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The inability to access quality healthcare and exercise their rights, puts the lives of millions of children, adolescents and women at risk every day. Plan International works with communities, local partners, young people and governments in remote, disadvantaged communities to address institutional/systemic, socio-economic, cultural and gender related barriers to accessing quality health services.
On this page you will find critical research and studies Plan International Canada has done in the field of health that covers topics from engaging fathers through trainings to empowering youth to prevent teenage pregnancy in their community.
Results Report: Plan International’s Grant Portfolio for Global Fund Grants
Plan International has been a trusted partner of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for over 20 years. This latest report compiles outstanding results from the implementation of Global Fund projects from 2021-2023/24. These results are a testament to Plan International’s strong spirit of partnership, commitment to help address the specific needs of girls and women, and focus on critical health support for all.
Strengthening adolescent agency for optimal health outcomes
Janani Vijayaraghavan and colleagues argue that agency and health are intimately connected; achieving best health outcomes for adolescents will require strengthening their agency
Strengthening Health Outcomes for Women and Children's Health (SHOW) - An Interactive Session Showcasing Plan International's Project
Lessons Learned in Plan International Canada’s SHOW project series
The Strengthening Health Outcomes for Women and Children (SHOW) project focuses on increasing the quality, availability, use and accountability of essential maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) care and comprehensive health services for adolescents, especially girls. Its aim is to reduce maternal and child deaths, particularly for the women, children and adolescent girls who face the highest related risks, within targeted regions across five countries (Bangladesh, Ghana, Haiti, Nigeria and Senegal).
A Compendium of Promising Practices and Lessons Learned from Plan International's SHOW Project
Strengthening Health Outcomes for Women and Children (SHOW) was a 4.5-year (January 2016–September 2020) health project across five countries: Nigeria, Haiti, Bangladesh, Ghana, and Senegal. The ultimate objective of SHOW is to help reduce the deaths of moms and babies, especially through reaching women, children and adolescent girls with vital health care in targeted remote, underserved regions of each country.
Responding to the Needs of Adolescents through Comprehensive and Accessible Health Services
This qualitative study assesses the shifts in knowledge and awareness among communities regarding care work, social norms and the roles of women, men, adolescent girls and boys.
Chapeau report: Community Views on Care Work, Social Norms and the Roles of Men, Women, Girls and Boys
Adolescence is a major time of change in a young person’s life. Starting around the age of 10, the transition between childhood and adulthood is associated with physical and psychological changes1 related to puberty, as well as social interactions and relationships. It is not only the beginning of an individual’s sexual and reproductive life, but it is also a time when gendered roles and expectations related to adulthood intensify.2 As adolescents prepare for adulthood, socially and culturally conventional gender norms are reinforced, and their health needs enter an important stage.
Chapeau report (Download the report | Download French Version)
Bangladesh (Download the report)
Ghana (Download the report)
Nigeria (Download the report )
Senegal (Download the report | Download French Version)
Covid-19: 2021 update
This summary report provides a snapshot of how Plan International Canada has responded to both the immediate and indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic impacted girls in distinct ways – and without targeted work to address girls' unique needs and to continue toward equality, decades of progress could unravel.
Read the report to find out how we are supporting communities to build back better, particularly for women and girls.
Evidence for an inclusive and tailored approach to programs for girls and women
With the support of Global Affairs Canada since 2011, Plan International Canada has improved key health outcomes for women and girls around the world.
This report focuses on data from a project called Strengthening Health Outcomes for Women and Children (SHOW) and how it is helping achieve equality while making life-saving and comprehensive health services and information more accessible to women and girls.
Responding to the needs of adolescents
With the support of Global Affairs Canada since 2011, Plan International Canada has improved key health outcomes for women and girls around the world.
This report focuses on how the Strengthening Health Outcomes for Women and Children (SHOW) project is helping make comprehensive health services more accessible for adolescents, especially girls, to save lives and create a more equal world.
The Power of Public Engagement #ChangetheBirthStory
Through our #ChangetheBirthStory public engagement campaign, people all around Canada were engaged and inspired to raise awareness about the importance of improving access to essential health care for women and girls – helping save the lives of more girls, moms, babies and children around the world.
In this report, you can learn more about the campaign, its impact, and how this movement is contributing toward a more just and equal world for everyone.
SHOW Midterm Evaluation Report
Report description: With the support of Global Affairs Canada since 2011, Plan International Canada has improved key health outcomes for women and girls around the world.
