Knowledge on birth preparedness and complication readiness among expecting couples in rural Tanzania: Differences by sex cross-sectional study
Background Inadequate knowledge of birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPCR) among expecting couples delays timely access to maternal emergency services. The aim of this study was to assess knowledge on birth preparedness and complication readiness and how men and women differ” among expecting couples in a rural setting of Rukwa Region, Tanzania. Methods A community-based […]
Causes of perinatal death at a tertiary care hospital in Northern Tanzania 2000-2010: A registry based study
Background: Perinatal mortality reflects maternal health as well as antenatal, intrapartum and newborn care, and is an important health indicator. This study aimed at classifying causes of perinatal death in order to identify categories of potentially preventable deaths.Methods: We studied a total of 1958 stillbirths and early neonatal deaths above 500 g between July 2000 […]
Maternal and newborn health services utilization in Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia: A community based cross-sectional study
Background: Majority of causes of maternal and newborn mortalities are preventable. However, poor access to and low utilization of health services remain major barriers to optimum health of the mothers and newborns. The objectives of this study were to assess maternal and newborn health services utilization and factors affecting mothers’ health service utilization. Methods: A […]
The impact of an mHealth monitoring system on health care utilization by mothers and children: An evaluation using routine health information in Rwanda
Maternal and child mortality rates remain unacceptably high globally, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. A popular approach to counter these high rates is interventions delivered using mobile phones (mHealth). However, few mHealth interventions have been implemented nationwide and there has been little evaluation of their effectiveness, particularly at scale. Therefore, we evaluated the Rwanda RapidSMS programme […]
Exploring women’s development group leaders’ support to maternal, neonatal and child health care: A qualitative study in Tigray region, Ethiopia
Background Community health workers and volunteers are vital for the achievement of Universal Health Coverage also in low-income countries. Ethiopia introduced community volunteers called women’s development group leaders in 2011. These women have responsibilities in multiple sectors, including promoting health and healthcare seeking. Objective We aimed to explore women’s development group leaders’ and health workers’ […]
Maternal satisfaction with a novel filtered-sunlight phototherapy for newborn jaundice in Southwest Nigeria
Background: In many resource-limited settings, the availability of effective phototherapy for jaundiced infants is frequently hampered by lack of, or inadequate resources to acquire and maintain conventional electric-powered phototherapy devices. This study set out to ascertain maternal experience and satisfaction with a novel treatment of infants with significant hyperbilirubinemia using filtered sunlight phototherapy (FSPT) in […]
Can we design the next generation of digital health communication programs by leveraging the power of artificial intelligence to segment target audiences, bolster impact and deliver differentiated services? A machine learning analysis of survey data from rural India
OBJECTIVES: Direct to beneficiary (D2B) mobile health communication programmes have been used to provide reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health information to women and their families in a number of countries globally. Programmes to date have provided the same content, at the same frequency, using the same channel to large beneficiary populations. This manuscript presents […]
Path analyses of risk factors for linear growth faltering in four prospective cohorts of young children in Ghana, Malawi and Burkina Faso
Stunting prevalence is an indicator of a country’s progress towards United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 2, which is to end hunger and achieve improved nutrition. Accelerating progress towards reducing stunting requires a deeper understanding of the factors that contribute to linear growth faltering. We conducted path analyses of factors associated with 18-month length-for-Age z-score (LAZ) […]
Exploring survivor perceptions of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia in Nigeria through the health belief model
Background: In Nigeria, hypertensive disorders have become the leading cause of facility-based maternal mortality. Many factors influence pregnant women’s health-seeking behaviors and perceptions around the importance of antenatal care. This qualitative study describes the care-seeking pathways of Nigerian women who suffer from pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. It identifies the influences-barriers and enablers-that affect their decision making, […]
The right to health, health systems development and public health policy challenges in Chad
Background: There is increasing consensus that the right to health can provide ethical, policy and practical groundings for health systems development. The goals of the right to health are congruent with those of health systems development, which are about strengthening health promotion organizations and actions so as to improve public health. The poor shape and […]