The role of household structure and composition in influencing complementary feeding practices in Ethiopia

While the household in which a child grows up is considered a critical environment that influences nutrition outcomes, there is little research examining the influence of household composition and structure on complementary feeding practices. This study examined the influence of household structure and composition on complementary feeding practices, using the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey […]

Challenges in diagnosis and management of neonatal hyperparathyroidism in a resource-limited country: A case series from a sudanese family

Neonatal hyperparathyroidism is a rare disease caused by a homozygous inactivating mutation in the calcium sensing receptor gene. It presents early in life with life threatening manifestations of hypercalcemia, if left untreated the condition may be lethal. This is the first case series reported from Sudan. Three Sudanese siblings presented with severe symptoms of hypercalcemia […]

The effect of health insurance and health facility-upgrades on hospital deliveries in rural Nigeria: A controlled interrupted time-series study

Background:â € Access to quality obstetric care is considered essential to reducing maternal and new-born mortality. We evaluated the effect of the introduction of a multifaceted voluntary health insurance programme on hospital deliveries in rural Nigeria. Methods:â € We used an interrupted time-series design, including a control group. The intervention consisted of providing voluntary health […]

Intravenous versus oral iron for iron deficiency anaemia in pregnant Nigerian women (IVON): study protocol for a randomised hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial

Background: Anaemia in pregnancy is highly prevalent in African countries. High-dose oral iron is the current recommended treatment for pregnancy-related iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) in Nigeria and other African countries. This oral regimen is often poorly tolerated and has several side effects. Parenteral iron preparations are now available for the treatment of IDA in pregnancy […]

Healthy cardiovascular biomarkers across the lifespan in wild-born chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): Chimpanzee cardiovascular health

Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are a crucial model for understanding the evolution of human health and longevity. Cardiovascular disease is a major source of mortality during ageing in humans and therefore a key issue for comparative research. Current data indicate that compared to humans, chimpanzees have proatherogenic blood lipid profiles, an important risk factor for cardiovascular […]

Herpes simplex virus type 2, genital ulcers and HIV-1 disease progression in postpartum women

Background: Co-infection with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) has been associated with increased HIV-1 RNA levels and immune activation, two predictors of HIV-1 progression. The impact of HSV-2 on clinical outcomes among HIV-1 infected pregnant women is unclear. Methods: HIV-1 infected pregnant women in Nairobi were enrolled antenatally and HSV-2 serology was obtained. HIV-1 […]

Piloting a systems level intervention to improve cervical cancer screening, treatment and follow up in Kenya

Although preventable, Cervical Cancer (CC) is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women in Sub-Saharan Africa with the highest incidence in East Africa. Kenyan guidelines recommend an immediate screen and treat approach using either Pap smear or visual screening methods. However, system (e.g., inadequate infrastructure, weak treatment, referral and tracking systems) and patient (e.g., […]

Wealth-related inequalities of women’s knowledge of cervical cancer screening and service utilisation in 18 resource-constrained countries: Evidence from a pooled decomposition analysis

Introduction: Resource-constrained countries (RCCs) have the highest burden of cervical cancer (CC) in the world. Nonetheless, although CC can be prevented through screening for precancerous lesions, only a small proportion of women utilise screening services in RCCs. The objective of this study was to examine the magnitude of inequalities of women’s knowledge and utilisation of […]

Protocol of an open, three-arm, individually randomized trial assessing the effect of delivering sexual and reproductive health information to young people (aged 13-24) in Kenya and Peru via mobile phones: Adolescent/youth reproductive mobile access and delivery initiative for love and life outcomes (ARMADILLO) study stage 2

Background: Young people face special challenges to accessing needed sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and support. With high penetration and access, mobile phones provide a new channel for reaching young people, but there is little evidence around the impact of digital interventions on improving health outcomes. The Adolescent/Youth Reproductive Mobile Access and Delivery Initiative […]

Relationship between symptoms, barriers to care and healthcare utilisation among children under five in rural Mali

Objectives: To identify social and structural barriers to timely utilisation of qualified providers among children under five years in a high-mortality setting, rural Mali and to analyse how utilisation varies by symptom manifestation. Methods: Using baseline household survey data from a cluster-randomised trial, we assessed symptom patterns and healthcare trajectories of 5117 children whose mothers […]