Building Health Literacy and Numeracy through Oral Information Solutions among Poor Women in Northern Pakistan
Salima Meherali1, Saba Nisa1, Sobia Idrees1, Brett Mathews2, David Myhre2, Zohra Lassi3
1University of Alberta; 2My Oral Village; 3University of Adelaide
Background:
Health literacy and numeracy skills of women in Pakistan is very low as compared to other LMICs. Gilgit-Baltistan Chitral (GBC), a province in Pakistan, grapples with these issues, particularly affecting women who often lack access to skilled birth attendants during pregnancy and childbirth. To address these challenges, initiatives like the Aga Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP) have introduced programs like Community-Based Savings Groups (CBSG), aiming to enhance women's financial means and facilitate access to maternal and child health services. However, despite these efforts, a lack of health literacy still hinders women's access to maternal and child health services.
Purpose:
The current study aimed to improve the health numeracy of unschooled women in Pakistan through the maternal and child health calendar (MCHC) mainly based on locally contextualized icons to support and improve maternal and child health care utilization and outcomes.
Methods:
A qualitative exploratory study was conducted to understand the usefulness of the MCHC. A total of nine in-depth interviews were conducted with key informants [staff of CBSGs] and five FGDs with unschooled women in CBSGs
Results:
The findings of our study are categorized into the following themes, (1) the benefits of using MCHC, (2) the usefulness of MCHC in their healthcare decision-making, (3) MCHC implementation challenges (4) empowerment of poorly-schooled women, and, (5) participants suggestions for improving the MCHC.
Conclusion:
We believe that MCHC will safely and sustainably build basic health numeracy and record-keeping capabilities for unschooled and illiterate women in Pakistan.
The Wider Impact of Covid-19 on Health and Well-being of Pregnant and Parent Youth and Their Children
Salima Meherali, Amber Hussain, Saba Nisa
University of Alberta, Canada
Background:
The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented impact on children, families, and communities around the globe. Pregnant and parenting youth (15-24 years) are a unique population, with particular mental and physical healthcare needs. The pandemic response measures to contain the spread of the virus have had significant and deleterious impacts on many areas of pregnant and parenting youth and their children’s lives. The wider and indirect impacts of the pandemic on pregnant and parenting youth and their children in Canada remain relatively unknown.
Purpose:
The purpose of this research was to investigate the wider and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on pregnant and parenting youth and their children's health in Canada.
Methods:
Qualitative individual interviews were conducted with pregnant and parenting youth guided by social constructivist grounded theory.
Results:
Findings from the interviews are categorized into four key themes and subthemes: (1) Covid-19 impact on pregnant and parenting youth, Subthemes; Physical & mental health impact, impact on social well-being, financial impact, (2) Covid-19 impact on children, Subthemes; Educational impact, physical and mental health impact, social impact, (3) Impact on healthcare services delivery; Subthemes; Service utilization, access to healthcare, and (4) Suggestions from participants for improving parents' and children's health, Subthemes; Child care, financial needs, mental health support and other suggestions.
Conclusion:
This research serves as a critical foundation for shaping current and future policies, support services, and programs. The focus is on enhancing the support provided to pregnant and parenting youth, with a specific emphasis on addressing the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Climate Change & Reproductive Maternal, Newborn, Child, & Adolescent Health (RMNCAH): Evidence Gap Map Exercise
Salima Meherali1, Saba Nisa1, Yared Aynalem1, Zohra Lassi2
1University of Alberta, Canada; 2University of Adelaide
Background: Climate change is rapidly evolving into a global health crisis, marked by devastating mortality and morbidity rates that disproportionately affect vulnerable regions and groups. This study focuses on women, adolescents, and children globally, aiming to strengthen the nexus between climate change, health, and the advocacy for the rights of women, adolescents, and children.
Objective: We aim to comprehensively understand the impacts of climate change on the reproductive maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health (RMNCAH), enabling the development of informed strategies and interventions to address the pressing challenges posed by this multifaceted crisis.
Methods: We conducted an Evidence Gap Map (EGM) following Campbell Standards. We used the EPPI Mapper software to generate an online evidence map, reporting findings in alignment with PRISMA guidelines.
Findings: We included 133 studies focusing on maternal health, 196 studies on under-five health, and 44 studies on adolescent health. Preliminary findings from these studies suggest that climate change events, including hurricanes, earthquakes, extreme heat, and extreme cold, have resulted in adverse maternal outcomes such as malnutrition, miscarriage, abortion, preterm birth, gestational hypertension, and prenatal/postnatal depression. Conversely, the impact of climate change events on adolescents includes post-traumatic anxiety, depression, early marriage, respiratory disease, domestic violence, and rape. As for neonates and children, the repercussions of climate change include vector-borne diseases, respiratory issues, anemia, preterm birth, low birth weight stillbirth, and neonatal mortality.
Conclusion: The findings of this study will facilitate the prioritization of future research and allocation of funding, while also suggesting interventions that may improve RMNCAH
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