Malaria in pregnancy is a predictor of infant haemoglobin concentrations during the first year of life in Benin, West Africa

Background Anaemia is an increasingly recognized health problem in Africa, particularly in infants and pregnant women. Although malaria is known to be the main risk factor of anaemia in both groups, the consequences of maternal factors, particularly malaria in pregnancy (MiP), on infant haemoglobin (Hb) concentrations during the first months of life are still unclear. […]

The MONARCH intervention to enhance the quality of antenatal and postnatal primary health services in rural South Africa: Protocol for a stepped-wedge cluster-randomised controlled trial

Background: Gaps in maternal and child health services can slow progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The Management and Optimization of Nutrition, Antenatal, Reproductive, Child Health & HIV Care (MONARCH) study will evaluate a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) intervention targeted at improving antenatal and postnatal health service outcomes in rural South Africa where HIV […]

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 […]

Seroprevalence and associated risk factors of rift valley fever in domestic small ruminants in the North Region of Cameroon

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a zoonotic vector borne infectious disease of major medical and veterinary importance particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. However, there is dearth of epidemiological knowledge of the disease in Cameroon. We conducted a cross-sectional study (January 2016-January 2017) to investigate the seroprevalence and potential risk factors of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) […]

Strengthening integration of family planning with HIV/AIDS and other services: Experience from three Kenyan cities

Background: Kenya has made remarkable progress in integrating a range of reproductive health services with HIV/AIDS services over the past decade. This study describes a sub-set of outcomes from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)-funded Jhpiego-led Kenya Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (Tupange) Project (2010-2015), specifically addressing strengthening family planning (FP) integration with a range […]

Predictors of the risk of malnutrition among children under the age of 5 years in Somalia

Objective To investigate the predictors of wasting, stunting and low mid-upper arm circumference among children aged 6-59 months in Somalia using data from household cross-sectional surveys from 2007 to 2010 in order to help inform better targeting of nutritional interventions. Design Cross-sectional nutritional assessment surveys using structured interviews were conducted among communities in Somalia each […]

Behavioural and emotional comorbidities in school-aged children with neurological conditions in Kilifi, Kenya, and their long-term consequences

Background: Neurological conditions and mental health problems are common in children in low- and middle-income countries, but the risk factors and downstream impact of these problems on children with neurological conditions are not reported. Objective: To determine the association of neurological conditions with behavioural and emotional problems in children, the prevalence and risk factors of […]

Role of social support in improving infant feeding practices in Western Kenya: A quasi-experimental study

Background: We designed and tested an intervention that used dialogue-based groups to engage infants’ fathers and grandmothers to support optimal infant feeding practices. The study’s aim was to test the effectiveness of increased social support by key household influencers on improving mothers’ complementary feeding practices. Methods: Using a quasi-experimental design, we enrolled mothers, fathers, and […]

Perceptions on acceptability of the 2016 WHO ANC model among the pregnant women in Phalombe District, Malawi – a qualitative study using Theoretical Framework of Acceptability

Background: The World Health Organization introduced a new model of care, ‘The 2016 WHO ANC Model’ to overcome challenges encountered during the implementation of the Focused Antenatal Care Approach. For any new intervention to achieve its objective, it must be widely accepted by both the deliverers and recipients. Malawi rolled out the model in 2019 […]

Implementation of evidence-based antenatal care in Mozambique: A cluster randomized controlled trial: Study protocol

Background: Antenatal care (ANC) reduces maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality directly through the detection and treatment of pregnancy-related illnesses, and indirectly through the detection of women at increased risk of delivery complications. The potential benefits of quality antenatal care services are most significant in low-resource countries where morbidity and mortality levels among women of […]