultimately increase access to family planning services, thereby addressing the continuing family planning needs of Albanian men and women.
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Armenia TB Drug Management Programme (2004 - 2004)
In Armenia, in close collaboration with the Central Office of the National Tuberculosis Program (NTP) and in compliance with a national rational drug policy, JSI developed a drug management system for the Armenian NTP. The new system covered all aspects of the drug management cycle, with special emphasis on storage, ordering, distribution mechanisms, and monitoring of drug use. The focal point of JSI's technical assistance was an adapted drug management information system to provide essential data for inventory control, to monitor drug use at the central level and in TB facilities, and to support the NTP's policy and procurement decisions. The system reflected the requirements of the DOTS strategy. Initially, the system was primarily manually operated, using appropriate tools and methods, and fully supported by a comprehensive training strategy. The introduction of a computer-based system compatible with the National Drug Management system was foreseen as a second step.
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Romania: Technical Assistance to Global Fund Program (2003 - 2003)
JSI first assisted the Romanian National Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) with the development of its successful application to the Global Fund for funding to strengthen and support its national HIV/AIDS and TB programs. Once the grant was awarded, JSI provided technical assistance to the Romania Global Fund Principal Recipient for the development of procurement and financial guidelines and Performance Monitoring Plans (PMP) for HIV/AIDS and TB. As part of that effort, JSI assisted in developing program monitoring indicators and trained sub-recipients in monitoring and evaluation and use of the PMPs as management tools. JSI also assisted sub-recipients in the development of strategic workplans and assessed sub-recipient capacity to carry out their Global Fund scopes of work. In addition, JSI continues to work closely with the Principal Recipient, providing support for national program management and participates actively as a member of the CCM technical program committee.
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GEORGIA HWG (Healthy Women in Georgia) (2003 - 2009)
While overcoming the post-Soviet economic collapse and subsequent lack of resources, the health care system in Georgia is characterized by an imbalance between demand and supply, with large numbers of clients unable to access women's health services. An uneven geographical distribution of health facilities makes access to health care particularly difficult in rural areas.

The goal of the Healthy Women in Georgia (HWG) Program was to improve evidence-based, women-friendly and client-focused family planning, reproductive health and safe delivery services, counseling and education in target communities. Healthy Woman Georgia piloted the liberalization of family planning services and antenatal care in 44 health facilities in disadvantaged rural and urban communities. This successful pilot was scaled-up to 123 facilities throughout the regions where HWG worked. Because of this success, major policy changes in Georgia were pursued to improve access to FP and ANC nationwide. Finally the project improved overall access and utilization of modern contraceptives through public and private sector initiatives.

The Healthy Women in Georgia Program was implemented by JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. in collaboration with five partners: Save the Children USA, the Orthos Fund, Curatio International Foundation, CLARITAS, and the Caucasus Social Marketing Association. The Program closed at the end of September 2009.

To learn more, read theHWG final report.

Read the following success stories about the project:
A Walk To Save Lives
Volunteer Teachers Promote Healthy Lifestyles
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Russia Maternal and Child Health Initiative (2003 - 2007)
Building on the successes of JSI's Women and Infant Health (WIN) Project (1999-2003), JSI implemented the Russia Maternal and Child Initiative (MCHI) from September 2003-April 2007. Funded by USAID, MCHI worked in 16 regions of the Russian Federation, conducting trainings and activities in capacity building and policy reform to institutionalize internationally-recognized, evidence-based client-centered, maternal and child health standards and practices. MCHI's essential areas included antenatal care, family-centered maternity care, essential newborn care, exclusive breastfeeding, family planning counseling and services, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

MCHI's impressive accomplishments include dramatic increases in breastfeeding, childbirth with fewer medically unnecessary interventions, rooming-in after birth, and contraceptive use. The initiative also helped form multisectoral working groups on youth reproductive health and develop PMTCT Guidelines that were adopted nationwide by the Russian government. With the support of JSI, a new indigenous Russian legacy organization has been established to sustain the successes of MCHI - the Institute for Family Health (IFH). IFH is currently implementing the successor to MCHI, the USAID-funded MCHI II Project.

