scholarly journals The hidden WASH needs of perimenopausal women

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amita Bhakta ◽  
Harold Esseku ◽  
Yvonne Esseku ◽  
Julie Fisher ◽  
Brian Reed
Keyword(s):  
Urban Communities ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Transition Period ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene ◽  
Perimenopausal Women ◽  
Sanitary Products ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Meeting the needs of an ageing population, particularly in the global South, is increasingly an issue for WASH service provision. An ageing-related issue for women, warranting specific attention from the WASH sector, is the perimenopause, but this is often not discussed publicly. Drawing on data from the UK and Ghana, this paper provides recommendations for meeting the additional WASH needs of women as they experience the perimenopause (the transition period to menopause). Finding these ‘hidden’ needs involved a UK-based phenomenological review and mixed feminist methods in two low-income urban communities in Accra and Kumasi, Ghana. The hidden WASH needs of perimenopausal women included understanding the perimenopause, menstrual hygiene management, urine incontinence management, bathing, and laundry. Community awareness, engagement and empowerment, and ensuring good perimenopausal health can begin to address these needs. Infrastructural measures for perimenopausal women include a continuous water supply, user-friendly bathing and laundry infrastructure, and gender-sensitive, accessible toilets with discrete sanitary disposal bins. High-absorbency sanitary products are important for managing heavy menstruation. A better understanding of the needs of perimenopausal women and training on how to meet these would benefit the WASH sector in ensuring that perimenopausal women are not left behind in efforts to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.

scholarly journals Absorbency of Biodegradable Materials for Menstrual Hygiene Management Products in Low-and Middle-income Countries

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmin Foster ◽  
Paul Montgomery
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene Management ◽  
Sanitary Products ◽  
Extraction Processes ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Complex Extraction ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Abstract IntroductionGirls in low-and middle-income countries struggle to maintain good menstrual hygiene in part due to a lack of affordable sanitary products. The unaffordability of reliable sanitary products can lead to school absenteeism and is a barrier to education attainment and gender equality for girls in low income contexts. Further the lack of adequate disposal facilities can lead to social embarrassment and environmental pollution.MethodsLow-cost biodegradable absorbents (cotton terry cloth, linen, hemp cloth and bamboo wadding) were investigated in gelatine solution in terms of their absorptivity for use in menstrual hygiene.ResultsBamboo wadding exhibits the highest absorptivity index (7.86), greater than cotton terry cloth (0.84), hemp cloth (1.4), linen (1.57) and a commercial sanitary pad (4.38).ConclusionsThough the absorptivity index of bamboo wadding is promising, especially in the light of the vast availability of bamboo in tropical low-and middle income countries, challenges lie in overcoming complex extraction processes from bamboo plants which is discussed.

scholarly journals Evaluation of User Experiences for the Clean Team Ghana Container-Based Sanitation Service in Kumasi, Ghana

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
James B. Tidwell ◽  
Kwabena B. Nyarko ◽  
Ian Ross ◽  
Bismark Dwumfour-Asare ◽  
Pippa Scott
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Structural Quality ◽  
Free Standing ◽  
User Experiences ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene ◽  
Urban Settlements

AbstractThere is a lack of affordable and acceptable sanitation solutions for dense, low-income urban settlements. One option that has been proposed is container-based sanitation, where a sealed cartridge installed in a free-standing toilet is regularly changed and adequately separates users from their excreta. Though container-based toilets are considered a safely managed sanitation solution that meets the Sustainable Development Goal for sanitation, little is known about user experiences to inform how such a solution should be viewed by governments. We conducted a longitudinal prospective cohort study of changes in objective and subjective measures of sanitation quality due to the Clean Team Ghana (CTG) container- based toilet service in Kumasi, Ghana from June to December 2019. We collected data immediately prior to installation of a toilet and 10 weeks afterwards for 292 customers. Most initially used public toilets with good structural quality, but sometimes had poor cleanliness, a lack of handwashing facilities, and required a 14.3 minute mean round trip time to use. The evaluation found that CTG delivers a high-quality service that positively impacts the quality of life of CTG customers, as well as saving them money, reducing gender gaps in quality of life, and addressing the needs of those with physical disabilities. Satisfaction with CTG toilet and service characteristics was high, with the largest increases for satisfaction with smell, comfort, disgust, and privacy. Women in particular were positively impacted both for explicitly gendered indicators like the ability to practice menstrual hygiene management, and other indicators where women scored lower than men at baseline, including ease of access, ease of use, and cleanliness. Use of the service also benefitted those who had been unable to use a toilet for physical or social reasons beforehand. Problems with the CTG service, such as leaking, filling, smelling, or not being replaced as scheduled, were reported by fewer than 10% of customers. While one product or service does not fit the needs of all customers, this evaluation supports the growing body of evidence that container-based sanitation provides a service valued by users and acceptable to policymakers in dense urban settlements.

