Factors influencing women’s utilization of public health care services during childbirth in Malawi public health facility utilization
Background: Maternal mortality remains a public health challenge claiming many lives at the time of giving birth lives. However, there have been scanty studies investigating factors influencing women’s use of public health facilities during childbirth. Objective: The aim of the study was to explore the factors associated with women choice of public health facility during […]
Prevalence and Determinants of Rural-Urban Utilization of Skilled Delivery Services in Northern Ghana
Background. There are wide differences in the uptake of skilled delivery services between urban and rural women in the northern region of Ghana. This study assessed the rural-urban differences in the prevalence of and factors associated with uptake of skilled delivery in the northern region of Ghana. Methods. The study population comprised postpartum women who […]
The University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences (UZ-CHS) BIRTH COHORT study: Rationale, design and methods
Background: Commencing lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) immediately following HIV diagnosis (Option B+), has greatly improved maternal-infant health. Thus, large and increasing numbers of HIV-infected women are on ART during pregnancy, a situation concurrently increasing numbers of HIV-exposed-uninfected (HEU) infants. Compared to their HIV-unexposed-uninfected (HUU) counterparts, HEU infants show higher rates of adverse birth outcomes, mortality, […]
Determinants of antenatal and delivery care utilization in Tigray region, Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study
Introduction. Despite the international emphasis in the last few years on the need to address the unmet health needs of pregnant women and children, progress in reducing maternal mortality has been slow. This is particularly worrying in sub-Saharan Africa where over 162,000 women still die each year during pregnancy and childbirth, most of them because […]
Understanding the barriers to the utilization of primary health care in a low-income setting: Implications for health policy and planning
The essence of primary health care is the provision of essential health services and commodities to individuals and communities using available, acceptable and sustainable resources. However, there has been a growing lack of confidence by the populace as evidenced by poor utilization of the services. This study sought to identify the predominant barriers affecting the […]
Esophageal cancer awareness in Bomet district, Kenya
Background: Esophageal cancer is the most common malignancy in Western Kenya and patients present with advanced disease. Objective: To determine baseline level of knowledge of esophageal cancer in Bomet District in order to develop targeted and effective educational classes. Methods: A questionnaire with twelve questions testing knowledge about esophageal cancer and eight questions aimed at […]
HIV-free survival among breastfed infants born to HIV-positive women in northern Uganda: a facility-based retrospective study
Introduction: the HIV-free survival rate is the gold-standard measure of the effectiveness of interventions towards prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in any setting. However, data on HIV-free survival among the HIV-exposed infants followed up in most low-resource settings are lacking. We determined the HIV-free survival among breastfed infants in two tertiary facilities in a […]
Understanding the rural–urban disparity in acute respiratory infection symptoms among under-five children in Sub-Saharan Africa: a multivariate decomposition analysis
Background: Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs) account for more than 6% of the worldwide disease burden in children under the age of five, with the majority occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa. Rural children are more vulnerable to and disproportionately affected by ARIs. As a result, we examined the rural–urban disparity in the prevalence of ARI symptoms and […]
Using the community-based health planning and services program to promote skilled delivery in rural Ghana: Socio-demographic factors that influence women utilization of skilled attendants at birth in Northern Ghana
Background: The burden of maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa is enormous. In Ghana the maternal mortality ratio was 350 per 100,000 live births in 2010. Skilled birth attendance has been shown to reduce maternal deaths and disabilities, yet in 2010 only 68% of mothers in Ghana gave birth with skilled birth attendants. In 2005, the […]
Determinants of nutritional status among pregnant women in East Shoa zone, Central Ethiopia
Background: Undernutrition is an insufficient intake of energy and nutrients to meet an individual’s needs to maintain good health. Undernutrition during pregnancy severely affects the health of mothers and her baby. Globally it contributes directly or indirectly to 3.5 million maternal deaths annually. This study aimed to determine the level of undernutrition and identify factors […]
