The Association of Health Insurance with institutional delivery and access to skilled birth attendants: Evidence from the Kenya Demographic and health survey 2008-09

Background: Healthcare financing through health insurance is gaining traction as developing countries strive to achieve universal health coverage and address the limited access to critical health services for specific populations including pregnant women and their children. However, these reforms are taking place despite limited evaluation of impact of health insurance on maternal health in developing […]

Effect of Village Health Team home visits and mobile phone consultations on maternal and newborn care practices in Masindi and Kiryandongo, Uganda: A community-intervention trial

Introduction: The World Health Organisation recommends home visits conducted by Community Health Workers (in Uganda known as Village Health Teams-VHTs) in order to improve maternal and newborn health. This study measured the effect of home visits combined with mobile phone consultations on maternal and newborn care practices. Method: In a community intervention trial design 16 […]

Spatial distribution and determinants of newbornsnot receiving postnatal check-up withintwodays after birth in Ethiopia: a spatial and multilevel analysis of EDHS 2016

Background: Accessibility and utilization of postnatal newborn check-ups within 2 days after delivery are critical for a child’s survival, growth, and development. However, the service delivery is not yet improved and fluctuates across the geographical locations in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the spatial distribution and determinants of newborns not received postnatal check-ups […]

Is Women’s Engagement in Women’s Development Groups Associated with Enhanced Utilization of Maternal and Neonatal Health Services? A Cross-Sectional Study in Ethiopia

Background: In Ethiopia, the Women Development Group program is a community mobilization initiative aimed at enhancing Universal Health Coverage through supporting the primary healthcare services for mothers and newborns. This study aimed to assess the association between engagement in women’s groups and the utilization of maternal and neonatal health services. Method: A cluster-sampled community-based survey […]

Multilevel analysis of individual and contextual factors associated with polio non-vaccination in africa: Further analyses to enhance policy and opportunity to save more lives

Background: Africa was certified polio-free in 2020 and to maintain the polio-free status, African countries need to attain and maintain optimal routine polio vaccination coverage. One indicator for optimal polio vaccination coverage is the prevalence of children who have received no polio vaccination through routine services. The objective of the study was to examine the […]

Factors Associated with Underutilization of Maternity Health Care Cascade in Mozambique: Analysis of the 2015 National Health Survey

Maternity health care services utilization determines maternal and neonate outcomes. Evidence about factors associated with composite non-utilization of four or more antenatal con-sultations and intrapartum health care services is needed in Mozambique. This study uses data from the 2015 nationwide Mozambique’s Malaria, Immunization and HIV Indicators Survey. At selected representative households, women (n = 2629) […]

Access to sexual and reproductive health commodities in East and Southern Africa: A cross-country comparison of availability, affordability and stock-outs in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia

Background: Access to sexual and reproductive health services continues to be a public health concern in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia: use of modern contraceptives is low, and unmet family planning needs and maternal mortality remain high. This study is an assessment of the availability, affordability and stock-outs of essential sexual and reproductive health commodities […]

Surgical patients travel longer distances than non-surgical patients to receive care at a rural hospital in mozambique

Background: Surgical care is increasingly recognised as an important component of global health delivery. However, there are still major gaps in knowledge related to access to surgical care in low-income countries. In this study, we compare distances travelled by surgical patients with patients seeking other medical services at a first-level hospital in rural Mozambique. Methods: […]

Level of mother’s knowledge about neonatal danger signs and associated factors in North West of Ethiopia: A community based study

Background: Neonatal danger has become a substantial problem in many developing countries like Ethiopia. More specifically, neonatal rates in Ethiopia are among the highest in the world. In this regard, health-seeking behavior of mothers for neonatal care highly relies on their knowledge about neonatal danger sign, and it has been hardly investigated. Therefore, this study […]

Understanding the implementation of Direct Health Facility Financing and its effect on health system performance in Tanzania: A non-controlled before and after mixed method study protocol

Background: Globally, good health system performance has resulted from continuous reform, including adaptation of Decentralisation by Devolution policies, for example, the Direct Health Facility Financing (DHFF). Generally, the role of decentralisation in the health sector is to improve efficiency, to foster innovations and to improve quality, patient experience and accountability. However, such improvements have not […]