Evolution in caesarean section practices in North Kivu: Impact of caregiver training
Introduction A caesarean section is a major obstetric procedure that can save the life of mother and child. Its purpose is to protect the mother’s health from the complications of childbirth and to protect the baby’s health. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), there are major inequalities in access to caesarean sections and significant variations in practices […]
Impact of HIV and antiretroviral drug exposure on lung growth and function over 2 years in an African Birth Cohort
Objective:To assess the impact of HIV and antiretroviral exposure without infection on lung growth and function over the first 2 years of life.Design:Prospective observational study of an African birth cohort, Drakenstein Child Health Study.Method:Infants enrolled antenatally had lung function measured at 6 weeks, 1 and 2 years. HIV-infected women received antiretroviral therapy (ART) as per […]
Factors influencing place of delivery for women in Kenya: An analysis of the Kenya demographic and health survey, 2008/2009
Background: Maternal mortality in Kenya increased from 380/100000 live births to 530/100000 live births between 1990 and 2008. Skilled assistance during childbirth is central to reducing maternal mortality yet the proportion of deliveries taking place in health facilities where such assistance can reliably be provided has remained below 50% since the early 1990s. We use […]
Instructive roles and supportive relationships: client perspectives of their engagement with community health workers in a rural south African home visiting program
Background: Community health worker (CHW) programs have been positioned as a way to meet the needs of those who experience marginalization and inequitable access to health care, and current global health narratives also emphasize their adaptable nature to meet growing health burdens in low-income settings. However, as CHW programs adopt more technical roles, the value […]
Prevalence and associated factors of delayed first antenatal care booking among reproductive age women in Ethiopia; a multilevel analysis of EDHS 2016 data
Background Early or timely initiation of antenatal care and regular visits based on the schedule have a tremendous effect on both maternal and fetal health. Despite the paramount benefits of early initiation of ANC within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, women still do not have adequate and equal access to high-quality early antenatal care. […]
Do in-service training materials for midwifery care providers in sub-Saharan Africa meet international competency standards? A scoping review 2000–2020
Background: Levels of maternal and neonatal mortality remain high in sub-Saharan Africa, with an estimated 66% of global maternal deaths occurring in this region. Many deaths are linked to poor quality of care, which in turn has been linked to gaps in pre-service training programmes for midwifery care providers. In-service training packages have been developed […]
National-level effectiveness of ART to prevent early mother to child transmission of HIV in Namibia
Background Namibia introduced the prevention of mother to child HIV transmission (MTCT) program in 2002 and lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) for pregnant women (option B-plus) in 2013. We sought to quantify MTCT measured at 4-12 weeks post-delivery. Methods During Aug 2014-Feb 2015, we recruited a nationally representative sample of 1040 pairs of mother and infant […]
Longitudinal patterns of the relation between anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder among postpartum women with and without maternal morbidities in Northwest Ethiopia: a cross-lagged autoregressive structural equation modelling
Background: The postpartum period is a time where mothers can undergo significant changes that increase vulnerability for depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. However, the direct and indirect factors of depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and their direction of relationships following childbirth is not well investigated in Ethiopia. The aim of this […]
Factors associated with risk of developmental delay in preschool children in a setting with high rates of malnutrition: A cross-sectional analysis of data from the IHOPE study, Madagascar
Background: 50% of Malagasy children have moderate to severe stunting. In 2016, a new 10 year National Nutrition Action Plan (PNAN III) was initiated to help address stunting and developmental delay. We report factors associated with risk of developmental delay in 3 and 4 year olds in the rural district of Ifanadiana in southeastern Madagascar […]
The effect of birth preparedness and complication readiness on skilled care use: A prospective follow-up study in Southwest Ethiopia
Background: Skilled care during and immediately after delivery has been identified as one of the key strategies in reducing maternal mortality. However, recent estimates show that the status of skilled care during delivery remained very low in Ethiopia. Birth preparedness and complication readiness has been implemented as comprehensive strategy to fill this gap. However, its […]