scholarly journals A Study of Environmentally Friendly Menstrual Absorbents in the Context of Social Change for Adolescent Girls in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (18) ◽  
pp. 9766
Author(s):  
Jasmin Foster ◽  
Paul Montgomery
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Low Income ◽  
School Attendance ◽  
Absorption Index ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Science And Policy ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Sanitary Products ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Girls in low- and middle-income countries struggle to maintain good menstrual hygiene in part due to a lack of affordable sanitary products. The unaffordability of reliable sanitary products can lead to school absenteeism and is a barrier to education attainment and gender equality for girls in low-income contexts. Further, the lack of adequate disposal facilities can lead to social embarrassment and environmental pollution. Low-cost biodegradable absorbents (cotton terry cloth, linen, hemp cloth and bamboo wadding) were investigated in gelatine solution in terms of their absorption for use in menstrual hygiene. Bamboo wadding exhibits the highest absorption index (7.86), greater than cotton terry cloth (0.84), hemp cloth (1.4), linen (1.57) and a commercial sanitary pad (4.38). Though the absorption index of bamboo wadding is promising, especially in light of the vast availability of bamboo in tropical low- and middle-income countries, challenges lie in overcoming complex extraction processes from bamboo plants, which is discussed. This simple research of a physical material from a technical aspect, if further investigated with a social science and policy lens, could increase school attendance, improve the education levels attained by girls and be a key step towards gender equality in low- and middle-income countries.

PAR Method

2010 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 355-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Billies
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Critical Consciousness ◽  
Design Method ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Context Analysis ◽  
Gender Nonconforming ◽  
The Social ◽  
And Gender

The work of the Welfare Warriors Research Collaborative (WWRC), a participatory action research (PAR) project that looks at how low income lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and gender nonconforming (LG-BTGNC) people survive and resist violence and discrimination in New York City, raises the question of what it means to make conscientization, or critical consciousness, a core feature of PAR. Guishard's (2009) reconceptualization of conscientization as “moments of consciousness” provides a new way of looking at what seemed to be missing from WWRC's process and analysis. According to Guishard, rather than a singular awakening, critical consciousness emerges continually through interactions with others and the social context. Analysis of the WWRC's process demonstrates that PAR researchers doing “PAR deep” (Fine, 2008)—research in which community members share in all aspects of design, method, analysis and product development—should have an agenda for developing critical consciousness, just as they would have agendas for participation, for action, and for research.

URBAN DISPLACEMENT AND LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES: THE CASE OF THE AMERICAN CITY FROM THE LATE TWENTIETH CENTURY

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 06 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Knight ◽  
Mohammad Gharipour
Keyword(s):  
Urban Communities ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Redevelopment ◽  
Minority Populations ◽  
The People ◽  
History Of ◽  
Late Twentieth ◽  
Cultural Connections ◽  
American Cities ◽  
Late Twentieth Century

How can urban redevelopment benefit existing low-income communities? The history of urban redevelopment is one of disruption of poor communities. Renewal historically offered benefits to the place while pushing out the people. In some cases, displacement is intentional, in others it is unintentional. Often, it is the byproduct of the quest for profits. Regardless of motives, traditional communities, defined by cultural connections, are often disrupted. Disadvantaged neighborhoods include vacant units, which diminish the community and hold back investment. In the postwar period, American cities entered into a program of urban renewal. While this program cleared blight, it also drove displacement among the cities’ poorest and was particularly hard on minority populations clustered in downtown slums. The consequences of these decisions continue to play out today. Concentration of poverty is increasing and American cities are becoming more segregated. As neighborhoods improve, poorer residents are uprooted and forced into even more distressed conditions, elsewhere. This paper examines the history of events impacting urban communities. It further reviews the successes and failures of efforts to benefit low-income communities.

scholarly journals Observations from a small country: mental health policy, services and nursing in Wales

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Ben Hannigan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Mental Health Policy ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Small Country ◽  
Mental Health Nurses ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Health Need ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Wales is a small country, with an ageing population, high levels of population health need and an economy with a significant reliance on public services. Its health system attracts little attention, with analyses tending to underplay the differences between the four countries of the UK. This paper helps redress this via a case study of Welsh mental health policy, services and nursing practice. Distinctively, successive devolved governments in Wales have emphasised public planning and provision. Wales also has primary legislation addressing sustainability and future generations, safe nurse staffing and rights of access to mental health services. However, in a context in which gaps always exist between national policy, local services and face-to-face care, evidence points to the existence of tension between Welsh policy aspirations and realities. Mental health nurses in Wales have produced a framework for action, which describes practice exemplars and looks forward to a secure future for the profession. With policy, however enlightened, lacking the singular potency to bring about intended change, nurses as the largest of the professional groups involved in mental health care have opportunities to make a difference in Wales through leadership, influence and collective action.

scholarly journals Experiences and impact of international medical volunteering: a multi-country mixed methods study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. e041599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary McCauley ◽  
Joanna Raven ◽  
Nynke van den Broek
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
International Medical ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Medical Volunteers ◽  
The Impact