This report highlights midterm data results from a project called Strengthening Health Outcomes for Women and Children (SHOW). It reveals how the project has helped successfully advance equality while making comprehensive health services more accessible to women and girls.
Community Health Committees
Community health committees (CHCs) are made up of a collective of community members and health providers. Plan International Canada’s focus has been to help strengthen these committees, including helping members expand their skill sets and ensure their approaches are inclusive and welcoming to adolescents.
The Role of Facilitation in Programs Where Men and Boys Contribute to Community Transformations
Skilled facilitators are essential for the success of any program aimed at community-wide transformations. Findings in this report are drawn from several years of experience from Promundo and Plan International – especially in engaging men, boys and entire communities to lead health projects that help save the lives of women, girls and children in particular.
Findings in this report are drawn from several years of experience that Promundo and Plan International have in implementing gender-transformative programming.
Ensuring Everyone Can Take Part in Community Programs
Projects within community-based programs often focus on including direct family members or those most closely involved in related activities. This can exclude individuals, such as those who live in isolated or remote areas or women who must tend to caregiving needs at home, from equal opportunities to participate. This brief shares best practices and lessons learned on how to ensure that programs – especially those that promote health and safety for community transformation – are open and accessible to everyone.
Findings in this report are drawn from several years of experience that Promundo and Plan International have in implementing gender-transformative programming.
Involving Men and Boys in Helping Achieve Equality and Lasting Community Changes
This report shares findings on how to effectively recruit and retain male participants in gender-transformative programs and the importance of male engagement as a tactic to improve health outcomes for women and girls.
How to effectively include male participants in programs aimed at protecting and promoting the equal rights of girls and women. This brief summarizes program learnings and is intended to help practitioners better involve men in working toward a more equal world and achieving community transformations that benefit everyone.
Download the reportEnsuring Pregnant Women & Adolescent Girls Can Access Quality Health Care
Maternal, newborn and child, mortality is one of the greatest public health disparities of our time. A Plan International Canada project called Strengthening Health Outcomes for Women and Girls (SHOW) spans 5 countries; Ghana, Bangladesh, Senegal, Haiti and Nigeria.
This report highlights how the project is making strides to ensure that more adolescents – especially girls, who face added risks – can access essential health services and care facilities.
State of the World’s Fathers: Unlocking the power of men’s care
This report is produced by Promundo, and is a globally recognized, biennial report and advocacy platform aiming to change power structures, policies, and social norms around care work and to advance gender equality.
The third State of the World’s Fathers report reveals new research on men’s caregiving from 11 countries, with additional cross-country analysis of data from over 30 countries. Plan International Canada was a proud contributor to this report with data from one of our health projects that spans 5 countries.
Download the reportMale engagement resources
Encouraging Supportive and Involved Fathers and Partners: Findings from a qualitative study of Fathers Clubs in health programs across Bangladesh, Ghana, Haiti and Nigeria
Plan and our local partners established 1,041 Fathers Clubs, involving 15,105 fathers, through the multi-country SHOW (Strengthening Health of Women and Children) project. Twenty reflective sessions were held across each of the clubs, providing opportunities for men to explore how they define fatherhood, enable them to question societal expectations for men's and women's roles, and discuss the importance of equality in parenting and distribution of work for stronger, healthier families.
The study findings revealed positive change among Fathers Clubs participants!
Individual country specific reports were also produced from this study:
Bangladesh: Fathers Clubs Study Finding
Ghana: Fathers Clubs Study Finding
Haiti: Fathers Clubs Study Finding
Nigeria: Fathers Clubs Study Finding
Father’s Club Manual
This manual focuses on engaging men in maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) and essential health care for women and girls. It was developed for the Strengthening Health Outcomes for Women and Children (SHOW) project by Promundo, with technical guidance from Plan Canada and support from Global Affairs Canada.
Engaging men is a core strategy of SHOW, as this helps positively impact MNCH outcomes, promote equality for women and girls, and enhance the well-being of families and entire communities.
Download the reportEffect of Father’s Clubs on Men’s Care Work at Home
In 2019, Plan International Canada performed qualitative research to examine community members’ experiences with Father’s Clubs, including men, women and children. This report provides a summary of key reflections and proof of shifts in outlooks and practices that the clubs have inspired. It includes examples of fathers taking on more parenting responsibilities and communities challenging traditional norms, roles and practices that limit and harm both men and women.
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