Mobile Technology for Community Health in Ghana: What happens when technical functionality threatens the effectiveness of digital health programs?
Background: Despite the growing use of technology in the health sector, little evidence is available on the technological performance of mobile health programs nor on the willingness of target users to utilize these technologies as intended (behavioral performance). In this case study of the Mobile Technology for Health (MOTECH) program in Ghana, we assess the […]
Testing strategies for couple engagement in prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and family health in Kenya: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Background: HIV-related maternal deaths and HIV infection among infants remain unacceptably high across sub-Saharan Africa despite increased antenatal care attendance and provision of antiretroviral therapy to pregnant women. In the Jamii Bora (“Better Family” in Swahili) Study, we seek to test the efficacy of an interdependence theory-based couple intervention. The intervention reaches pregnant women and […]
Patient perspectives on interpersonal aspects of healthcare and patient-centeredness at primary health facilities: A mixed methods study in rural Eastern Uganda
Introduction: Patient-centered care (PCC) is an approach to involve patients in health care delivery, to contribute to quality of care, and to strengthen health systems responsiveness. This article aims to highlight patient perspectives by showcasing their perceptions of their experience of PCC at primary health facilities in two districts in Uganda. Methods: A mixed methods […]
Improving maternal, newborn and women’s reproductive health in crisis settings
This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows: To identify, synthesise and evaluate the effects of health system and other interventions aimed at improving maternal, newborn and women’s reproductive health in crisis settings. We will include: We will only include cluster RCTs, non-randomised cluster trials, and […]
Under-two child mortality according to maternal HIV status in Rwanda: Assessing outcomes within the National PMTCT Program
Introduction: We sought to compare risk of death among children aged under-2 years born to HIV positive mother (HIV-exposed) and to HIV negative mother (HIV non-exposed), and identify determinants of under-2 mortality among the two groups in Rwanda. Methods: In a stratified, two-stage cluster sampling design, we selected mother-child pairs using national Antenatal Care (ANC) […]
Technical and scale efficiency in the delivery of child health services in Zambia: Results from data envelopment analysis
Objective: Despite tremendous efforts to scale up key maternal and child health interventions in Zambia, progress has not been uniform across the country. This raises fundamental health system performance questions that require further investigation. Our study investigates technical and scale efficiency (SE) in the delivery of maternal and child health services in the country. Setting: […]
Identifying barriers to ART initiation and adherence: An exploratory qualitative study on PMTCT in Zambia
Background Though antiretroviral therapy (ART) is widely available, HIV positive pregnant women in Zambia are less likely to start and remain on therapy throughout pregnancy and after delivery. This study sought to understand readiness to start ART among HIV pregnant women from the perspectives of both women and men in order to suggest more holistic […]
Decomposition of socioeconomic inequalities in the uptake of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy in Nigeria: evidence from Demographic Health Survey
Background: Although malaria in pregnancy is preventable with the use of intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP), it still causes maternal morbidity and mortality, in sub-Saharan Africa and Nigeria in particular. Socioeconomic inequality leads to limited uptake of IPTp-SP by pregnant women and is, therefore, a public health challenge in Nigeria. This study aimed to […]
Risk Factors Associated with Under-Five Stunting, Wasting, and Underweight Based on Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey Datasets in Tigray Region, Ethiopia
Background. Stunting, wasting, and underweight among children are major problems in most regions of Ethiopia, including the Tigray region. The main objective of this study was to assess the risk factors associated with stunting, wasting, and underweight of children in the Tigray region. Methods. The information collected from 1077 children born 5 years before the […]
Factors affecting provision of female family planning commodities in public health facilities in Kajiado county, Kenya
Background: Family planning involves the use of traditional or modern methods to prevent maternal and infant mortality associated with unintended pregnancies and negative economic outcomes. In sub-Saharan Africa, the unmet need for modern family planning is approximately 66%. However, information on factors affecting utilization of female family planning commodities is limited. Therefore, this research was […]