ObjectiveTo assess the experience and impact of medical volunteers who facilitated training workshops for healthcare providers in maternal and newborn emergency care in 13 countries.SettingsBangladesh, Ghana, India, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, UK and Zimbabwe.ParticipantsMedical volunteers from the UK (n=162) and from low-income and middle-income countries (LMIC) (n=138).Outcome measuresExpectations, experience, views, personal and professional impact of the experience of volunteering on medical volunteers based in the UK and in LMIC.ResultsUK-based medical volunteers (n=38) were interviewed using focus group discussions (n=12) and key informant interviews (n=26). 262 volunteers (UK-based n=124 (47.3%), and LMIC-based n=138 (52.7%)) responded to the online survey (62% response rate), covering 506 volunteering episodes. UK-based medical volunteers were motivated by altruism, and perceived volunteering as a valuable opportunity to develop their skills in leadership, teaching and communication, skills reported to be transferable to their home workplace. Medical volunteers based in the UK and in LMIC (n=244) reported increased confidence (98%, n=239); improved teamwork (95%, n=232); strengthened leadership skills (90%, n=220); and reported that volunteering had a positive impact for the host country (96%, n=234) and healthcare providers trained (99%, n=241); formed sustainable partnerships (97%, n=237); promoted multidisciplinary team working (98%, n=239); and was a good use of resources (98%, n=239). Medical volunteers based in LMIC reported higher satisfaction scores than those from the UK with regards to impact on personal and professional development.ConclusionHealthcare providers from the UK and LMIC are highly motivated to volunteer to increase local healthcare providers’ knowledge and skills in low-resource settings. Further research is necessary to understand the experiences of local partners and communities regarding how the impact of international medical volunteering can be mutually beneficial and sustainable with measurable outcomes.

Medical Device Regulation: Requirements for Dental Professionals Who Prescribe and Manufacture Custom-Made Devices

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-88
Author(s):  
James I. J. Green
Keyword(s):  
Medical Device ◽  
Medical Devices ◽  
Transition Period ◽  
Eu Directive ◽  
Custom Made ◽  
Dental Setting ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Dental Professionals ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Medical Device Regulation

A custom-made device (CMD) is a medical device intended for the sole use of a particular patient. In a dental setting, CMDs include prosthodontic devices, orthodontic appliances, bruxism splints, speech prostheses and devices for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea, trauma prevention and orthognathic surgery facilitation (arch bars and interocclusal wafers). Since 1993, the production and provision of CMDs have been subject to European Union (EU) Directive 93/42/EEC (Medical Device Directive, MDD) given effect in the UK by The Medical Devices Regulations 2002 (Statutory Instrument 2002/618), and its subsequent amendments. Regulation (EU) 2017/745 (Medical Device Regulation, EU MDR) replaces the MDD and the other EU Directive pertaining to Medical Devices, Council Directive 90/385/EEC (Active Implantable Medical Device Directive, AIMDD). The EU MDR was published on 5 April 2017, came into force on 25 May 2017 and, following a three-year transition period was due to be fully implemented and repeal the MDD on 26 May 2020, but was deferred until 26 May 2021 due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In the UK, in preparation for the country’s planned departure from the EU, the EU MDR, with necessary amendments, was transposed into UK law (Medical Devices (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, UK MDR). The UK left the Union on 31 January 2020 and entered a transition period that ended on 31 December 2020, meaning that, from 1 January 2021, dental professionals in Great Britain who prescribe and manufacture CMDs are mandated to do so in accordance with the new legislation while Northern Ireland remains in line with the EU legislation and implementation date. This paper sets out the requirements that relate to the production and provision of CMDs in a UK dental setting.

scholarly journals Drivers of Broad-Spectrum Antibiotic Overuse across Diverse Hospital Contexts—A Qualitative Study of Prescribers in the UK, Sri Lanka and South Africa

Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 94
Author(s):  
Carolyn Tarrant ◽  
Andrew M. Colman ◽  
David R. Jenkins ◽  
Edmund Chattoe-Brown ◽  
Nelun Perera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽  
Broad Spectrum ◽  
Low Income ◽  
System Level ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
The Uk

Antimicrobial stewardship programs focus on reducing overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics (BSAs), primarily through interventions to change prescribing behavior. This study aims to identify multi-level influences on BSA overuse across diverse high and low income, and public and private, healthcare contexts. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 46 prescribers from hospitals in the UK, Sri Lanka, and South Africa, including public and private providers. Interviews explored decision making about prescribing BSAs, drivers of the use of BSAs, and benefits of BSAs to various stakeholders, and were analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Analysis identified drivers of BSA overuse at the individual, social and structural levels. Structural drivers of overuse varied significantly across contexts and included: system-level factors generating tensions with stewardship goals; limited material resources within hospitals; and patient poverty, lack of infrastructure and resources in local communities. Antimicrobial stewardship needs to encompass efforts to reduce the reliance on BSAs as a solution to context-specific structural conditions.

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