WASHINGTON (July 21, 2015) — The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded $30 million to Georgetown University Medical Center’s Institute for Reproductive Health (IRH) to fund its Passages Project, which aims to improve healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies among youth and first-time parents in developing countries.<\/p>\n
The five-year Passages Project grant allows researchers to develop and test scalable approaches to fostering social norms that support healthy behaviors, such as the belief that women and men have equal rights and responsibilities in family planning.<\/p>\n
“This award underscores the critical contributions Georgetown researchers are making to our global health outreach,” says Edward Healton, MD, MPH, executive vice president at GUMC and executive dean of the Georgetown University School of Medicine. “Through this work, we’re able to broadly impact populations in the developing world in keeping with Georgetown’s commitment to serving those most in need.”<\/p>\n
IRH will lead a team of global health experts to implement this project, including those from FHI 360, Johns Hopkins Global Early Adolescent Study, Population Services International, Save the Children and Tearfund. Initial focus will include countries in Africa and Asia where the IRH has been active for a number of years.<\/p>\n