Accra, 24th July 2024

Total Family Health Organisation (TFHO) has incorporated a subsidiary organisation, tfho—RESEARCH, which was founded in 2023 and incorporated in July 2024 to provide research, evaluation and analytic services. As an incorporated subsidiary of TFHO, tfho—RESEARCH seeks to provide technical research and evaluation support to TFHO, governments, donors and other partners to ensure that rigorous evidence is used to inform and guide program development and implementation as well as assess impact.

 

About tfho—RESEARCH

tfho—RESEARCH is a leading research and evaluation organisation dedicated to advancing knowledge and innovation across the fields of health and social sciences. With a team of expert researchers and evaluation specialists, the organisation is committed to delivering impactful solutions in Ghana and Africa.

 

VISION: To advance innovative research and evaluation for program development and implementation.

 

MISSION: Our mission is to drive forward innovative research and comprehensive evaluation to enhance effective program development and implementation. We are committed to fostering a culture of excellence and collaboration, ensuring that our initiatives contribute to meaningful advancement in our field.

 

Our Ethos

Our team has worked with partners and experts to identify intransigent health problems, conduct innovative and high-quality research to test solutions to address those problems, and facilitate evidence-informed decision-making by applying robust results uptake strategies. tfho—RESEARCH brings several important competencies that differentiate us from other organizations:

  • We know Ghana better (proudly Ghanaian): We are an indigenous organization with strong relationships with the GoG, key local actors, an in-depth understanding of behaviours and the enabling environment, and a highly skilled core management and technical team with global experience in conducting research and managing donor-funded projects including USAID.

 

  • Evidence-based advocacy and community engagement: To facilitate evidence-based policy change, tfho—RESEARCH employs various strategies to actively engage government and key stakeholders to design, generate evidence and implement interventions. This approach ensures ownership, relevance, and acceptability of interventions, and is supported by advocacy to ensure an enabling environment for the adoption or adaptation of policies.

 

  • Effective and efficient program management: Over the years, we have built a highly competent and motivated team or research and programs staff, as well as robust program management structures to ensure effective and efficient program management to achieve desired objectives in accordance with agreed timelines.

 

  • Cost efficiency: As an indigenous organization we pride ourselves on our low overheads and efficient cost structure used in delivering excellent research or project/program implementation, which sets us apart in the industry.

Our Focus Areas:

Our areas of expertise include:

 

Selected tfho—RESEARCH Activities

 

  1. Under the Population Services International (PSI) led USAID MOMENTUM Private Healthcare Delivery (MPHD) project, tfho—RESEARCH conducted a qualitative assessment to explore the extent to which the blended approach to training health workers in the provision of Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARCs) services improved healthcare workers’ knowledge and capacity to deliver LARC services between April and August 2023. The study assessed the knowledge of private health providers on Family Planning (FP), especially LARC services before and after the blended training approach; explored the experiences and views of relevant stakeholders about the blended training approach; and understood the facilitators and barriers to the training and mentorship sessions. The study utilized a qualitative research design, conducting in-depth interviews (IDIs) to explore the perspectives of trainees, facilitators, and mentors. Sixty-six (66) IDIs were conducted, adhering to the Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects. The data were transcribed verbatim, reviewed, and imported into the Dedoose software application for coding and analysis, using the thematic analytical approach. The analysis revealed key insights on the essential elements needed to implement and improve the Blended Training Approach to LARCs and to sustain LARC service delivery across both private and public health sectors in Ghana.

 

  1. tfho—RESEARCH under the leadership of the USAID Frontiers Health Market Engage (FHM Engage) and technical support from Metrics for Management (M4M) is conducting a willingness-to-pay (WTP) study to inform product and pricing strategies for selected contraceptive commodities to improve access and sustainable provision of contraceptives in the private sector in Ghana. The WTP study that is being conducted in Accra and Tamale, Ghana will, among other objectives, explore the factors influencing user preferences and the utilization of contraceptives commodities and services within the private sector.

 

  1. tfho—RESEARCH provided technical leadership to the TFHO led USAID Health Marketing Activity and the USAID Social Marketing and Private Sector Activity to conduct a nationwide retail audit in 120 randomly selected districts to assess the availability and retail prices of 13 different types of health commodities. The survey was conducted in 3,885 outlets across 4 different types of outlets (899 pharmacies, 1,113 Over-The-Counter Medicine Sellers (OTCMS), 695 modern trades, and 1,192 corner shops). The 13 product types surveyed include oral contraceptives, emergency contraceptives, condoms, condoms with lubricant co-pack, female condoms, injectables, implants, intrauterine devices, sanitary pads, chlorhexidine gel, oral rehydration salt, zinc, and oral rehydration salt and zinc co-pack. Availability and prices of the products have been analysed by region, type of outlet and brand of the product. Field data collection was conducted between February and March 2024.

 

  1. Under the USAID Social Marketing and Private Sector Activity, tfho—RESEARCH is currently conducting a study titled “Family Planning Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices in Selected Fishing Communities in Ghana”. The general objective of this study is to explore FP knowledge, attitudes, and practices in selected coastal fishing communities in Ghana. Specifically, the study seeks to explore knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to FP, understand the contextual facilitators and barriers related to the use of FP services, and inform FP program implementation in fishing communities.