Girls’ Rights are Human Rights

Posted January 2, 2019

By: Emma Beck, Associate Communications Manager, PSI and Sarah Anderson, Intern, External Relations and Communications, PSI

Every girl has a right to make the choices that define her life.

To serve girls, we have to understand their worlds, including all the people who populate it.

That’s why we at PSI embedded ourselves within a rural Malawian village to explore the ecosystem that shapes how girls make and own their health choices. Our collection of stories give voice to those driving the future of youth-powered healthcare: from girls themselves, to the young radio hosts who bring young people’s narratives to the national airwaves and the village headman on a campaign to keep girls in school.

These diverse influencers share a common insight: girls’ needs do not stop with sexual and reproductive health. Sparking lasting impact requires adopting a holistic approach to account for girls’ health, economic and social needs, today.

Read their stories here:

**Emma’s Story: The Youth Clubs that are Getting Girls Back to School**

**Julianna’s Story: A Youth-Powered Drumbeat**

**The Headman’s Story: For This Village Chief, School is Non-Negotiable**

**YouthAlert!’s Story: Youth-Powered Radio Hour**

**Hasting’s Story: At the Frontline of Serving Malawian Youth**

Photo credit: Emma Beck, PSI

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Supervisors directly observed how CHWs performed malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and administered artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). They recorded CHW performance using the digitized checklist, interviewed community members, reviewed records, and provided on-the-spot coaching. They also interviewed the CHWs and tried to resolve challenges they expressed, including with resupply of commodities or equipment immediately or soon afterwards.

Beyond the observed interactions with patients, supervisors heard from community members that they were pleased that CHWs were able to provide essential malaria services in the community. And the data shows the impact.

In IM-supported areas of Mali, 36% of CHWs in the first round were competent in performing the RDT, which rose to 53% in the second. 24% of CHWs in the first round compared to 38% in the second were competent in the treatment of fever cases and pre-referral counseling. Between both rounds, availability of ACT increased from 80 percent to 90 percent.

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Girls’ Rights are Human Rights

Every girl has a right to make the choices that define her life.

Read their stories here:

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The Consumer as CEO

Digitalizing contraceptive counseling to reach rural women and girls in Ethiopia

Building community health worker capacity to deliver malaria care

Taking a market-based approach to scale sanitation in Ethiopia

Promoting self-managed care like Self-testing and Self-Sampling

Using peer coaches to counter HIV stigma in South Africa

simplifying consumers’ journey to care in Vietnam

Engaging the private sector for disease surveillance in Myanmar

Training health workers in Angola

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