Maternal and Perinatal Outcomes by Mode of Delivery in Senegal and Mali: A Cross-Sectional Epidemiological Survey
Objective: In the context of rapid changes regarding practices related to delivery in Africa, we assessed maternal and perinatal adverse outcomes associated with the mode of delivery in 41 referral hospitals of Mali and Senegal. Study Design: Cross-sectional survey nested in a randomised cluster trial (1/10/2007-1/10/2008). The associations between intended mode of delivery and (i) […]
Mismatched ambition, execution and outcomes: Implementing maternal death surveillance and response system in Mtwara region, Tanzania
Background Since 2015, Tanzania has been implementing the Maternal Death Surveillance and Response (MDSR) system. The system employs interactions of health providers and managers to identify, notify and review maternal deaths and recommend strategies for preventing further deaths. We aimed to analyse perceptions and experiences of health providers and managers in implementing the MDSR system. […]
Loss of detectability and indeterminate results: Challenges facing HIV infant diagnosis in South Africa’s expanding ART programme
Background. Early infant diagnosis with rapid access to treatment has been found to reduce HIV-associated infant mortality and morbidity considerably. In line with international standards, current South African guidelines advocate routine HIV-1 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing at 6 weeks of age for all HIV-exposed infants and ‘fast-track’ entry into the HIV treatment programme for […]
Assessing socioeconomic inequalities in the reduction of child stunting in sub-Saharan Africa
Aim: Health and nutrition in early childhood are essential for survival, growth and adult life outcomes. As such, a number of global and national interventions have been pursued to improve early childhood health and nutrition. However, child malnutrition is pervasive and endemic across the sub Saharan Africa. This paper therefore assesses the nature and trends […]
Predictors of Hospitalization During the First Year of Life among 31 999 Tanzanian Infants
Objective: This study explored the risk factors for infant hospitalization in urban and peri-urban/ rural Tanzania. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study examining predictors of hospitalization during the first year of life among infants enrolled at birth in a large randomized controlled trial of neonatal vitamin A supplementation conducted in urban Dar es Salaam […]
Correlates of children’s travel to school in Johannesburg-Soweto—Evidence from the Birth to Twenty Plus (Bt20+) study, South Africa
Prior work on data obtained from the urban Johannesburg-Soweto based Birth to Twenty Plus (Bt20+) cohort has documented extensive levels of travel to school in the early post-apartheid era (1997–2003), with fewer than 20% of children attending the age-appropriate school closest to their home (de Kadt et al., 2014). These extremely high levels of schooling […]
Disparities in pregnancy-related deaths: Spatial and Bayesian network analyses of maternal mortality ratio in 54 African countries
Background Maternal mortality remains a public health problem despite several global efforts. Globally, about 830 women die of pregnancy-related death per day, with more than two-third of these cases occurring in Africa. We examined the spatial distribution of maternal mortality in Africa and explored the influence of SDoH on the spatial distribution. Methods We used […]
Effectiveness of Checklist-Based Box System Interventions (CBBSI) versus routine care on improving utilization of maternal health services in Northwest Ethiopia: Study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial
Background: Maternal mortality is still high in Ethiopia. Antenatal care, the use of skilled delivery and postnatal care are key maternal health care services that can significantly reduce maternal mortality. However, in low- and middle-income countries, including Ethiopia, utilization of these key services is limited, and preventive, promotive and curative services are not provided as […]
Determinants of maternal healthcare utilisation among pregnant women in Southern Ethiopia: a multi-level analysis
Background: Despite efforts to make maternal health care services available in rural Ethiopia, utilisation status remains low. Therefore, this study aimed to assess maternal health care services’ status and determinants in rural Ethiopia. Methods: The study used quasi-experimental pre- and post-comparison baseline data. A pretested, semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. A multilevel, […]
The impact of universal home visits with pregnant women and their spouses on maternal outcomes: A cluster randomised controlled trial in Bauchi State, Nigeria
Introduction Maternal mortality in Nigeria is extremely high. Access to quality antenatal and obstetric care is limited. In Bauchi State, we found maternal morbidity was associated with domestic violence, heavy work in pregnancy, ignorance of danger signs, and lack of spousal communication. This cluster randomized controlled trial tested the impact of universal home visits that […]