Read the Final Project Report.

Read the following success stories about the program:
I Am a Brave and Modern Father!
Let Every Pregnancy be Wanted
Maternity Hospitals Create a Supportive Environment for Mothers-to-Be
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ROMANIA Family Health Initiative (2001 - 2007)
Romania has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in Europe. More than half of maternal deaths can be attributed to complications from abortions as Romanian couples have historically used abortion as a means of family planning. Although progress has been made since the end of the communist regime in Romania, access to family planning services remains limited.

The Romanian Family Health Initiative (RFHI), a USAID-funded program implemented by JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. and its partners (The Society for Education, Contraception, and Sexuality (SECS), Youth for Youth, The Romanian Anti-AIDS Association, The East European Institute for Reproductive Health, Population Services International/Romania) worked to increase access to and use of reproductive health (RH) services across Romania, and to expand the availability of these services at the primary health care level. To this end, JSI supported the Ministry of Public Health and a number of Romanian NGOs in capacity building efforts to improve the effectiveness of family planning, prenatal and postpartum care, breast and cervical cancer, HIV/STI, and domestic violence services for underserved populations.

The MOH has sought to improve access to RH services. Within the MOPH's National Program Number 3, Child and Family Health Care, JSI provided technical assistance to the MOPH and District Public Health Authorities to ensure contraceptive security and availability, and to improve the professional skills of health care providers in LMIS, and family planning counseling at PHC services. An increasing emphasis is being placed on adolescent reproductive health. JSI and its partners developed IEC campaigns that targeted youth with information on STIs and HIV prevention. JSI also worked with programs that extended reproductive health services to Roma populations across Romania.

In addition to reproductive health, RFHI also worked on issues related to avian influenza, including increasing awareness about and developing systems to prepare Romania in the event of an AI outbreak.

Read about the programs results and successes in the RFHI final report.

Read the following success stories about the program:

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MCH TASC - The Maternal and Child Health Technical Assistance and Support Contract (2000 - 2005)
This technical assistance services contract provided USAID Missions worldwide with an efficient, easily accessible mechanism for gaining access to JSI's technical assistance capabilities in health care. This USAID-funded contract allowed USAID offices around the world to quickly contract with JSI for expert services in areas such as reproductive health, family planning, women's health, and child health. Activities under JSI's TASC included projects in Albania, Cambodia, Eritrea, the Dominican Republic, Morocco, Romania, Russia, and South Africa.
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MotherCare (1998 - 2000)
MotherCare was USAID's flagship global maternal health project, for more than a decade, from 1989 to 2000. Implemented by John Snow, Inc., MotherCare's mission was to improve the health, nutrition, and survival of women and newborns through a continuum of care devoted to women and their families. MotherCare focused its assistance on the pregnant mother, the birth process and the immediate postpartum period to improve pregnancy outcomes through household, community, and health service related interventions. MotherCare developed and documented evidence-based programmatic approaches to reproductive health through safer motherhood. The MotherCare Project ended in 2000.
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Family Planning Service Expansion and Technical Support (SEATS) (1995 - 2000)
The focus of SEATS was on expanding and improving family planning and other reproductive health services in developing countries by strengthening both public-sector and private-sector organizations.

SEATS worked with its U.S. partners and local, in-country organizations to promote the development and expansion of high quality, client-centered, sustainable family planning and reproductive health services in developing countries and enhance access to these services. Working with communities where there was an expressed need, SEATS helped build capacity to sustain a better future. By offering innovative approaches and new perspectives, SEATS increased the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of programs and helped reach groups of people who would otherwise remain underserved. Between 1989 and 2000, when the project ended, SEATS worked in 16 countries in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Near East.
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