Determinants of maternal health service utilization in Ethiopia: Analysis of the 2011 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey

Background: Antenatal Care (ANC), use of skilled delivery attendants and postnatal care (PNC) services are key maternal health services that can significantly reduce maternal mortality. Understanding the factors that affect service utilization helps to design appropriate strategies and policies towards improvement of service utilization and thereby reduce maternal mortality. The objective of this study was […]

Quality of routine facility data for monitoring priority maternal and newborn indicators in DHIS2: A case study from Gombe State, Nigeria

Introduction Routine health information systems are critical for monitoring service delivery. District Heath Information System, version 2 (DHIS2) is an open source software platform used in more than 60 countries, on which global initiatives increasingly rely for such monitoring. We used facility-reported data in DHIS2 for Gombe State, north-eastern Nigeria, to present a case study […]

Maternal and health care workers’ perspectives on exclusive breastfeeding in the context of maternal HIV infection, in Busia county, western Kenya: a mixed methods cross-sectional survey

Background: World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for 6 months with maternal active antiretroviral therapy (ART) to prevent mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV. However, EBF in low resource settings remains low. We explored perspectives of EBF by HIV-infected mothers and health care workers in Busia County with a high prevalence of HIV to understand factors […]

Progress and priorities for reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health in Kenya: a Countdown to 2015 country case study

Background Progress in reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) in Kenya has been inconsistent over the past two decades, despite the global push to foster accountability, reduce child mortality, and improve maternal health in an equitable manner. Although several cross-sectional assessments have been done, a systematic analysis of RMNCH in Kenya was needed to […]

Maternal but not infant anti-HIV-1 neutralizing antibody response associates with enhanced transmission and infant morbidity

A significant number of infants acquire HIV-1 through their infected mother’s breast milk, primarily due to limited access to antiretrovirals. Passive immunization with neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) may prevent this transmission. Previous studies, however, have generated conflicting results about the ability of nAbs to halt mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) and their impact on infant outcomes. This study […]

Intention to use maternal health services and associated factors among women who gave birth at home in rural Sehala Seyemit district: a community-based cross-sectional study

Background: Low maternal healthcare service utilization contributes to poor maternal and newborn health outcomes in rural Ethiopia. ‘Motivational factors influence women’s intention to perform a specific health behavior, and the intention of subsequent home delivery and related risks that may contribute to women’s death is less known. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the intention […]

Effects of an mHealth voice message service (mMitra) on maternal health knowledge and practices of low-income women in India: Findings from a pseudo-randomized controlled trial

Background: Mobile Health (mHealth) is becoming an important tool to improve health outcomes in maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH). Studies of mHealth interventions, have demonstrated their effectiveness in improving uptake of recommended maternal services such as antenatal visits. However, evidence of impact on maternal health outcomes is still limited. Methods: A pseudo-randomized controlled trial […]

Acute malnutrition and its contributing factors among children under-five years in rural kebeles of Shashemene Oromia, Ethiopia

Introduction: Globally, more than 52 million under-five years old were wasted; One-third of these children live in Africa. Ethiopia is the seventh country among the ten top countries in which acute malnutrition (AM) is concentrated and currently 10% of under-five children are wasted. Even though Ethiopia has implemented a variety of nutritional interventions, acute malnutrition […]

Prevalence of prenatal zinc deficiency and its association with socio-demographic, dietary and health care related factors in Rural Sidama, Southern Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

Background: Several studies witnessed that prenatal zinc deficiency (ZD) predisposes to diverse pregnancy complications. However, scientific evidences on the determinants of prenatal ZD are scanty and inconclusive. The purpose of the present study was to assess the prevalence and determinants of prenatal ZD in Sidama zone, Southern Ethiopia. Methods. A community based, cross-sectional study was […]

Perspectives of policymakers and health providers on barriers and facilitators to skilled pregnancy care: findings from a qualitative study in rural Nigeria

Background: The uptake of skilled pregnancy care in rural areas of Nigeria remains a challenge amid the various strategies aimed at improving access to skilled care. The low use of skilled health care during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum indicates that Nigerian women are paying a heavy price as seen in the country’s very high maternal […]