Women’s autonomy in household decision-making and safer sex negotiation in sub-Saharan Africa: An analysis of data from 27 Demographic and Health Surveys
Women’s ability to negotiate the conditions and timing of sex is key to several reproductive health outcomes including family planning and prevention of sexually transmitted infections. We investigated the association between women’s autonomy in household decision-making and safer sex negotiation (SSN) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This was a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Demographic […]
Health facility delivery in sub-Saharan Africa: Successes, challenges, and implications for the 2030 development agenda
Background: Sub-Saharan Africa remains one of the regions with modest health outcomes; and evidenced by high maternal mortality ratios and under-5 mortality rates. There are complications that occur during and following pregnancy and childbirth that can contribute to maternal deaths; most of which are preventable or treatable. Evidence shows that early and regular attendance of […]
Individual- And Community-Level Determinants for Complete Vaccination among Children Aged 12-23 Months in Ethiopia: A Multilevel Analysis
Background. Childhood vaccination continues to increase dramatically. In spite of the success of immunization programs to date, millions of children continued to die each year, and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) accounted for the world’s highest neonatal deaths. Childhood vaccination was designed as one of the most effective ways to reduce child mortalities from fatal vaccine-preventable diseases. […]
Exploring spatial variations and determinants of dietary diversity among children in ethiopia: Spatial and multilevel analysis using edhs (2011–2016)
Introduction: Dietary diversity has a significant impact on children’s nutritional health. For developing and implementing interventions, it is critical to understand the regional distribution of dietary diversity and underlying factors. However, the application of spatial techni-ques in dietary studies has not been well documented. The study’s goal was to look into the regional variances and […]
Institutional mistrust and child vaccination coverage in Africa
Despite considerable improvements in vaccination coverage over the last decade, half of the world’s unvaccinated and undervaccinated children are located in Africa. The role of institutional trust in explaining vaccination gaps has been highlighted in several qualitative reports but so far has only been quantified in a small number of high-income countries. We matched information […]
Case review of perinatal deaths at hospitals in Kigali, Rwanda: Perinatal audit with application of a three-delays analysis
Background: Perinatal audit and the three-delays model are increasingly being employed to analyse barriers to perinatal health, at both community and facility level. Using these approaches, our aim was to assess factors that could contribute to perinatal mortality and potentially avoidable deaths at Rwandan hospitals. Methods: Perinatal audits were carried out at two main urban […]
Distance, difference in altitude and socioeconomic determinants of utilisation of maternal and child health services in Ethiopia: A geographic and multilevel modelling analysis
Objective We assessed whether geographic distance and difference in altitude between home to health facility and household socioeconomic status were associated with utilisation of maternal and child health services in rural Ethiopia. Design Household and health facility surveys were conducted from December 2018 to February 2019. Setting Forty-six districts in the Ethiopian regions: Amhara, Oromia, […]
Absence of association between cord specific antibody levels and severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease in early infants: A case control study from coastal Kenya
Background: The target group for severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease prevention is infants under 6 months of age. Vaccine boosting of antibody titres in pregnant mothers could protect these young infants from severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) associated disease. Quantifying protective levels of RSV-specific maternal antibody at birth would inform vaccine development. Methods: A […]
Introduction of the Ellavi uterine balloon tamponade into the Kenyan and Ghanaian maternal healthcare package for improved postpartum haemorrhage management: An implementation research study
Objectives Use of intrauterine balloon tamponades for refractory postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) management has triggered recent debate since effectiveness studies have yielded conflicting results. Implementation research is needed to identify factors influencing successful integration into maternal healthcare packages. The Ellavi uterine balloon tamponade (UBT) (Ellavi) is a new low-cost, preassembled device for treating refractory PPH. Design […]
Did a quality improvement intervention improve quality of maternal health care? Implementation evaluation from a cluster-randomized controlled study
Objective: To test the success of a maternal healthcare quality improvement intervention in actually improving quality. Design: Cluster-randomized controlled study with implementation evaluation; we randomized 12 primary care facilities to receive a quality improvement intervention, while 12 facilities served as controls. Setting: Four districts in rural Tanzania. Participants: Health facilities (24), providers (70 at baseline; […]
