Archive for: Brief


The Population Reference Bureau coordinated a comparative study of population, health, and environment (PHE) integration and cross-sectoral collaboration in East Africa. Teams from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda assessed the state of PHE integration in their respective countries, through identifying relevant stakeholders; assessing the policy environment for cross-sectoral collaboration; highlighting the most salient population, health, and environment issues; and describing the current state of integration among projects, programs, and policies. The University of Nairobi and the National Coordinating Agency for Population and Development assessed the “state of integration” in Kenya. Findings confirm that these integrated approaches require more planning, coordination, and communication, but still can yield substantial results in the community and environment, including reduced dependence on forest resources, increased food security, cleaner drinking water, and greater access to health services. The assessment found that strong leadership was essential to the community-based PHE project; cross-sectoral interventions can be introduced at different times and at different scales; and that even low-cost interventions can improve the health and well-being of a community. Kenya still lacks clear legal framework and institutional money to initiate PHE policies, but according to this assessment, most development professionals prefer the integrated approach at the community level.

Year: 2007

Source: Population Reference Bureau

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    The Population Reference Bureau coordinated a comparative study of population, health, and environment (PHE) integration and cross-sectoral collaboration in East Africa. Teams from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda assessed the state of PHE integration in their respective countries, through identifying relevant stakeholders; assessing the policy environment for cross-sectoral collaboration; highlighting the most salient population, health, and environment issues; and describing the current state of integration among projects, programs, and policies. Drawing lessons from countries where PHE programs have already been successfully implemented, this brief explores the PHE context, challenges, and opportunities for pursuing an integrated approach to development in Ethiopia, including identifying relevant stakeholders; assessing the policy environment for cross-sectoral collaboration; highlighting the most salient population, health, and environment issues; and describing the current state of integration among projects, programs, and policies. The paper highlights and explains several opportunities and entry points for pursuing a more holistic way to address the complex interactions between humans, their health, and the environment in Ethiopia.

    Year: 2007

    Source: Population Reference Bureau

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      This brief describes the reasoning behind population, health, and environment (PHE) projects, which aim to simultaneously improve access to health services and manage natural resources in ways that improve livelihoods and conserve critical ecosystems. These projects have demonstrated that implementing a comprehensive and integrated strategy which builds upon existing synergies between health, family planning, and the environment is more efficient than implementing separate programs to address each of these needs. The brief also discusses the history of US engagement in supporting PHE initiatives during the past 10 years and offers several policy recommendations to expand support to non-health sectors, strengthen the evidence base and reach new audiences, and scale-up PHE programs.

      Year: 2014

      Source: PAI

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        Model households are a key aspect of Health of People and Environment in the Lake Victoria Basin (HoPE-LVB), an integrated Population, Health, and Environment (PHE) project with sites in Kenya and Uganda. Model households are trained in multiple project activities to illustrate behaviors that allow families to thrive without taking a toll on their environment and natural resources. Model households exhibit positive behaviors, including practicing sustainable agriculture and resource planning, adopting alternative livelihoods, prioritizing reproductive health and family planning, and investing in clean water for drinking, cooking, and washing.

        Year: 2016

        Source: Pathfinder International

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          A successful population, health, and environment (PHE) project requires the full and equal participation of women and girls and men and boys. In order to address the urgent, interconnected challenges in the Lake Victoria Basin—poor maternal and child health, a lack of access to contraception, dwindling fish supply, deforestation, and more—interventions must also work towards gender equality. Women must be able to exercise their right to sexual and reproductive health care services, including their ability to choose if or when to have children. They must be able to participate in income-generating activities, which improve their economic situation and better equip them to protect their families and the natural resources they depend on. The Health of People and the Environment in the Lake Victoria Basin (HoPE-LVB) project works to promote gender equality. HoPE-LVB implements a range of activities, including training women’s and young mother’s groups on integrated health and conservation practices and conducting community dialogue sessions surrounding the intersection between gender, sexual and reproductive health, and the environment to bridge gender divides and encourage input and support from all community members.

          Year: 2014

          Source: Pathfinder International

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            The overall goal of the The Health of People and the Environment in the Lake Victoria Basin (HoPE-LVB) Project is to reduce threats to biodiversity conservation and ecosystem degradation in the lake basin, while simultaneously increasing access to family planning and sexual and reproductive health to improve maternal and child health in project communities. This brief describes how the energy-efficient stove campaign exemplifies the power of this integration and the HoPE-LVB project.

            Year: 2016

            Source: Pathfinder International

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              The Health of People and Environment in the Lake Victoria Basin (HoPE-LVB) project seeks to reduce threats to biodiversity conservation and ecosystem degradation in the LVB while simultaneously increasing access to family planning and reproductive health services, in order to improve maternal and child health in Kenya and Uganda. This brief discusses how HoPE-LVB builds the capacity of Beach Management Units (BMUs) to take collective responsibility to actively protect and restore fish stocks, their habitat, and the entire ecosystem they depend on. This goes hand-in-hand with harvest management— establishing who, when, and where to fish, as well as tracking and documenting the fish catches.

              Year: 2016

              Source: Pathfinder International

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                This brief discusses the importance of advocacy at multiple scales to build policymaker support for the Health of People and the Environment in the Lake Victoria Basin (HoPE-LVB) project. Staff and partners have engaged key district, national, and regional health and environment officials in Kenya and Uganda. The project goals are to: (1) increase stakeholders’ understanding of the interconnectedness of PHE issues and the benefits of the PHE approach; (2) increase the key stakeholders’ capacity to communicate about the PHE approach; and (3) provide platforms for policy dialogue to influence regional and national stakeholders to integrate PHE into their programs.

                Year: 2016

                Source: Pathfinder International

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                  This policy brief explores the complex relationship between population dynamics and economic development in developing countries. When populations transition from high mortality and fertility rates to longer life expectancies and smaller family sizes, this is known as the demographic dividend. The brief expains how, during this transition phase, there are potentially significant economic benefits. In addition, the authors make recommendations for policy changes to increase investments in family planning and reproductive health, girls’ education, and economic development for youth.

                  Year: 2011

                  Source: The Aspen Institute

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                    There is a need to understand how best to integrate family planning with food security and nutrition programming and a need to raise awareness about the importance of family planning for improved food security and nutrition outcomes. However, to date there has been limited peer reviewed literature and a dearth of documentation on programmatic experiences of integrating family planning with food security and nutrition. To address this evidence gap, the Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance III Project (FANTA) conducted a desk review to take stock of and better understand how food security and nutrition programs are integrating family planning. As a companion to this review, the Health Policy Project conducted two literature reviews summarizing the empirical evidence on why it is important to integrate these services. This brief summarizes the findings from the FANTA desk review.

                    Year: 2015

                    Source: FHI 360 | FANTA Project

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