Second Dose Measles Vaccination Utilization and Associated Factors in Jabitehnan District, Northwest Ethiopia
Background: Herd immunity against measles is essential to interrupt measles transmission, and this can only be attained by reaching at least 95% coverage for each of the 2 doses of measles vaccine provided in infancy and early childhood age group. It is important to provide everyone with 2 doses of the measles vaccine in order […]
Towards elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV: The impact of a rapid results initiative in nyanza province, Kenya
Many HIV-positive pregnant women and infants are still not receiving optimal services, preventing the goal of eliminating mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) and improving maternal child health overall. A Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) approach was utilized to address key challenges in delivery of prevention of MTCT (PMTCT) services including highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) uptake for women […]
Young and vulnerable: Spatial-temporal trends and risk factors for infant mortality in rural South Africa (Agincourt), 1992-2007
Background. Infant mortality is an important indicator of population health in a country. It is associated with several health determinants, such as maternal health, access to high-quality health care, socioeconomic conditions, and public health policy and practices. Methods. A spatial-temporal analysis was performed to assess changes in infant mortality patterns between 1992-2007 and to identify […]
Early-life exposure to indoor air pollution or tobacco smoke and lower respiratory tract illness and wheezing in African infants: a longitudinal birth cohort study
Background Indoor air pollution (IAP) and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) are associated with lower respiratory tract illness (LRTI) or wheezing in children. However, the effect of the timing of these exposures, specifically antenatal versus postnatal, and of alternate fuel sources such as the increasingly used volatile organic compounds have not been well studied. We longitudinally […]
Prenatal hiv test uptake and its associated factors for prevention of mother to child transmission of hiv in East Africa
Identifying the socioeconomic and structural issues that act as enablers and/or barriers to HIV testing services is critical in combatting HIV/AIDS amongst mothers and children in Africa. In this study, we used a weighted sample of 46,645 women aged 15–49 who gave birth in the two years preceding the survey from the recent DHS dataset […]
Burden of invasive group B Streptococcus disease and early neurological sequelae in South African infants
Introduction: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of neonatal sepsis and meningitis. We aimed to evaluate the burden of invasive early-onset (0-6 days of life, EOD) and late-onset (7-89 days, LOD) GBS disease and subsequent neurological sequelae in infants from a setting with a high prevalence (29.5%) of HIV among pregnant women. Methods: […]
Bridging the policy-implementation gap in federal health systems: Lessons from the nigerian experience
The Partnership for Reviving Routine Immunization in Northern Nigeria-Maternal, Newborn and Child Health initiative supports efforts by the government of Nigeria to bridge primary health care (PHC) policies and services at three levels of government: federal, state and local. The paper suggests that understandings informed by complexity theory and complex adaptive systems have been helpful […]
Wireless versus routine physiologic monitoring after cesarean delivery to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality in a resource-limited setting: protocol of type 2 hybrid effectiveness-implementation study
Background: Women in sub-Saharan Africa have the highest rates of morbidity and mortality during childbirth globally. Despite increases in facility-based childbirth, gaps in quality of care at facilities have limited reductions in maternal deaths. Infrequent physiologic monitoring of women around childbirth is a major gap in care that leads to delays in life-saving interventions for […]
Women’s knowledge towards neonatal danger signs and its associated factors in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Introduction: Reducing neonatal mortality is an essential part of the third Sustainable Development Goal, to end preventable child deaths. Neonatal danger signs are the most common cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity. In Ethiopia, most babies are born at home or are discharged from the health institutions in the first 24 h, as a result […]
Why do families still not receive the child support grant in South Africa? A longitudinal analysis of a cohort of families across South Africa
Background: Child cash transfers are increasingly recognised for their potential to reduce poverty and improve health outcomes. South Africa’s child support grant (CSG) constitutes the largest cash transfer in the continent. No studies have been conducted to look at factors associated with successful receipt of the CSG. This paper reports findings on factors associated with […]