Potential effectiveness of Community Health Strategy to promote exclusive breastfeeding in urban poor settings in Nairobi, Kenya: A quasi-experimental study
Early nutrition is critical for later health and sustainable development. We determined potential effectiveness of the Kenyan Community Health Strategy in promoting exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in urban poor settings in Nairobi, Kenya. We used a quasi-experimental study design, based on three studies [Pre-intervention (2007-2011; n=5824), Intervention (2012-2015; n=1110) and Comparison (2012-2014; n=487)], which followed mother-child […]
Malaria in pregnancy control and pregnancy outcomes: a decade’s overview using Ghana’s DHIMS II data
Background: Malaria in pregnancy control interventions have been implemented through antenatal care services for more than 2 decades in Ghana. The uptake of these interventions has seen steady improvement over the years. This has occurred within the context of decreasing global trends of malaria infection confirmed by decreasing malaria in pregnancy prevalence in Ghana. However, […]
Potential cost-effectiveness of prenatal distribution of misoprostol for prevention of postpartum hemorrhage in Uganda
Background: In settings where home birth rates are high, prenatal distribution of misoprostol has been advocated as a strategy to increase access to uterotonics during the third stage of labor to prevent postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). Our objective was to project the potential costeffectiveness of this strategy in Uganda from both governmental (the relevant payer) and […]
The role of Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILCs) in improving community-level household wealth, financial preparedness for birth, and utilization of reproductive health services in rural Zambia: a secondary analysis
Background: Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILCs) are a type of informal microfinance mechanism widely adapted in Zambia. The benefits of SILCs paired with other interventions have been studied in many countries. However, limited studies have examined SILCs in the context of maternal health. This study examined the association between having access to SILCs and: […]
Food Crop Diversity, Women’s Income-Earning Activities, and Distance to Markets in Relation to Maternal Dietary Quality in Tanzania
Background: Women’s dietary diversity and quality are limited in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Nutrition-sensitive interventions that promote food crop diversity and women’s access to income could improve diets and address the double burden of malnutrition in LMICs. Objectives: We examined the associations among food crop diversity and women’s income-earning activities with women’s diet quality, […]
Inadequate programming, insufficient communication and non-compliance with the basic principles of maternal death audits in health districts in Burkina Faso: A qualitative study
Background: Implementation of quality maternal death audits requires good programming, good communication and compliance with core principles. Studies on compliance with core principles in the conduct of maternal death audits (MDAs) exist but were conducted in urban areas, at the 2nd or 3rd level of the healthcare system, in experimental situations, or in a context […]
A combined community- and facility-based approach to improve pregnancy outcomes in low-resource settings: A Global Network cluster randomized trial
Background: Fetal and neonatal mortality rates in low-income countries are at least 10-fold greater than in high-income countries. These differences have been related to poor access to and poor quality of obstetric and neonatal care. Methods: This trial tested the hypothesis that teams of health care providers, administrators and local residents can address the problem […]
Tamil Nadu Pregnancy and Heart Disease Registry (TNPHDR): design and methodology
Background: Cardiac disease in pregnancy is a major contributor to maternal mortality in high, middle and low-income countries. Availability of data on outcomes of pregnancy in women with heart disease is important for planning resources to reduce maternal mortality. Prospective data on outcomes and risk predictors of mortality in pregnant women with heart disease (PWWHD) […]
Fathers’ involvement in perinatal healthcare in Australia: experiences and reflections of Ethiopian-Australian men and women
Background: Family-centred maternity care models include the expectation that fathers prepare for and attend the birth. In Australia over 20% of the population is from a culturally and linguistically diverse background. Public policies espouse culturally competent healthcare. Little is known about the experiences of perinatal health care of men from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) […]
Trend in female genital mutilation and its associated adverse birth outcomes: A 10-year retrospective birth registry study in Northern Tanzania
Background Approximately 200 million women and girls were reported to have undergone female genital mutilation worldwide in 2015.UNICEF’s data based on household survey estimates 15% of women from 15–49 years have undergone FGM from year 2004–2015. Despite this, reliable data on trend of prevalence of female genital mutilation and its associated birth outcomes have not […]
