Disrespectful care in family planning services among youth and adult simulated clients in public sector facilities in Malawi
Background: Provision of high-quality family planning (FP) services improves access to contraceptives. Negative experiences in maternal health have been documented worldwide and likely occur in other services including FP. This study aims to quantify disrespectful care for adult and adolescent women accessing FP in Malawi. Methods: We used simulated clients (SCs) to measure disrespectful care […]
Factors associated with utilization of motorcycle ambulances by pregnant women in rural eastern Uganda: A cross-sectional study
Background: Evidence suggests that use of motorcycle ambulances can help to improve health facility deliveries; however, few studies have explored the motivators for and barriers to their usage. We explored the factors associated with utilization of motorcycle ambulances by pregnant women in eastern Uganda. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, mixed-methods study conducted among 391 women […]
Introduction of birth dose of hepatitis B virus vaccine to the immunization program in Ethiopia: An economic evaluation
Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is an important cause of morbidity and mortality with a very high burden in Africa. The risk of developing chronic infection is marked if the infection is acquired perinatally, which is largely preventable through a birth dose of HBV vaccine. We examined the cost-effectiveness of a birth dose of […]
Short- and long-read metagenomics of urban and rural South African gut microbiomes reveal a transitional composition and undescribed taxa
Human gut microbiome research focuses on populations living in high-income countries and to a lesser extent, non-urban agriculturalist and hunter-gatherer societies. The scarcity of research between these extremes limits our understanding of how the gut microbiota relates to health and disease in the majority of the world’s population. Here, we evaluate gut microbiome composition in […]
Improving child nutrition and development through community-based childcare centres in Malawi – The NEEP-IE study: Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Background: The Nutrition Embedded Evaluation Programme Impact Evaluation (NEEP-IE) study is a cluster randomised controlled trial designed to evaluate the impact of a childcare centre-based integrated nutritional and agricultural intervention on the diets, nutrition and development of young children in Malawi. The intervention includes activities to improve nutritious food production and training/behaviour-change communication to improve […]
Estimated hepatitis C prevalence and key population sizes in San Francisco: A foundation for elimination
Background Initiated in 2016, End Hep C SF is a comprehensive initiative to eliminate hepatitis C (HCV) infection in San Francisco. The introduction of direct-acting antivirals to treat and cure HCV provides an opportunity for elimination. To properly measure progress, an estimate of baseline HCV prevalence, and of the number of people in various subpopulations […]
A protocol for evaluating a multi-level implementation theory to scale-up obstetric triage in referral hospitals in Ghana
Background: Ghana significantly reduced maternal and newborn mortality between 1990 and 2015, largely through efforts focused on improving access to care. Yet achieving further progress requires improving the quality and timeliness of care. Beginning in 2013, Ghana Health Service and Kybele, a US-based non-governmental organization, developed an innovative obstetric triage system to help midwives assess, […]
Protocol for a randomised trial of early kangaroo mother care compared to standard care on survival of pre-stabilised preterm neonates in the Gambia (eKMC)
Background: Complications of preterm birth cause more than 1 million deaths each year, mostly within the first day after birth (47%) and before full post-natal stabilisation. Kangaroo mother care (KMC), provided as continuous skin-to-skin contact for 18 h per day to fully stabilised neonates ≤ 2000 g, reduces mortality by 36-51% at discharge or term-corrected […]
Impacts of Ebola disease outbreak in West Africa: Implications for government and public health preparedness and lessons from COVID-19
There has been an increase in the outbreak of communicable diseases in recent times; the most recent ones are Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and COVID-19. These diseases have had different impacts on society and the ecosystem. However, underlying these impacts are the levels of preparedness of governments and public health institutions to mitigate and control […]
Gestational diabetes mellitus per different diagnostic criteria, risk factors, obstetric outcomes and postpartum glycemia: A prospective study in Ghana
The surge in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) globally requires a health system tailored approach towards prevention, detection and management. We estimated the prevalence of GDM using diverse recommended tests and diagnostic thresholds, and also assessed the risk factors and obstetric outcomes, including postpartum glycemia. Using a prospective cohort design, 446 singleton pregnant women without pre-existing […]
