Severity and cost of unsafe abortion complications treated in Nigerian hospitals
Context: Each year, thousands of Nigerian women have unintended pregnancies that end in illegal abortion. Many such procedures occur under unsafe conditions, contributing to maternal morbidity and mortality. Methods: In a 2002-2003 survey of women and their providers in 33 hospitals in eight states across Nigeria,2,093 patients were identified as being treated for complications of […]
A risk score to identify hiv-infected women most likely to become lost to follow-up in the postpartum period
Access to lifelong combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) is expanding among HIV-infected pregnant and breastfeeding women throughout sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). For this strategy to meaningfully improve maternal HIV outcomes, retention in HIV care is essential. We developed a risk score to identify women with high likelihood of loss to follow-up (LTFU) at 6 months postpartum from […]
Creating the foundation for health system resilience in Northern Nigeria
—The experience of a donor-supported Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (RMNCH) program in four states of Northern Nigeria illustrates how a Complex Adaptive System (CAS) approach to health system strengthening can lead to health systems becoming more resilient. The program worked with the array of political, cultural and social determinants which interact to shape […]
Enhancing the capacity and effectiveness of community health volunteers to improve maternal, newborn and child health: Experience from Kenya
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a simple monitoring and tracking tool, Mwanzo Mwema Monitoring and Tracking Tool (MMATT), would enable community health volunteers (CHVs) in Kenya to 1) plan their workloads and activities, 2) identify the women, newborns and children most in need of accessing critical maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) interventions and 3) improve […]
Exercise increases BDNF levels in the striatum and decreases depressive-like behavior in chronically stressed rats
Early life stress in humans can affect the development of neurons and neurotransmitter systems and predispose an individual to the subsequent development of depression. Similarly, in rats, maternal separation causes anxiety and depressive-like behavior and decreased corticosterone levels. Patients receiving pharmacological treatment for depression often experience negative side-effects or do not respond optimally and therefore […]
How (not) to promote sub-national ownership of national initiatives in decentralised health systems: The free maternal and child health programme in Nigeria, 2008–2015
Background: Promoting the sub-national ownership of national health initiatives is essential for efforts to achieve national health goals in federal systems where sub-national governments are semi-autonomous. Between 2008 and 2015, Nigerian government implemented a pilot free maternal and child health (MCH) programme in selected states to improve MCH by reducing physical and financial barriers of […]
The tipping point of antenatal engagement: A qualitative grounded theory in Tanzania and Zambia
Background: Effective antenatal care is fundamental to the promotion of positive maternal and new-born outcomes. International guidance recommends an initial visit in the first trimester of pregnancy, with a minimum of four antenatal visits in total: the optimum schedule being eight antenatal contacts. In low- and middle-income countries, many women do not access antenatal care […]
Protocol for the PLAY Study: A randomised controlled trial of an intervention to improve infant development by encouraging maternal self-efficacy using behavioural feedback
Introduction The early infant caregiving environment is crucial in the formation of parent-child relationships, neurobehavioural development and thus child outcomes. This protocol describes the Play Love And You (PLAY) Study, a phase 1 trial of an intervention designed to promote infant development through encouraging maternal self-efficacy using behavioural feedback, and supportive interventions. Methods and analysis […]
What is the relationship between contraceptive services and knowledge of abortion availability and legality? Evidence from a national sample of women and facilities in Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, abortions are legal for minors and for rape, incest, foetal impairment or maternal disability. Knowledge of abortion legality and availability is low, and little effort has been made to disseminate this information for fear of invoking anti-abortion sentiment; instead, systems rely on health providers as information gatekeepers. This study explores how exposure to […]
Understanding the determinants of postnatal care uptake for babies: A mixed effects multilevel modelling of 2016–18 Papua New Guinea Demographic and Health Survey
Background: Papua New Guinea (PNG) recorded 22 neonatal deaths out of every 1,000 livebirths in 2019. Some of these deaths are related to complications that arise shortly after childbirth; hence, postnatal care (PNC) utilisation could serve as a surviving strategy for neonates as recommended by the World Health Organisation. National level study on determinants of […]
