Underutilization of the recommended frequency of focused antenatal care services in Northwest Ethiopia: Using Andersen’s healthcare service utilization model approach
Background: World Health organizations (2001) introduced an antenatal care model called Focused Antenatal Care (FANC) and recommended to have a minimum of four visits. This model is still feasible for low resource setting countries like Ethiopia. Underutilization of the recommended frequency of FANC results to hurt maternal and child health outcomes. Methods: Institutional based cross-sectional […]
Risk factors for perinatal transmission of HIV among women attending prevention of mother-to-child transmission clinics in Northwest Nigeria
Despite the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT), some HIV-infected women in PMTCT care are at risk of transmitting HIV to their babies. Using a 1:1 unmatched case–control study design, we assessed the risk factors for perinatal transmission among women who received ART for PMTCT in Sokoto […]
Philani Plus (+): A Mentor Mother Community Health Worker Home Visiting Program to Improve Maternal and Infants’ Outcomes
Pregnant mothers in South African townships face multiple health risks for themselves and their babies. Existing clinic-based services face barriers to access, utilization, and human resource capacities. Home visiting by community health workers (CHW) can mitigate such barriers. The Philani Plus (+) Intervention Program builds upon the original Philani CHW home-visiting intervention program for maternal […]
The prevalence and predictors of HIV infection among children of mothers who missed prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV interventions in Makurdi, Nigeria
Introduction: In Nigeria, gaps between uptakes of Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) interventions by HIV-infected women continue to exist with its consequent increase in perinatal HIV epidemic. This study aims to determine the predictors and HIV infection rates among infants and children of mothers of PMTCT Gaps in a major Nigerian […]
Factors influencing uptake of HIV care and treatment among children in South Africa-A qualitative study of caregivers and clinic staff
Despite antiretroviral therapy rollout in South Africa, fewer children than expected are accessing HIV care services. Our objectives were to describe barriers and facilitators of uptake of HIV care among children. Our study involved six private-sector clinics which provide HIV care free-of-charge in and around Gauteng province, South Africa. In-depth interviews were conducted in July […]
Nurses and midwives’ experience in providing fertility awareness-based methods, including natural family planning methods in Rwanda
Access to effective and acceptable family planning services in developing countries is an essential reproductive health intervention to reduce maternal deaths and prevent unwanted pregnancies. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to gain an in-depth understanding of nurses’ and midwives’ experiences in providing information related to fertility awareness-based methods, including natural family planning, […]
Pregnant in a foreign city: A qualitative analysis of diet and nutrition for cross-border migrant women in Cape Town, South Africa
How do migrant women navigate their food environment during pregnancy? Foods are imbued with new meanings in a new place, and in low-and-middle-income countries including South Africa, a changing food environment leaves the poor, including many migrants, vulnerable to malnutrition. Thus, one of the ways economic and social vulnerability may be experienced and reproduced is […]
Delays in cancer care for children in low-income and middle-income countries: development of a composite vulnerability index
Background: Early access to diagnosis and care is essential to improve rates of survival from childhood cancer, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). Composite indices are increasingly used to compare country performance in many health fields. We aimed to develop a composite vulnerability index of risk of mortality associated with delays in care for […]
From the shadows to light. Perceptions of women and healthcare providers of post-abortion care in Burkina Faso
Despite political commitments to address maternal deaths due to abortion, women and girls in Burkina Faso still face impediments to accessing post-abortion care (PAC) services, including stigma, high costs, and negative patient-provider relationships. Based on a three-year ethnographic study in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (2011–2014), this paper provides an in-depth examination of the experiences and perceptions […]
Individual-level and community-level determinants of use of maternal health services in Northwest Ethiopia: a prospective follow-up study
Objective The use of maternal health services is an important indicator of maternal health and socioeconomic development. Evidence on individual-level and community-level determinants of use of maternal health services in Benishangul Gumuz Region was not well known so far. Hence, this study fills this gap. Design A prospective follow-up study Setting This study was conducted […]
