Factors consistently associated with utilisation of essential maternal and child health services in Nigeria: analysis of the five Nigerian national household surveys (2003-2018)
Objective This study aims to identify the individual and contextual factors consistently associated with utilisation of essential maternal and child health services in Nigeria across time and household geolocation. Design, setting and participants Secondary data from five nationally representative household surveys conducted in Nigeria from 2003 to 2018 were used in this study. The study […]
Lessons from digital technology-enabled health interventions implemented during the coronavirus pandemic to improve maternal and birth outcomes: a global scoping review
Background: Timely access to essential obstetric and gynecologic healthcare is an effective method for improving maternal and neonatal outcomes; however, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted pregnancy care globally. In this global scoping review, we select and investigate peer-reviewed empirical studies related to mHealth and telehealth implemented during the pandemic to support pregnancy care and to improve […]
Clinical vitamin-A deficiency and associated factors among pregnant and lactating women in Northwest Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study
Background: Vitamin A deficiency is known for its adverse health consequences, such as blindness, growth retardation and death. To curb the problem, Ethiopia has implemented various public health measures although little has been done to examine the deficiency among pregnant and lactating women. As a result, this study assessed the prevalence of Vitamin A deficiency […]
Texting for life: a mobile phone application to connect pregnant women with emergency transport and obstetric care in rural Nigeria
Background: Difficulty in transportation to access skilled providers has been cited repeatedly as a major barrier to utilization of emergency obstetric care in Nigeria. Objective: The objective of this paper is to describe the design, implementation, and outcomes of a mobile phone technology aimed at rapidly reaching rural Nigerian women who experience pregnancy complications with emergency […]
Reasons for the utilization of the services of traditional birth attendants during childbirth: A qualitative study in Northern Ghana
Background: Skilled delivery reduces maternal and neonatal mortality. Ghana has put in place measures to reduce geographical and financial access to skilled delivery. Despite this, about 30% of deliveries still occur either at home or are conducted by traditional birth attendants. We, therefore, conducted this study to explore the reasons for the utilization of the […]
Communication about HIV and death: Maternal reports of primary school-aged children’s questions after maternal HIV disclosure in rural South Africa
Introduction Children’s understanding of HIV and death in epidemic regions is under-researched. We investigated children’s death-related questions post maternal HIV-disclosure. Secondary aims examined characteristics associated with death-related questions and consequences for children’s mental health. Methods HIV-infected mothers (N = 281) were supported to disclose their HIV status to their children (6–10 years) in an uncontrolled […]
Trends and risk factors of stillbirth among women of reproductive age in Pakistan: A multivariate decomposition analysis
Background: Every year, 2 million babies are stillborn in the world. Globally, there has been a decline in the stillbirth rate of 2%. Despite advancements in prenatal care and the implementation of new medical technologies, the incidence of early stillbirths remains unchanged. A slight decrease in the rate of late-term stillbirth has been observed. Pakistan […]
Determinants of maternal health care and birth outcome in the Dande Health and Demographic Surveillance System area, Angola
Objectives Maternal health care improvement and reduction of maternal and child mortality are priorities of the global health agenda. In Angola, maternal mortality remains high and the risk of pregnancy-related death was 1 in 32 during 2015. This study aims to identify demographic and social factors influencing antenatal care and health facility delivery among women […]
Incidence of maternal near-miss in Kenya in 2018: findings from a nationally representative cross-sectional study in 54 referral hospitals
Although the Kenyan government has made efforts to invest in maternal health over the past 15 years, there is no evidence of decline in maternal mortality. To provide necessary evidence to inform maternal health care provision, we conducted a nationally representative study to describe the incidence and causes of maternal near-miss (MNM), and the quality of […]
Assessing implementation modalities of mhealth intervention on pregnant women in Dschang health district, West region of Cameroon
Introduction: every 90 seconds, a woman dies of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, resulting in more than 340,000 maternal deaths a year. Antenatal care (ANC) and postnatal care (PNC) are significant determinants of maternal health and, particularly, safe motherhood. Antenatal care is an important predictor of safe delivery and provides health information and services […]
