Exploring perceptions, barriers, and enablers for delivery of primary ear and hearing care by community health workers: A photovoice study in Mukono District, Uganda

Background: Hearing loss is a prevalent but neglected disease, especially in low-or middle-income countries. The role of Community Health Workers (CHWs) to deliver primary ear and hearing care has been explored in several studies from a technical standpoint, but understanding perceptions, barriers, and enablers of such an approach from the perspective of CHWs themselves through […]

The extent to which the design of available reproductive health interventions fit the reproductive health needs of adolescents living in urban poor settings of Kisenyi, Kampala, Uganda

Background: The rate at which informal urban settlements (slums) are developing in Low and Middle Income. Countries (LMICs) like Uganda is high. With this, comes the growing intersection between urbanization and the reproductive health of key populations. Currently, a number of interventions are being implemented to improve the Reproductive Health (RH) of adolescents in Kisenyi, […]

Prevalence, Risk Factors for Exposure, and Socio-Economic Impact of Peste Des Petits Ruminants in Karenga District, Karamoja Region, Uganda

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), a disease caused by small ruminant morbillivirus (SRM), is highly contagious with high morbidity and mortality. Controlling PPR requires a proper under-standing of the epidemiological dynamics and impact of the disease in a range of geographical areas and management systems. Karenga district, located in the pastoral region of Karamoja in […]

Adoption of evidence-based global policies at the national level: Intermittent preventive treatment for malaria in pregnancy and first trimester treatment in Kenya, Malawi, Mali and the Gambia

In 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) updated its policy on intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy with sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP). A global recommendation to revise the WHO policy on the treatment of malaria in the first trimester is under review. We conducted a retrospective study of the national policy adoption process for revised IPTp-SP dosing in […]

The impact of care environment on the mental health of orphaned, separated and street-connected children and adolescents in western Kenya: A prospective cohort analysis

Introduction The effect of care environment on orphaned and separated children and adolescents’ (OSCA) mental health is not well characterised in sub-Saharan Africa. We compared the risk of incident post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety and suicidality among OSCA living in Charitable Children’s Institutions (CCIs), family-based care (FBC) and street-connected children and youth (SCY). Methods […]

Quality of antiretroviral therapy services in Ghana: Implications for the HIV response in resource-constrained settings

Objective: Number of People Living with Human Immune-deficiency Virus in Ghana is over 300,000 and unmet need for antiretroviral therapy is approximately 60%. This study sought to determine the quality of antiretroviral therapy services in selected ART sites in Ghana using the input-process-outcome approach. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional case study that employed modified […]

The effect of a postpartum intrauterine device programme on choice of contraceptive method in Tanzania: a secondary analysis of a cluster-randomized trial

Vertical global health programmes often evaluate success with a narrow focus on programmatic outcomes. However, evaluation of broader patient-centred and unintended outcomes is critical to assess impacts on patient choice and autonomy. Here, we evaluate the effects of a postpartum intrauterine device (PPIUD) intervention on outcomes related to contraceptive method choice. The stepped-wedge cluster randomized […]

What are the barriers to the diagnosis and management of chronic respiratory disease in sub-Saharan Africa? A qualitative study with healthcare workers, national and regional policy stakeholders in five countries

Objectives Chronic respiratory diseases (CRD) are among the top four non-communicable diseases globally. They are associated with poor health and approximately 4 million deaths every year. The rising burden of CRD in low/middle-income countries will strain already weak health systems. This study aimed to explore the perspectives of healthcare workers and other health policy stakeholders […]

Evaluation of a multi-level intervention to improve postpartum intrauterine device services in Rwanda

Background. The copper intrauterine device is one of the most safe, effective, and cost-effective methods for preventing unintended pregnancy. It can be used postpartum irrespective of breastfeeding to improve birth spacing and reduce unintended pregnancy and maternal-child mortality. However, this method remains highly underutilized. Methods. We developed a multi-level intervention to increase uptake of the […]

Reducing stigma among healthcare providers to improve mental health services (RESHAPE): Protocol for a pilot cluster randomized controlled trial of a stigma reduction intervention for training primary healthcare workers in Nepal

Background: Non-specialist healthcare providers, including primary and community healthcare workers, in low- and middle-income countries can effectively treat mental illness. However, scaling-up mental health services within existing health systems has been limited by barriers such as stigma against people with mental illness. Therefore, interventions are needed to address attitudes and behaviors among non-specialists. Aimed at […]