The 4MOTHERS trial of the impact of a mobile money-based intervention on maternal and neonatal health outcomes in Madagascar: study protocol of a cluster-randomized hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial

Background: Mobile money—a service enabling users to receive, store, and send electronic money using mobile phones—has been widely adopted across low- and middle-income economies to pay for a variety of services, including healthcare. However, evidence on its effects on healthcare access and health outcomes are scarce and the possible implications of using mobile money for […]

Utilization of optimal antenatal care, institutional delivery, and associated factors in Northwest Ethiopia

Optimal antenatal care visits (ANC4+) and institutional delivery are essentials to save lives of the women and the baby during pregnancy and delivery. Though focused antenatal care visits and institutional delivery is recommended by World Health Organization, Ethiopia has sub-optimal antenatal care and lagged facility delivery. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 811 lactating […]

Safety of components and platforms of COVID-19 vaccines considered for use in pregnancy: A rapid review

Background: Rapid assessment of COVID-19 vaccine safety during pregnancy is urgently needed. Methods: We conducted a rapid systematic review, to evaluate the safety of COVID-19 vaccines selected by the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access-Maternal Immunization Working Group in August 2020, including their components and their technological platforms used in other vaccines for pregnant persons. We searched […]

The influence of distance and quality of care on place of delivery in rural Ghana

Facility delivery is an important aspect of the strategy to reduce maternal and newborn mortality. Geographic access to care is a strong determinant of facility delivery, but few studies have simultaneously considered the influence of facility quality, with inconsistent findings. In rural Brong Ahafo region in Ghana, we combined surveillance data on 11,274 deliveries with […]

Effect of umbilical cord milking versus delayed cord clamping on preterm neonates in Kenya: A randomized controlled trial

Background Delayed cord clamping (DCC) is a placental to new-born transfusion strategy recommended by obstetric and gynaecological societies. Though not widely adopted, umbilical cord milking (UCM) may achieve faster transfusion when DCC cannot be performed such as when a neonate requires resuscitation. Methods Pragmatic, two-arm, randomized clinical trial in which consenting women in spontaneous labour […]

Determinants of men’s involvement in maternity care in dodoma region, central Tanzania

Background. Men’s involvement in maternity care is recognized as a key strategy in improving maternal health and accelerating reduction of maternal mortality. This study investigated the factors determining men’s involvement in maternity care in Dodoma Region, Central Tanzania. Methods. This cross-sectional survey used multistage sampling in four districts of Dodoma Region to select 966 married […]

Emergency transportation interventions for reducing adverse pregnancy outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review protocol

BACKGROUND: Transportation interventions seek to decrease delay in reaching a health facility for emergency obstetric care and are, thus, believed to contribute to reductions in such adverse pregnancy and childbirth outcomes as maternal deaths, stillbirths, and neonatal mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, there is limited empirical evidence to support this hypothesis. The […]

Self-medication and safety profile of medicines used among pregnant women in a tertiary teaching hospital in jimma, ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

Background: Despite the potential foetal and maternal risks of self-medication, studies on self-medication and safety profile of medicines used during pregnancy are scarce. This study determined the prevalence, predictors and safety profile of medicines used for self-medication during pregnancy at Jimma University Medical Centre (JUMC) in Ethiopia. Methods: A hospital-based cross sectional study was conducted […]

Determinants of childhood diarrhea in Medebay Zana District, Northwest Tigray, Ethiopia: A community based unmatched case-control study

Background: Globally, childhood diarrhea is amongst the most prevalent health problems and accounts for 9% of all deaths in children under-five. In Ethiopia, childhood diarrhea is a major public health problem in which the prevalence ranges from 13.5 to 30.5% and experienced by multiple factors. Although health extension program has been implementing for couples of […]

Determinants of default from full completion of vaccination among children between 12 and 23 months old in Yilmana Densa district, west Gojam zone, Ethiopia, 2019

Background: Vaccination is one of the best cost-effective public health interventions to safeguard children from vaccine-preventable diseases. In Ethiopia, the prevalence of default to the full completion of child immunization is high. However, the determinants of default to full completion have not been thoroughly investigated in this study area. Therefore, this study assessed the determinants […]