“We have been working overnight without sleeping”: Traditional birth attendants’ practices and perceptions of post-partum care services in rural Tanzania
Background: In many low-income countries, formal post-partum care utilization is much lower than that of skilled delivery and antenatal care. While Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) might play a role in post-partum care, research exploring their attitudes and practices during this period is scarce. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore TBAs’ practices and […]
Prevalence of sexual coercion and its association with unwanted pregnancies among young pregnant females in Kampala, Uganda: A facility based cross-sectional study
Background: Sexual coercion is associated with sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies with consequential unsafe abortions and increased maternal morbidity and mortality. Current literature focuses mainly on its risk factors but less on its resultant deleterious health effects. We conducted a study to determine the prevalence of sexual coercion and its association with unwanted pregnancies […]
Neuropathic pain drives anxiety behavior in mice, results consistent with anxiety levels in diabetic neuropathy patients
Background: Epidemiological studies in patients with neuropathic pain demonstrate a strong association with psychiatric conditions such as anxiety; however, the precipitating pathology between these symptoms remains unclear. To investigate this, we studied the effects of lifelong stress on levels of neuropathic pain–like behavior and conversely, the effects of chronic neuropathic injury on anxiety-like status in […]
Complementary feeding and effect of spontaneous fermentation on anti-nutritional factors of selected cereal-based complementary foods
Background: Malnutrition has been responsible directly or indirectly for 10.9 million deaths worldwide annually among children under five. Childhood malnutrition is highly related to poor nutritional quality diet in developing countries where there is limited access to animal based foods. Most foods consumed by young children are cereal based which contain high amounts of anti-nutritional […]
Perception and practice of Kangaroo Mother Care after discharge from hospital in Kumasi, Ghana: A longitudinal study
Background: The practice of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) is life saving in babies weighing less than 2000 g. Little is known about mothers’ continued unsupervised practice after discharge from hospitals. This study aimed to evaluate its in-hospital and continued practice in the community among mothers of low birth weight (LBW) infants discharged from two hospitals […]
Automated phone call and text reminders for childhood immunisations (PRIMM): A randomised controlled trial in Nigeria
Background Sub-Saharan Africa has high under-5 mortality and low childhood immunisation rates. Vaccine-preventable diseases cause one-third of under-5 deaths. Text messaging reminders improve immunisation completion in urban but not rural settings in sub-Saharan Africa. Low adult literacy may account for this difference. The feasibility and impact of combined automated voice and text reminders on immunisation […]
Monitoring malaria using health facility based surveys: Challenges and limitations
Background: Health facility data are more readily accessible for operational planning and evaluation of disease control programmes. The importance, potential challenges and limitations of using facility based survey as an alternative tool for monitoring changes in local malaria epidemiology were examined. Methods: The study involved six areas within the administrative divisions of The Gambia. The […]
Changes in women’s dietary diversity before and during pregnancy in Southern Benin
Dietary diversity before and during pregnancy is crucial to ensure optimal foetal health and development. We carried out a cohort study of women of reproductive age living in the Sô-Ava and Abomey-Calavi districts (Southern Benin) to investigate women’s changes in dietary diversity and identify their determinants both before and during pregnancy. Nonpregnant women were enrolled […]
Longer travel time to district hospital worsens neonatal outcomes: A retrospective cross-sectional study of the effect of delays in receiving emergency cesarean section in Rwanda
Background: In low-resource settings, access to emergency cesarean section is associated with various delays leading to poor neonatal outcomes. In this study, we described the delays a mother faces when needing emergency cesarean delivery and assessed the effect of these delays on neonatal outcomes in Rwanda. Methods: This retrospective study included 441 neonates and their […]
Why do marital partners of people living with HIV not test for HIV? A qualitative study in Lusaka, Zambia
Background: Knowledge of HIV status is crucial for HIV prevention and management in marital relationships. Yet some marital partners of people living with HIV decline HIV testing despite knowing the HIV-positive status of their partners. To date, little research has explored the reasons for this. Methods: An exploratory qualitative study was undertaken in Lusaka, Zambia, […]
