The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), formerly the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, is an UN agency aimed at improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide. Its work includes developing national healthcare strategies and protocols, increasing access to birth control, and leading campaigns against child marriage, gender-based violence, obstetric fistula, and female genital mutilation.The UNFPA supports programs in more than 144 countries across four geographic regions: Arab States and Europe, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa. Around three-quarters of the staff work in the field. It is a founding member of the United Nations Development Group, a collection of UN agencies and programmes focused on fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals.
BACKGROUND:The quality of midwifery education and the quality of care are influenced by the capabilities of those who educate future midwives. In Bangladesh, where midwifery is a new profession, it is crucial that midwifery educators are supported, prepared and equipped to teach in both academic and clinical settings. This study aimed to identify the professional development needs of midwifery educators in Bangladesh. METHODS:A cross-sectional online survey consisting of closed and open-ended questions, and statements answered using a four- and five-point response scale, was conducted. A total of 118 individuals responded to the survey, of whom 113 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics including frequencies and percentages and inferential statistics (Spearman's rank-order correlation and ANOVA). Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Responses to the open-ended questions were analysed using systematic text condensation. RESULTS:Among 113 respondents, working as an educator the majority (78%) held a master's degree. The most reported development needs were in midwifery theory (41.6%), face-to-face teaching (41.6%) and clinical simulation (39.8%). Research capacity was also a key area, with 38.1% reporting a need for support in scientific manuscript writing. Leadership and management development were prioritised by 37.2%. Educators preferred face-to-face programme delivery (53.1%) and short, intensive formats (74%). Open-ended responses underscored a need for structured pedagogical training, as well as research and leadership mentorship. CONCLUSIONS:Continuous professional development for educators in Bangladesh is needed, particularly in education, research, and leadership. To address these needs, the study highlights the importance of incorporating its identified needs into a national educator development programme. We propose co-creating such a programme, guided by the ICM Global Standards for Midwife Faculty Development, to ensure a structured, relevant, and sustainable response.
BACKGROUND:We evaluated the impact of the number of teeth on health expectancy, measured as years of life without limitations in activities of daily living (ADLs) and physical function, among adults aged ≥60 years. METHODS:Data from 3384 older adults in a nationally representative longitudinal study in Singapore were analysed. Health expectancy was estimated using an inverse probability-weighted multistate life table approach with microsimulation. Number of teeth (time-varying) was the exposure, and baseline removable dental prostheses use was the modifier. RESULTS:Among older adults without removable dental prostheses, those with 20-32 teeth lived significantly more years without limitations than those with no teeth: 5.3 (95% CI 2.4 to 8.6), 4.2 (95% CI 1.9 to 6.5) and 2.6 (95% CI 1.3 to 4.0) additional years without ADL limitations, and 3.7 (95% CI 0.4 to 6.8), 2.5 (95% CI 0.3 to 4.3) and 1.3 (95% CI 0.2 to 2.2) additional years without physical function limitations, at ages 60, 70 and 80, respectively. Stratified analysis among non-prosthesis users detected the largest differences among males and participants with primary or less education. Among prosthesis users with secondary or higher education, those with 20-32 teeth had longer ADL limitation-free life expectancy, while those with 10-19 teeth had longer physical function limitation-free expectancy. CONCLUSIONS:Retaining more teeth may be associated with more years of independent living, without ADLs or physical function limitations. Removable dental prostheses were linked with health expectancy across sexes, highlighting the importance of both tooth retention and prosthetic rehabilitation in promoting healthy ageing.
As a framework to conceptualise well-being, the capability approach (CA) combines structural drivers with personal freedoms, making it a compelling approach for understanding women's health and well-being (WHW). The WHW Project of the Exemplars in Global Health initiative chose the CA for its conceptual framing, while emphasising the influential role of gender and other intersecting inequalities (intersectional gender inequality) in shaping health and well-being over the life course. We discuss the Exemplars in Global Health - Women's Health and Well-being (EGH-WHW) Framework and a scoping review that supports it. OBJECTIVES:To identify well-established and/or validated CA-based frameworks and measures attuned to intersectional gender inequality that analyse women's well-being over the life course and across multiple geographies.If needed, to develop a new conceptual framework to analyse WHW over the life course through an intersectional gender inequality lens. DESIGN:The scoping review, which was carried out between January and May 2024 and re-run in May 2025, adhered to the methodology by Arksey and O'Malley, Levac et al and Daudt et al, and the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) checklist. The EGH-WHW Framework was developed by a multidisciplinary Working Group comprising representatives of organisations in the WHW Project consortium. DATA SOURCES:The review drew upon database searches (Scopus, PubMed) and targeted online hand searches for CA-based frameworks and measures. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:All CA-based frameworks and measures of multidimensional well-being were included. CA-based empirical research was considered if it applied a framework or measure; or if it analysed multidimensional well-being across multiple geographies. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS:Information about each type of CA-based application-its choice of well-being dimensions, methods, focus on inequality, intersectionality and the life course-was recorded in a data charting form. Thematic summative syntheses of publications about each CA-based framework or measure led up to an overall evaluative synthesis of the fit between existing work and our requirements. RESULTS:The review culminated in 94 publications, including six frameworks and 14 measures that met only some of the WHW Project's requirements: multidimensionality of well-being; attention to intersectional gender inequality and the life course; as well as demonstrated and intended measurements across multiple geographies. DISCUSSION:The review reaffirms the need for the EGH-WHW Framework, which recognises that WHW depend on their freedom 'to be' and 'to do', and proposes three interconnected clusters of dimensions depicting key capabilities, agency and functionings that are sensitive to intersectional gender inequality and the life course. Each dimension is mapped to specific indicators to support comparative assessments of country performance and drivers of progress across low-income and middle-income countries. CONCLUSION:The EGH-WHW Framework distinguishes itself from other CA-based frameworks by incorporating both an intersectional gender lens and a life course perspective. The framework's conceptualisation of multidimensional well-being allows for a rich and nuanced foundation on which to build policies and programmes that address the complex determinants of health, well-being and human rights of different groups of girls and women.
