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HOME / Our Projects / Beyond Bias

Beyond Bias

In this project, we address the different types of provider biases and behaviors that translate—advertently or inadvertently—into barriers for youth who want access to contraceptive counseling and services. We use an innovative four-phase approach to gather insights, generate and test solutions, and support adaptation and scale up.

Project Date: 2016 - present
Funder: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Country: Burkina Faso Pakistan Tanzania
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Globally, 25% of the world’s population are youth (ages 10 to 24)

UNFPA

Married women ages 15-19 who use a modern contraceptive method: 6% in Burkina Faso, 7% in Pakistan, 8% in Tanzania

Demographic & Health Survey

38 million sexually active adolescents in developing regions don’t want a child within two years–and 60% have an unmet need for contraception

Guttmacher 2016

Among adolescent women in developing regions who use modern contraceptives, 5% use IUDs & 8% use implants

Guttmacher 2016

What We Do

  • Deepen our understanding of provider bias and the way it’s shaped and enacted in each country and within public and private sector facilities
  • Develop, test, and refine solutions to address provider bias using human-centered design
  • Use existing contraceptive service delivery platforms to implement and evaluate solutions
  • Disseminate our learning through peer-reviewed journal articles, gray literature, and dissemination meetings that include guidance on adaptation and scalability
  • Draw on the multidisciplinary expertise of our partners—Camber Collective, YLabs, The Center for Effective Global Action’s Behavioral Economics in Reproductive Health Initiative, Aga Khan Health Services Tanzania, and Greenstar Social Marketing—so they give input and build capacity in phases of implementation most relevant to their expertise

Related Resources

Beyond Bias – Project Overview

The Beyond Bias project seeks to ensure that young people have access to empathetic, nonjudgmental, quality counseling and provision of a full range of contraceptive methods regardless of their...

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Project Staff Members

Tabinda Sarosh

Country Director

As our country director in Pakistan, Tabinda brings public health experience in sexual and reproductive health and rights, project management, capacity building, strategic planning, and...

Lydia Saloucou

Senior Country Director

Lydia brings nearly 20 years of public health experience in reproductive and maternal health and organizational management in Africa....

Joseph Komwihangiro

Senior Country Director

A medical doctor with more than 15 years of experience leading and managing donor-funded health programs in Tanzania, Dr. Komwihangiro combines his technical experience with his passion for helping...

Lydia Murithi

Project Director, Beyond Bias

Lydia is a social and behavioral scientist with over a decade of experience as a global health researcher and program implementer....

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