“if you are on duty, you may be afraid to come out to attend to a person”: Fear of crime and security challenges in maternal acute care in Nigeria from a realist perspective
Background: Maternal and Child Health is a global priority. Access and utilization of facility-based health services remain a challenge in low and middle-income countries. Evidence on barriers to providing and accessing services omits information on the role of security within facilities. This paper explores the role of security in the provision and use of maternal […]
District-level health system strengthening for universal health coverage: Evidence from a longitudinal cohort study in rural Madagascar, 2014-2018
Introduction Despite renewed commitment to universal health coverage and health system strengthening (HSS) to improve access to primary care, there is insufficient evidence to guide their design and implementation. To address this, we conducted an impact evaluation of an ongoing HSS initiative in rural Madagascar, combining data from a longitudinal cohort and primary health centres. […]
Common perinatal mental disorders and post-infancy child development in rural Ethiopia: A population-based cohort study
Objective: To investigate whether maternal common mental disorders (CMD) in the postnatal period are prospectively associated with child development at 2.5 and 3.5 years in a rural low-income African setting. Methods: This study was nested within the C-MaMiE (Child outcomes in relation to Maternal Mental health in Ethiopia) population-based cohort in Butajira, Ethiopia, and conducted from […]
Impact of antenatal antiretroviral drug exposure on the growth of children who are HIV-exposed uninfected: the national South African Prevention of Mother to Child Evaluation cohort study
Background: The relationship between in-utero antiretroviral (ARV) drug exposure and child growth needs further study as current data provide mixed messages. We compared postnatal growth in the first 18-months of life between children who are HIV-exposed uninfected (CHEU) with fetal exposure to ARV drugs (prophylaxis or triple-drug therapy (ART)) and CHEU not exposed to ARVs. […]
Determinants of antenatal care and skilled birth attendance services utilization among childbearing women in Guinea: evidence from the 2018 Guinea Demographic and Health Survey data
Background: Globally, maternal health remains a major priority. Most of maternal deaths globally occur in sub-Saharan Africa, with most of these deaths linked to lack of access to antenatal care and skilled assistance during delivery. This study assessed the determinants of antenatal care and skilled birth attendance services utilization among childbearing women in Guinea. Methods: […]
Prevalence and maternal socio-demographic factors associated with stillbirth in health facilities in Anambra, south-east Nigeria
Background: Stillbirth is a major adverse perinatal outcome especially in low and middle income countries across the globe. Certain factors relating to mothers from such countries may be associated with this adverse condition. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of stillbirth and also explore the maternal socio-demographic factors associated with stillbirth among mothers in rural communities […]
Tetanus Toxoid Immunization Status and Associated Factors among Mothers in Damboya Woreda, Kembata Tembaro Zone, SNNP, Ethiopia
Background. Tetanus toxoid immunization is one of the proven strategies for eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus. According to Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey of 2016, only 49% of mothers received two tetanus toxoid (TT) injections during their last pregnancy which is below the World Health Organization and Ethiopia Ministry of Health recommendation. Therefore, the aim of […]
Predictors of women’s utilization of primary health care for skilled pregnancy care in rural Nigeria
Background: Although Primary Health Care (PHC) was designed to provide universal access to skilled pregnancy care for the prevention of maternal deaths, very little is known of the factors that predict the use of PHC for skilled maternity care in rural parts of Nigeria – where its use is likely to have a greater positive […]
Maternal common mental disorder and infant growth -a cross-sectional study from Malawi
The objective of the study was to investigate the association between maternal common mental disorder (CMD) and infant growth in rural Malawi. A cross-sectional study was conducted at a district hospital child health clinic. Participants were consecutive infants due for measles vaccination, and their mothers. Mean infant weight-for-age and length-for-age z-scores were compared between infants […]
Factors affecting uptake of optimal doses of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine for intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy in six districts of Tanzania
Background: Intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy (IPTp) with optimal doses (two+) of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) protects pregnant women from malaria-related adverse outcomes. This study assesses the extent and predictors of uptake of optimal doses of IPTp-SP in six districts of Tanzania. Methods. The data come from a cross-sectional survey of random households conducted in six districts […]
