2104-37914

Validation of a novel device for the provision of humane pain control during manual vacuum aspiration

  Nyanza Reproductive Health Society                 Kenya

Nyanza Reproductive Health Society’s innovation is a novel, reusable, low-cost syringe extension device (Chloe SED) that provides pain relief during Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA). This device enables the provision of local anesthesia to a woman’s uterus and cervix, and is easy to sterilize even in austere clinical settings. A trial with 210 women seeking MVA will determine whether the pain control from this device is better or equal to the currently used spinal needles. Women will be consulted when developing pain control protocols to ensure the product meets their needs and preferences.  Based on the results of the trial, the prototype will be refined in preparation for pre-market clearance and scale up.

2011-36097

Mobile Safe Abortion Care Clinic Project (MSACCP)

  LET US STAY ALIVE (LUSA)                 Democratic Republic of the Congo

Let Us Stay Alive (LUSA) uses a mobile clinic model to decentralize safe abortion care services for women and girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Working closely with partners including the Ministry of Health, LUSA trains community health workers, nurses and midwives to use cellular communication to refer women to one of the three mobile clinics. Women seeking an abortion schedule an appointment in a mobile clinic or in their homes. Women experiencing complications from unsafe abortion are transferred to health centers for care. Awareness of these services and safe abortion is raised through TV/radio campaigns and educational sessions.

2003-37626

Win-Win Innovation

  University of Nairobi                  Kenya

The Win-Win innovation assesses unproven herbal decoctions provided for abortion by traditional herbalists in Kenya to discover novel molecules that can potentially be developed into a next generation pregnancy termination medication. These herbal remedies, decoctions and their molecules, will be tested for their ability to induce safe abortion using an array of scientific methods, while comparing them to the performance of current abortion medications. To complement laboratory research, a behaviour change communication intervention will be implemented to educate women and girls in rural Kenya about the risks of using these decoctions while steering them towards safe and legal abortion care services. Herbalists are also sensitized to the potential harmful effects of their products and the need to refer clients to evidence-based abortion care.

2003-37587

Breaking The Cycle

  Fight AIDS Malawi (FAM)                 Malawi

Fight Aids Malawi (FAM) implements several approaches to expand and decentralize access to safe abortion services and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) information for women and girls living in rural villages of Malawi. These include: 1) a new informational online interactive forum, 2) outreach clinic visits to villages and schools by trained health workers and peer counsellors, 3) community education initiatives which address abortion related stigma and ensure that the innovation’s progress is sustained, and 4) improvements to the capacity of rural health facilities through the provision of abortion service equipment as well as training in care provision and supply chain management. FAM will use the evidence generated from this project to advocate for increased resource allocation from local government for SRHR and safe abortion projects.

2001-36792

Increased access to safe abortion in Armenia

  Armavir Development Center                 Armenia

Armavir Development Center is developing a mobile application for all types of cell phones to provide individualized and confidential consultations for women in rural communities of Armenia seeking safe abortion. Through the app, women connect to a call center which links them to gynecologists for safe abortion care, psychologists for mental health support, and/or legal specialists for advice and assistance, depending on their needs. Women seeking an abortion have the choice of visiting a clinic or waiting for medical staff to visit their village. Doctors follow-up with patients through phone calls and the app to confirm the success of the abortion. The innovation will roll out in 100 rural communities and will reach women who were previously out of reach and underserviced.

2012-36426

Building a network of Solidary Pharmacists for safe abortion in rural communities of Oaxaca, Michoacán and Guerrero

  Fundación Mexicana para la Planeación Familiar, A.C. (Mexfam)               Mexique

Mexfam trains and sensitizes pharmacists in Oaxaca, Michoacán and Guerrero to be frontline providers of abortion care. The training program enables pharmacists to directly provide accurate information on the use of misoprostol for safe abortion and to improve attitudes towards women seeking abortions. To support women seeking these services, Mexfam trains women in the communities to be “companions” who accompany women to participating pharmacies. They provide information about safe abortion, in conjunction with youth peer educators who communicate anti-stigma messages throughout their communities, which increases awareness and demand for these services.

2011-36110

Community Self-managed menstrual regulation with pills in Sindh Pakistan

  Peace Foundation                Pakistan

Peace Foundation addresses the supply and demand of self-administered safe menstrual regulation options in 120 rural villages. To improve supply, Peace Foundation trains and equips sellers at sales outlets with medication, information, counselling aids, and referral mechanisms for safe menstrual regulation and self-injected methods for family planning. These outlets are established at grocery stores, women-run shops and by donkey cart vegetable sellers. Health service providers and pharmacists assist women and girls with more complicated cases referred by the sellers, and are also involved in improving the supply of medications to local chemist shops. Peace Foundation will simultaneously address demand by disseminating information on misoprostol to women and girls, sensitizing village leaders, and conducting edutainment activities.

2003-37571

Frontline actors initiative (FAI)

  Contact Trust Youth Association (CTYA)               Zambia

Innovator Stories: Mercy’s Journey of Resilience and Hope

Contact Trust Youth Association (CTYA)’s innovation increases knowledge and awareness of safe abortion services among 1500 adolescent girls and young women in 10 schools in rural Zambia. CTYA trains teachers to provide safe abortion information and to support pregnant students who choose to access safe abortion and counseling services by linking these students to CTYA’s helpline and to service providers. Additionally, CTYA trains pharmacists and health care providers to deliver adolescent-friendly sexual and reproductive health services. The ultimate goal is for wide scale integration of safe abortion teacher training into the Ministry of Education’s Comprehensive Sexuality Education curriculum.

2003-37473

Pilot End-to-End Referral System to Increase Female Migrant Workers’ Access to Comprehensive Abortion Care

  The Planned Parenthood Association of Thailand Under the Patronage of Her Royal Highness the Princess Mother (PPAT)               Thailand

PPAT’s innovation establishes a community-based end-to-end referral system for comprehensive abortion care and other sexual and reproductive health services for female migrant workers in Thailand. This includes a hotline call center operating in three migrant languages for referrals to safe abortion care as well as roundtrip transportation services from the migrant sites to safe abortion clinics in Bangkok. After receiving abortion care, trained migrant community health volunteers and medical staff work together to follow up with the women and girls through a home visit or telephone calls. Additionally, an educational outreach program aims to dispel stigma and improve knowledge and awareness of safe abortion services amongst migrant worker communities.

2002-37292

The ‘SAFE NEST’ PROJECT- “Enabling Safe Self-Managed Abortion for Transgender Youth through facebook messenger bot”

  Women Promotion Centre                 Kenya

Women Promotion Centre uses technology to facilitate abortion service delivery for transgender youth. Through a secure online platform called Safe Nest, the innovation provides safe, non-judgmental, self-managed abortion services and information. Trained volunteer Trans* Connectors work hand-in-hand with service providers to create awareness and provide referrals and direct distribution of medical abortion medications. After youth’s self-managed abortion, medical personnel follow up with them remotely to ensure that the treatment was successful. Additionally, Trans* Connectors refer youth to trans youth-friendly providers of other reproductive health services.