‘They are my future’: Childbearing desires and motivations among women with disabilities in Ghana-implications for reproductive healthcare

Background: Previous research has highlighted widespread public mis/perceptions that portray women with disabilities (WWDs) as asexual, less likely to marry, and often not interested in childbearing. However, evidence from high-income settings shows that many WWDs are sexually active and do have or want to have children. Notwithstanding this, very few studies have focused on understanding […]

STACKing the odds for adolescent survival: health service factors associated with full retention in care and adherence amongst adolescents living with HIV in South Africa

Introduction: There are two million HIV-positive adolescents in southern Africa, and this group has low retention in care and high mortality. There is almost no evidence to identify which healthcare factors can improve adolescent self-reported retention. This study examines factors associated with retention amongst antiretroviral therapy (ART)-initiated adolescents in South Africa. Methods: We collected clinical […]

Approximation of the Cox survival regression model by MCMC Bayesian Hierarchical Poisson modelling of factors associated with childhood mortality in Nigeria

The need for more pragmatic approaches to achieve sustainable development goal on childhood mortality reduction necessitated this study. Simultaneous study of the influence of where the children live and the censoring nature of children survival data is scarce. We identified the compositional and contextual factors associated with under-five (U5M) and infant (INM) mortality in Nigeria […]

Barriers and facilitators to health care seeking behaviours in pregnancy in rural communities of southern Mozambique

Background: In countries, such as Mozambique, where maternal mortality remains high, the greatest contribution of mortality comes from the poor and vulnerable communities, who frequently reside in remote and rural areas with limited access to health care services. This study aimed to understand women’s health care seeking practices during pregnancy, taking into account the underlying […]

What mechanisms drive uptake of family planning when integrated with childhood immunisation in Ethiopia? A realist evaluation

Background: Maternal and child health are key priorities among the Sustainable Development Goals, which include a particular focus on reducing morbidity and mortality among women of reproductive age, newborns, and children under the age of five. Two components of maternal and child health are family planning (FP) and immunisation. Providing these services through an integrated […]

Effects of demand-side incentives in improving the utilisation of delivery services in Oyam District in northern Uganda: A quasi-experimental study

Background: We evaluated the effects and financial costs of two interventions with respect to utilisation of institutional deliveries and other maternal health services in Oyam District in Uganda. Methods: We conducted a quasi-experimental study involving intervention and comparable/control sub-counties in Oyam District for 12 months (January-December 2014). Participants were women receiving antenatal care, delivery and […]

Is it home delivery or health facility? Community perceptions on place of childbirth in rural Northwest Tanzania using a qualitative approach

Background: In low and middle-income countries, pregnancy and delivery complications may deprive women and their newborns of life or the realization of their full potential. Provision of quality obstetric emergency and childbirth care can reduce maternal and newborn deaths. Underutilization of maternal and childbirth services remains a public health concern in Tanzania. The aim of […]

Trends of Inequalities in Early Initiation of Breastfeeding in Ethiopia: Evidence from Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys, 2000-2016

Background. Early initiation of breastfeeding (EIBF) is a costless practice with numerous neonates’ survival benefits. Thus, any disparity results in an unacceptably high neonatal death rate but socioeconomic disparities on EIBF have not been well explored in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study is aimed at assessing the socioeconomic inequalities of EIBF in Ethiopia from 2000 to […]

Male responsibility and maternal morbidity: A cross-sectional study in two Nigerian states

Background: Nigeria continues to have high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality. This is partly associated with lack of adequate obstetric care, partly with high risks in pregnancy, including heavy work. We examined actionable risk factors and underlying determinants at community level in Bauchi and Cross River States of Nigeria, including several related to male […]

Natural and hybrid immunity following four COVID-19 waves: A prospective cohort study of mothers in South Africa: Natural and hybrid immunity in SARS-CoV2

Background: More than half the global population has been exposed to SARS-CoV-2. Naturally induced immunity influences the outcome of subsequent exposure to variants and vaccine responses. We measured anti-spike IgG responses to explore the basis for this enhanced immunity. Methods: A prospective cohort study of mothers in a South African community through ancestral/beta/delta/omicron SARS-CoV-2 waves […]