Strengthening intrapartum and immediate newborn care to reduce morbidity and mortality of preterm infants born in health facilities in Migori County, Kenya and Busoga Region, Uganda: A study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Background: Preterm birth (birth before 37 weeks of gestation) and its complications are the leading contributors to neonatal and under-5 mortality. The majority of neonatal deaths in Kenya and Uganda occur during the intrapartum and immediate postnatal period. This paper describes our study protocol for implementing and evaluating a package of facility-based interventions to improve […]
Staff recognition and its importance for surgical service delivery: A qualitative study in Freetown, Sierra Leone
We examined the views of providers and users of the surgical system in Freetown, Sierra Leone on processes of care, job and service satisfaction and barriers to achieving quality and accessible care, focusing particularly on the main public tertiary hospital in Freetown and two secondary and six primary sites from which patients are referred to […]
Trends and correlates of HIV testing amongst women: Lessons learnt from Kenya
Background: A majority of women in Kenya do not know their HIV status and are therefore unable to take preventive measures or medication in order to prolong their lives. Objectives: This study investigates the key determinants of HIV testing in Kenya and documents how these changed over the 1998-2008 period. Method: This study uses data […]
Findings and Implications from an Evaluation of the Gold Star Campaign in Post-Ebola Guinea: The Role of Gender and Education
In post-Ebola Guinea, the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (HC3) project worked to rebuild trust in the health system and increase the utilization of reproductive, maternal, neonatal, and child health services. Core to HC3 Guinea was the promotion of quality local health centers through the Gold Star campaign (2016-2017). The current study aimed to determine the […]
Factors associated with prelacteal feeding in the rural population of northwest Ethiopia: A community cross-sectional study
Background: Prelacteal feeding has continued as a deep-rooted nutritional malpractice in developing countries. Prelacteal feeding is a barrier for implementation of optimal breastfeeding practices, and increases the risk of neonatal illness and mortality. However, its determinants are not well studied, which are essential to design intervention. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants […]
Reintroducing vacuum extraction in primary health care facilities: A case study from Tanzania
Background: In rural Tanzania access to emergency obstetric and newborn care is threatened by poor roads and understaffed facilities among other challenges. Districts in Kigoma, Pwani and Morogoro regions were targeted by a local non-governmental organization to assist local government to build capacity and improve access to clinical management of severe obstetric and newborn complications. […]
Constructing a nurse-led cardiovascular disease intervention in rural ghana: A qualitative analysis
Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a growing burden in low-and middle-income countries. Ghana seeks to address this problem by task-shifting CVD diagnosis and management to nurses. The Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) initiative offers maternal and pediatric health care throughout Ghana but faces barriers to providing CVD care. We employed in-depth interviews to identify […]
Human-centered design exploration with Kenyan health workers on proposed digital mental health screening and intervention training development: Thematic analysis of user preferences and needs
Background: Health providers’ perceived sense of knowledge, competency, and self-efficacy to support the needs of their patients contributes to optimal patient health outcomes. With regards to mental health service delivery in Kenya, this area needs further exploration. Guided by the e-health technology acceptance mode, the needs and preferences of health care providers around mental health […]
Understanding whose births get registered: a cross sectional study in Bauchi and Cross River states, Nigeria
It is a recognized child right to acquire a name and a nationality, and birth registration may be necessary to allow access to services, but the level of birth registration is low in Nigeria. A household survey about management of childhood illnesses provided an opportunity to examine actionable determinants of birth registration of children in […]
A review of the process of knowledge transfer and use of evidence in reproductive and child health in Ghana
Background: The paper carries out a situational analysis to examine the production, dissemination and utilisation of reproductive and child health-related evidence to inform policy formulation in Ghana’s health sector. Methods: The study used Wald’s model of knowledge production, transfer and utilisation as a conceptual model to collect relevant data via interviews and administration of questionnaire […]