Background Globally, caregivers of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) face a substantial caregiving burden affecting their social and mental well-being. In LMICs, the situation might be exacerbated by limited access to support services. In Morocco, this burden remains underexplored. Our study aims to assess the burden experienced by caregivers, with particular attention to self-stigma and the availability of support services. Methods We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study among caregivers of children and adults diagnosed with ASD across three Moroccan regions, recruited via associations affiliated with Collectif Autisme Maroc and the Rabat Psychiatric Hospital. Data were collected using an adapted version of Caregiver Needs Survey, Caregiver Burden Inventory (scored and categorized as mild, moderate and severe) and selected items from Affiliate Stigma Scale. The questionnaire was validated online with caregivers and civil society actors who were subsequently trained in data collection and administered the questionnaire to participants. Data were analyzed using RStudio. Results Of the 269 participating caregivers, 85.9% were women and 76.6% lived in urban areas. Overall, 42% reported a moderate to severe caregiving burden, with time-dependence burden being the most prominent, primarily characterized by the need for continuous supervision (45.7%), followed by physical burden, mainly reflected by frequent physical exhaustion (24.2%), and developmental burden, characterized by emotional exhaustion (21.5%). Social burden showed moderate levels, driven by lack of appreciation from family members (23.1%), while emotional burden was the least pronounced. We found variable levels of self-stigma with 35% anticipate discrimination, and 45% report a negative impact of caregiving. Access to support services was limited, only 3.3% received childcare services and 72.5% having never benefited of psychological support. Moreover, 76.3% reported experiencing frustration in accessing services for their child. Conclusions Caregivers of individuals with ASD in Morocco experience a significant burden, self-stigma, and limited access to essential support services. Strengthening caregiver-child interventions through psychological support, educational accommodations, respite services, and broader psychoeducation is crucial to improve caregiver well-being and reduce burden.
BackgroundGender-based violence (GBV) is a major public health issue in humanitarian settings. Forced displacement weakens social support systems and increases vulnerability to violence. In Burkina Faso, the security crisis and the scale of internal displacement have profoundly transformed community norms, lived experiences of violence, and institutional responses.AimThis study aimed to analyze social perceptions and lived experiences of GBV among internally displaced populations, while examining organizational responses through the perspectives of service providers operating in forced displacement contexts.MethodsGuided by Yuval-Davis' intersectional framework, this exploratory qualitative study was conducted in Kaya, in the Centre-Nord region. Data were collected through 58 focus group discussions involving 352 internally displaced persons, including women, men, adolescent girls and boys, and community leaders. Focus groups were conducted across different settlement areas to reflect the distribution of internally displaced populations in Kaya. Additionally, 28 service providers involved in GBV care across medical, psychosocial, social, and judicial sectors were interviewed. A comprehensive mapping of GBV-related services was conducted. Data were analyzed thematically using NVivo 12 and Braun and Clarke approach.ResultsFindings indicate that although community-based protection mechanisms exist, their availability and effectiveness remain uneven. Legal and institutional responses are often perceived as misaligned with deeply rooted social, cultural, and religious norms. Forced displacement changes social and family relationships and may contribute to the normalization of intimate partner violence. Women and girls adopt harmful survival strategies, including transactional sex, in response to severe economic precarity. Participants frequently reported fear, shame, stigma, and emotional distress. Access to psychosocial support was associated with emotional relief and pathways toward recovery.ConclusionThese findings improve understanding of how displaced populations perceive and experience GBV in Burkina Faso. The findings also show how insecurity, poverty, and displacement affect everyday life and coping strategies. Service providers also described the efforts made to support survivors, as well as the challenges faced in delivering care.Clinical trial numberNot applicable.
