World Population Day 2017

July 2017: Article The theme of this year’s World Population Day, as designated by the United Nations, is “Family Planning: Empowering People, Developing Nations.” This theme is also at the center of much of the work done by PRB. We analyze, synthesize, and communicate data and research to support effective family planning policies and highlight the benefits of good policies for women, their families, societies, and the environment. We also strengthen the capacity of researchers, advocates, and other stakeholders to understand and communicate evidence-based information about family planning.

Majority of People Covered by Medicaid and Similar Programs

June 2017: Article Medicaid provides health insurance coverage to more people than any other single program in the United States, with coverage for low-income children, adults, seniors, and those with disabilities. As of March 2017, there were 74 million Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees, of which nearly 36 million were enrolled in CHIP or were children enrolled in Medicaid, according to the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services.

The Fast-Track Cities Initiative

June 2017: Article Despite improvements of overall HIV status in adults from 2005 to 2012, AIDS-related deaths increased by 50 percent among adolescents. This article examines the current situation with integrating youth into the Fast-Track Cities Initiative, a global goal to end AIDS by 2030, and provide recommendations for moving forward.

2017 KIDS COUNT Data Book Released: How Are Children Faring?

June 2017: Article The Annie E. Casey Foundation released the 2017 KIDS COUNT Data Book on June 13, 2017. The KIDS COUNT Data Book—now in its 28th year—provides an up-to-date and detailed picture of how children are faring in the United States, nationally and in each state. The 2017 Data Book reveals many bright spots for children and family well-being during the economic recovery following the Great Recession, yet room for improvement remains in many areas.

In Memoriam: Babatunde Osotimehin

June 2017: Article We at the Population Reference Bureau were extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Babatunde Osotimehin, an eminent scholar, global leader, colleague, and friend with whom we had the great fortune to collaborate and to support over the years.

FGM/C Digital Data Visualization Toolkit Is Useful for Researchers

May 2017: Article The Population Reference Bureau (PRB) is a core partner on the Population Council’s Evidence to End FGM/C: Research to Help Girls and Women Thrive—a UKAID-funded research program to help end female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) within one generation. Our role is to build the consortium’s capacity for research utilization and to develop innovative tools and products to improve how researchers communicate their findings about FGM/C to key decisionmakers.

Integrating Health Services for Young People: Tackling the Growing Noncommunicable Disease Epidemic

May 2017: Report This policy report, published with support from the AstraZeneca Young Health Programme, argues that integrating noncommunicable disease (NCD) services—particularly those targeted at prevention and early intervention—with other health services for young people can help tackle the growing noncommunicable disease (NCD) epidemic in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Researchers Share Results With Policymakers—In Six Minutes or Less

May 2017: Report

The Research Council of Norway, a funding partner in the Population and Poverty Research Network (PopPov) for which PRB is the Secretariat, recently hosted a knowledge-sharing event at the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) in Oslo, Norway. To accommodate policymakers’ busy schedules, the Research Council challenged each presenter to discuss their research results, policy implications, and recommendations in six minutes or less.

Image: Laila Bokhari, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway, opens the conference.

Youth Family Planning Policy Scorecard: Measuring Commitment to Effective Policy and Program Interventions

April 2017: Report Governments around the world have made great strides in creating policies that support young people. Increasingly, countries have formalized the rights of adolescents and young people to access sexual and reproductive health services. Despite growing commitment from decisionmakers, many barriers remain for young people who want to use contraception.