Evaluation of an adaptive, multimodal intervention to reduce postoperative infections following cesarean delivery in Ethiopia: study protocol of the CLEAN-CS cluster-randomized stepped wedge interventional trial
Background: We previously developed and pilot tested Clean Cut, a program to prevent postoperative infections by improving compliance with the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) and strengthening adherence to infection control practices. This protocol describes the CheckList Expansion for Antisepsis and iNfection Control in Cesarean Section (CLEAN–CS) trial evaluating our program’s ability to reduce infections […]
A university’s response to people with disabilities in Worcester, Western Cape
Background: The call for institutions of higher education to foster interaction with communities and ensure training is responsive to the needs of communities is well documented. In 2011, Stellenbosch University collaborated with the Worcester community to identify the needs of people with disabilities within the community. How the university was engaging with these identified needs […]
Effect of mobile application user interface improvements on minimum expected home visit coverage by community health workers in Mali: A randomised controlled trial
Background Proactive community case management (ProCCM) has shown promise to advance goals of universa health coverage (UHC). ProCCM community health workers (CHWs) face operational challenges when pursuing their goal of visiting every household in their service area at least twice monthly to proactively find sick patients. We developed a software extension (UHC Mode) to an […]
Use of big data and machine learning methods in the monitoring and evaluation of digital health programs in India: An exploratory protocol
Background: Digital health programs, which encompass the subsectors of health information technology, mobile health, electronic health, telehealth, and telemedicine, have the potential to generate “big data.” Objective: Our aim is to evaluate two digital health programs in India-the maternal mobile messaging service (Kilkari) and the mobile training resource for frontline health workers (Mobile Academy). We […]
Lively Minds: improving health and development through play-a randomised controlled trial evaluation of a comprehensive ECCE programme at scale in Ghana
Introduction Many children in developing countries grow up in environments that lack stimulation, leading to deficiencies in early years of development. Several efficacy trials of early childhood care and education (ECCE) programmes have demonstrated potential to improve child development; evidence on whether these effects can be sustained once programmes are scaled is much more mixed. […]
Verbal autopsy interpretation: A comparative analysis of the InterVA model versus physician review in determining causes of death in the Nairobi DSS
Background: Developing countries generally lack complete vital registration systems that can produce cause of death information for health planning in their populations. As an alternative, verbal autopsy (VA) – the process of interviewing family members or caregivers on the circumstances leading to death – is often used by Demographic Surveillance Systems to generate cause of […]
Association of Care Environment with HIV Incidence and Death among Orphaned, Separated, and Street-Connected Children and Adolescents in Western Kenya
Importance: In 2015, there were nearly 140 million orphaned children globally, particularly in low- and middle-income regions, and millions more for whom the street is central to their everyday lives. A total of 16.6 million children were orphaned because of deaths associated with HIV/AIDS, of whom 90% live in sub-Saharan Africa. Although most orphaned and […]
Impact of 1% chlorhexidine gluconate bathing and emollient application on bacterial pathogen colonization dynamics in hospitalized preterm neonates – A pilot clinical trial
Background: Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) body washes and emollient application may modulate bacterial pathogen colonization and prevent neonatal hospital-acquired infections. Methods: This pilot, non-randomized, open-label trial, enrolled preterm neonates (1000-1500g; day 1-3 of life) at a tertiary hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. Participants were sequentially allocated to 4 trial arms (n=20 each): 1% aqueous CHG […]
Intention to use maternity waiting home and associated factors among pregnant women in Gamo Gofa zone, Southern Ethiopia, 2019
Background A maternity waiting home is a temporary residence in which pregnant women from remote areas wait for their childbirth. It is an approach targeted to advance access to emergency obstetric care services especially, in hard-to-reach areas to escalate institutional delivery to reduce complications that occur during childbirth. Apart from the availability of this service, […]
Low immunization coverage in Wonago district, southern Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study
Introduction Immunization is a cost-effective intervention that prevented more than 5 million deaths worldwide from 2010 to 2015. Despite increased vaccination coverage over the past four decades in many African countries, including Ethiopia, universal coverage has not yet been reached. Only 39% of children aged 12–23 months received full vaccinations in Ethiopia, according to the […]
