A community-based assessment of correlates of facility delivery among HIV-infected women in western Kenya
Background: Childbirth at health facilities is an important strategy to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality, improve fetal outcomes, and reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Although access to antenatal care in Kenya is high (>90%), less than half of births occur at health facilities. This analysis aims to assess correlates of facility delivery among recently pregnant […]
Determinants of uterine rupture among cases of Adama city public and private hospitals, Oromia, Ethiopia: A case control study
Background: Ethiopia is among the ten world countries with highest maternal death rates that accounts for more than 59% of global maternal deaths. Uterine rupture is one of the dangerous obstetric problems with high potential of causing maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. The case fatality rate of uterine rupture is high and hence identifying […]
HIV status disclosure, facility-based delivery and postpartum retention of mothers in a prevention clinical trial in rural Nigeria
Background: Within the context of a cluster randomized prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) trial, we evaluated the impact of disclosure on selected PMTCT continuum of care measures. Methods: In 12 rural matched-pair clinics randomly assigned to an intervention package versus standard-ofcare, we enrolled 372 HIV-infected pregnant women from April 2013 to March 2014. This […]
‘The stars seem aligned’: A qualitative study to understand the effects of context on scale-up of maternal and newborn health innovations in Ethiopia, India and Nigeria
Background: Donors commonly fund innovative interventions to improve health in the hope that governments of low and middle-income countries will scale-up those that are shown to be effective. Yet innovations can be slow to be adopted by country governments and implemented at scale. Our study explores this problem by identifying key contextual factors influencing scale-up […]
Barriers to timely administration of birth dose vaccines in The Gambia, West Africa
Objective Although vaccine coverage in infants in sub-Saharan Africa is high, this is estimated at the age of 6–12 months. There is little information on the timely administration of birth dose vaccines. The objective of this study was to assess the timing of birth dose vaccines (hepatitis B, BCG and oral polio) and reasons for […]
Regular antenatal care visits were associated with low risk of low birth weight among newborns in Rwanda: Evidence from the 2014/2015 Rwanda Demographic Health Survey (RDHS) Data
Background: Low birth weight (LBW) remains the global unfinished agenda in most countries of the world especially in low- and middle-income countries. LBW subsequently has harmful effects on the lifestyle, psychosocial and physiological development of the child. Although it is known that antenatal care (ANC) visits are important interventions contributing to prediction of newborn birth […]
Improving the quality of obstetric care for women with obstructed labour in the national referral hospital in Uganda: Lessons learnt from criteria based audit
Background: Obstructed labour remains a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality whose complications can be reduced with improved quality of obstetric care. The objective was to assess whether criteria-based audit improves quality of obstetric care provided to women with obstructed labour in Mulago hospital, Uganda. Methods: Using criteria-based audit, management of obstructed labour was […]
Determinants of stillbirth among deliveries attended in bale zone hospitals, oromia regional state, southeast ethiopia: A case–control study
Background: Stillbirth is one of the adverse outcomes of pregnancy, and it is among the major public health problems in developing countries including Ethiopia. Stillbirth has wide-reaching consequences for parents, care providers, community and society at large. Purpose: To assess the determinant of stillbirth among deliveries attended in Bale zone hospitals Southeast Ethiopia. Methods: An […]
Birth attendance and magnitude of obstetric complications in Western Kenya: a retrospective case-control study
Background: Skilled birth attendance is critical in the provision of child birth related services. Yet, literature is scanty on the outcomes of child birth related complications in situations where majority of women deliver under the care of non-skilled birth attendants compared to those who are assisted by skilled providers. The study sought to assess the […]
The Development of an Electronic Clinical Decision and Support System to Improve the Quality of Antenatal Care in Rural Tanzania: Lessons Learned Using Intervention Mapping
It is widely recognised that high quality antenatal care is a key element in maternal healthcare. Tanzania has a very high maternal mortality ratio of 524 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Most maternal deaths are due to preventable causes that can be detected during pregnancy, and antenatal care therefore plays an important role in […]
