Prevalence and Correlates of Stunting among Children Aged 6–23 Months from Poor Households in Rwanda
Stunted linear growth continues to be a public health problem that overwhelms the entire world and, particularly, developing countries. Despite several interventions designed and implemented to reduce stunting, the rate of 33.1% is still high for the proposed target of 19% in 2024. This study investigated the prevalence and associated factors of stunting among children […]
The burden of antenatal heart disease in South Africa: A systematic review
Background: Maternal mortality in South Africa is rising, and heart conditions currently account for 41 per cent of indirect causes of deaths. Little is known about the burden of heart disease in pregnant South Africans.Methods: We systematically reviewed the contemporary epidemiology and peripartum outcomes of heart disease in South African women attending antenatal care. Searches […]
Determinants of perinatal mortality in public secondary health facilities, Abuja municipal area council, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria
Introduction: in Nigeria, perinatal mortality rate remains high among births at the health facility. Births occur majorly at the secondary healthcare level in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Identifying factors influencing perinatal deaths in this setting would inform interventions on perinatal deaths reduction. We assessed perinatal mortality and its […]
Minimum Dietary Diversity Practice and Associated Factors among Children Aged 6 to 23 Months in Dire Dawa City, Eastern Ethiopia: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study
Objective: Malnutrition because of poor dietary diversity contributing to child morbidity and mortality. Two-thirds of child mortality occurs within the first 2 years. However, there is limited data related to dietary diversity among children aged 6 to 23 months in Ethiopia. Thus, this study aimed to assess dietary diversity and factors among children aged 6 […]
Making pragmatic choices: Women’s experiences of delivery care in Northern Ethiopia
Background: In 2003, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health launched the Health Extension Programme (HEP), which was intended to increase access to reproductive health care. Despite enormous effort, utilization of maternal health services remains limited, and the reasons for the low utilization of the services offered through the HEP previously have not been explored in depth.This […]
Utilization of Health Facility–Based Delivery Service Among Mothers in Gindhir District, Southeast Ethiopia: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study
Facility-based delivery service is recognized as intermediation to reduce complications during delivery. Current struggles to reduce maternal mortality in low-and-middle income countries, including Ethiopia, primarily focus on deploying skilled birth attendants and upgrading emergency obstetric care services. This study was designed to assess utilization of health facility–based delivery service and associated factors among mothers who […]
Men’s and women’s knowledge of danger signs relevant to postnatal and neonatal careseeking: A cross sectional study from Bungoma County, Kenya
Background Neonatal and maternal mortality rates remain high in Kenya. Knowledge of neonatal danger signs may reduce delay in deciding to seek care. Evidence is emerging on the influential role of male partners in improving maternal and newborn health. This study analysed the factors that determine men’s and women’s knowledge and practices in postnatal and […]
The public health impact of training physicians to become obstetricians and gynecologists in Ghana
Objectives. We assessed the public health effect of creating and sustaining obstetrics and gynecology postgraduate training in Ghana, established in 1989 to reverse low repatriation of physicians trained abroad. Methods. All 85 certified graduates of 2 Ghanaian university-based postgraduate training programs from program initiation in 1989 through June 2010 were identified and eligible for this […]
Lack of clear national policy guidance on COVID-19 vaccines influences behaviors in pregnant and lactating women in Kenya
SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy is associated with a greater risk of maternal and newborn morbidity and maternal death. In Kenya, pregnant and lactating women (PLW) were ineligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines until August 2021. How shifts in policy influence vaccine behaviors, such as health worker recommendations and vaccine uptake, is not well documented. We conducted […]
Comparison of two strategies for administering nevirapine to prevent perinatal HIV transmission in high-prevalence, resource-poor settings
Universal nevirapine (NVP) therapy (provision of the drug without HIV testing) has been suggested as potentially superior to targeted NVP therapy (provision of the drug to seropositive patients identified through voluntary HIV counseling and testing [VCT]) for perinatal HIV prevention in low-resource, high-prevalence settings. The authors postulated that uptake (the proportion of women who accept […]
