Prevalence and correlates of non-disclosure of maternal HIV status to male partners: A national survey in Kenya
Background: Prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) programs usually test pregnant women for HIV without involving their partners. Non-disclosure of maternal HIV status to male partners may deter utilization of PMTCT interventions since partners play a pivotal role in decision-making within the home including access to and utilization of health services. Methods: Mothers attending routine […]
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the availability of maternal and child health products and childhood vaccines
Background: In many low- and middle-income countries, the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has challenged efforts to ensure access to and availability of quality maternal, newborn, and child health (MCH) services and essential MCH commodities. Objectives: This study evaluated the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the availability of maternal and child health products and childhood vaccines […]
Barriers to husbands’ involvement in maternal health care in Sidama zone, Southern Ethiopia: A qualitative study
Background: Husbands’ involvement in maternal care is considered as a crucial step in scaling up women’s utilization of the services. However, the factors related with how husband’s involvement in maternal health care have hardly been studied to date in the study areas. Therefore, this study aimed to explore barriers to husbands’ involvement in maternal health […]
Maternal depression is associated with child undernutrition: A cross-sectional study in Ethiopia
Child undernutrition is widespread in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and is associated with health and economic losses. Undernutrition is estimated to contribute to 3.1 million deaths per year in children less than 5 years of age. A complex causal and contextual factors contributing to child undernutrition have been assessed, but maternal depression, which could […]
Health care in pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic and pregnancy outcomes in six low- and-middle-income countries: Evidence from a prospective, observational registry of the Global Network for Women’s and Children’s Health
Objective: To assess, on a population basis, the medical care for pregnant women in specific geographic regions of six countries before and during the first year of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in relationship to pregnancy outcomes. Design: Prospective, population-based study. Setting: Communities in Kenya, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan, India […]
Inequities in maternal and child health outcomes and interventions in Ghana
Background: With the date for achieving the targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) approaching fast, there is a heightened concern about equity, as inequities hamper progress towards the MDGs. Equity-focused approaches have the potential to accelerate the progress towards achieving the health-related MDGs faster than the current pace in a more cost-effective and sustainable […]
Quality care during labour and birth: A multi-country analysis of health system bottlenecks and potential solutions
Background: Good outcomes during pregnancy and childbirth are related to availability, utilisation and effective implementation of essential interventions for labour and childbirth. The majority of the estimated 289,000 maternal deaths, 2.8 million neonatal deaths and 2.6 million stillbirths every year could be prevented by improving access to and scaling up quality care during labour and […]
Community-based postnatal care services for women and newborns in Kenya: an opportunity to improve quality and access?
Background In resource-constrained settings, Community Health Workers (CHWs) are the first point of contact between communities and the health system, as providers of maternal and newborn health services. However, little is known of the quality of community-based postnatal care (PNC). We assessed the content of PNC provided by CHWs and women’s experiences of care in […]
Perception and experience of health extension workers on facilitators and barriers to maternal and newborn health service utilization in ethiopia: A qualitative study
Background: Health extension workers (HEWs) have substantial inputs to reduce maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality in Ethiopia. However, their perceptions and experiences were not well understood. Therefore, this study aimed to explore their perceptions and experiences on facilitators and barriers to maternal and newborn health services in Ethiopia. Methods: A descriptive qualitative study was […]
The burden of underweight and overweight among women in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Background: Obesity and overweight are rising worldwide while underweight rates persist in low-income countries. The aim of this study was to examine changes in the prevalence of underweight and overweight/obesity among non-pregnant women aged 15-49 years, and its socio-demographic correlates in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods: The data are from 2000, 2005 and 2011 nationally representative […]
