Expanding Contraceptive Choice: A Webinar Series on Family Planning Methods: Implants
October 12, 2017
In 2017, nearly 214 million women worldwide continue to lack access to modern methods of contraception to delay or avoid pregnancy. Evidence suggests that expanding method choice, as well as information about available methods, serves as a high impact intervention that can improve family planning access for women.
The Advancing Partners & Communities project, in collaboration with Family Planning 2020, the Implementing Best Practices initiative and USAID’s Office of Population and Reproductive Health, will host a webinar series designed to share information about various family planning methods. Participants will gain detailed knowledge about the methods, including how to use them and how they work and hear about global level and country implementation experiences and method-specific “hot topics.”
Specific webinar objectives:
Raise awareness and provide technical information on a range of contraceptive methods
Highlight in-country and programmatic experiences, including challenges and successes
Serve as a forum to answer questions and promote discussion about family planning methods
Advance the principles of voluntarism and informed choice as fundamental components of high-quality family planning programs
The first webinar in this series: Implants, was on Thursday, October 12th, 2017, from 9:00 A.M.-10:00 A.M. EST.
Dr. Abdulmumin Saad is the Senior Epidemiologist and Reproductive Health Advisor at the Office of Population and Reproductive Health, USAID Washington, D.C. He is a medical doctor and public health specialist with clinical, research and evaluation experience. Dr. Saad provides technical guidance and leadership for program development, and reviewing and coordinating epidemiological and biological research on contraceptive and multipurpose prevention technologies conducted through USAID-supported cooperating agencies. He provides technical support for the introduction of new family planning and reproductive health technologies and family planning/HIV integration research, service delivery and research utilization. In the past, he has worked at Pathfinder International, Nike Foundation & DFID Collaboration (Girl Effect), Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and FHI360. Dr. Saad obtained a medical degree from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, a Master’s degree in Public Health from University of Malaya, and Ph.D. in Community Health (Epidemiology) from University Putra Malaysia.
Megan Christofield is a Technical Advisor for Family Planning at Jhpiego with a decade of global health experience. She provides technical assistance across sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, offering expertise in program design, material development, advocacy, and innovation, particularly as these relate to long-acting reversible contraception, postpartum family planning, and family planning access and rights. Since 2013, she has supported contraceptive implant introduction and scale-up efforts in at least ten countries, by working closely with colleagues abroad to employ the latest evidence, and in turn collect successful practices for refinement and application elsewhere. Megan was also the managing editor of the Contraceptive Implants Learning Resource Package, and a founding member of the Implant Removals Task Force. Megan holds an MPH in Women’s and Reproductive Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a BA in Peace Studies from the College of St. Benedict.
Mr. George Bruno Akanlu joined Marie Stopes Ghana in 2015 as the Director for Regional Operations. His key responsibilities include providing strategic direction and operation effectiveness to all Marie Stopes’ field operations in Ghana. Mr. Akanlu has over nine years of professional experience working with international and local NGOs and bilateral development agencies. Before joining Marie Stopes, Mr. Akanlu worked with Sightsavers as the Programme Manager/Country Team Leader and with the National Catholic Health Service led Project Fives Alive! as the Deputy Project Director. Prior to joining the National Catholic Health Service, Mr. Akanlu worked with USAID’s Strategic HIV and AIDS Response Program as the Strategic Information Manager/M&E Specialist. His expertise includes health and social research, program management, monitoring and evaluation of health programs, institutional capacity building, and application of quality improvement science. Mr. Akanlu earned his B.A degree with honors in Economics and Social Work from the University of Ghana and his Master of Public Health degree in Health Economics from the University of Cape Town.
In 2017, nearly 214 million women worldwide continue to lack access to modern methods of contraception to delay or avoid pregnancy. Evidence suggests that expanding method choice, as well as information about available methods, serves as a high impact intervention that can improve family planning access for women.
The Advancing Partners & Communities project, in collaboration with Family Planning 2020, the Implementing Best Practices initiative and USAID’s Office of Population and Reproductive Health, will host a webinar series designed to share information about various family planning methods. Participants will gain detailed knowledge about the methods, including how to use them and how they work and hear about global level and country implementation experiences and method-specific “hot topics.”
Specific webinar objectives:
The first webinar in this series: Implants, was on Thursday, October 12th, 2017, from 9:00 A.M.-10:00 A.M. EST.
Meet the Speakers:
Dr. Abdulmumin Saad
Dr. Abdulmumin Saad is the Senior Epidemiologist and Reproductive Health Advisor at the Office of Population and Reproductive Health, USAID Washington, D.C. He is a medical doctor and public health specialist with clinical, research and evaluation experience. Dr. Saad provides technical guidance and leadership for program development, and reviewing and coordinating epidemiological and biological research on contraceptive and multipurpose prevention technologies conducted through USAID-supported cooperating agencies. He provides technical support for the introduction of new family planning and reproductive health technologies and family planning/HIV integration research, service delivery and research utilization. In the past, he has worked at Pathfinder International, Nike Foundation & DFID Collaboration (Girl Effect), Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and FHI360. Dr. Saad obtained a medical degree from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, a Master’s degree in Public Health from University of Malaya, and Ph.D. in Community Health (Epidemiology) from University Putra Malaysia.
Megan Christofield, MPH
Megan Christofield is a Technical Advisor for Family Planning at Jhpiego with a decade of global health experience. She provides technical assistance across sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, offering expertise in program design, material development, advocacy, and innovation, particularly as these relate to long-acting reversible contraception, postpartum family planning, and family planning access and rights. Since 2013, she has supported contraceptive implant introduction and scale-up efforts in at least ten countries, by working closely with colleagues abroad to employ the latest evidence, and in turn collect successful practices for refinement and application elsewhere. Megan was also the managing editor of the Contraceptive Implants Learning Resource Package, and a founding member of the Implant Removals Task Force. Megan holds an MPH in Women’s and Reproductive Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a BA in Peace Studies from the College of St. Benedict.
George Bruno Akanlu, MPH
Mr. George Bruno Akanlu joined Marie Stopes Ghana in 2015 as the Director for Regional Operations. His key responsibilities include providing strategic direction and operation effectiveness to all Marie Stopes’ field operations in Ghana. Mr. Akanlu has over nine years of professional experience working with international and local NGOs and bilateral development agencies. Before joining Marie Stopes, Mr. Akanlu worked with Sightsavers as the Programme Manager/Country Team Leader and with the National Catholic Health Service led Project Fives Alive! as the Deputy Project Director. Prior to joining the National Catholic Health Service, Mr. Akanlu worked with USAID’s Strategic HIV and AIDS Response Program as the Strategic Information Manager/M&E Specialist. His expertise includes health and social research, program management, monitoring and evaluation of health programs, institutional capacity building, and application of quality improvement science. Mr. Akanlu earned his B.A degree with honors in Economics and Social Work from the University of Ghana and his Master of Public Health degree in Health Economics from the University of Cape Town.