Assessment of service readiness for maternity care in primary health centres in rural Nigeria: Implications for service improvement
Introduction: several scientific reports from studies across Nigeria revealed a higher incidence of maternal mortality in rural parts of the country as compared to the urban areas. Part of the reasons is the paucity of health care infrastructure and personnel. This study was designed as part of an intervention program with the goal to improve […]
Mobility for maternal health among women in hard-to-reach fishing communities on Lake Victoria, Uganda; a community-based cross-sectional survey
Background: Maternal mortality is still a challenge in Uganda, at 336 deaths per 100,000 live births, especially in rural hard to reach communities. Distance to a health facility influences maternal deaths. We explored women’s mobility for maternal health, distances travelled for antenatal care (ANC) and childbirth among hard-to-reach Lake Victoria islands fishing communities (FCs) of […]
Reflections on the unintended consequences of the promotion of institutional pregnancy and birth care in Burkina Faso
The policy of institutional delivery has been the cornerstone of actions aimed at monitoring and achieving MDG 5. Efforts to increase institutional births have been implemented world-wide within different cultural and health systems settings. This paper explores how communities in rural Burkina Faso perceive the promotion and delivery of facility pregnancy and birth care, and […]
The burden of disease on HIV-infected orphaned and non-orphaned children accessing primary health facilities in a rural district with poor resources in South Africa: A cross-sectional survey of primary caregivers of HIV-infected children aged 5-18 years
Background: Provider-initiated HIV testing and counseling (PITC) is offered as part of the normal standard of care to increase access to treatment for HIV-infected children. In practice, HIV diagnosis occurs in late childhood following recurrent and chronic infections. We investigated primary caregivers’ reported reasons for seeking HIV testing for children aged 5-18 years, determined the […]
Distant and proximate factors associated with maternal near-miss: A nested case-control study in selected public hospitals of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Background: Ethiopia is one of the sub-Saharan Africa countries with the highest maternal mortality. Maternal near-misses are more common than deaths and statistically stronger for a comprehensive analysis of the determinants. The study aimed to identify the factors associated with maternal near-miss in selected public hospitals of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods: We conducted a nested […]
Optimizing task-sharing in abortion care in Ghana: Stakeholder perspectives
Ghana has made progress in expanding providers in abortion care but access to the service is still a challenge. We explored stakeholder perspectives on task-sharing in abortion care and the opportunities that exist to optimize this strategy in Ghana. We purposively sampled 12 representatives of agencies that played a key role in expanding abortion care […]
Adolescent Pregnancy and Challenges in Kenyan Context: Perspectives from Multiple Community Stakeholders
Objective: The key objective of this paper is to provide a phenomenological account of the mental health challenges and experiences of adolescent new mothers. We explore the role of social support and the absence of empathy plays in depression among pregnant adolescents. The project also collected data on the adolescents’ caregiving environment which includes the […]
Outcomes of HIV-exposed children in Western Kenya: Efficacy of prevention of mother to child transmission in a resource-constrained setting
Objectives: To compare rates of mother to child transmission of HIV and infant survival in women-infant dyads receiving different interventions in a prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (pMTCT) program in western Kenya. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study using prospectively collected data stored in an electronic medical record system. Setting: Eighteen HIV clinics in western Kenya. […]
Postnatal care services in rural Zambia: a qualitative exploration of user, provider, and community perspectives on quality of care
Background: Postnatal care (PNC) is an important set of services offered to the mother and her newborn baby immediately after birth for the first six weeks to prevent maternal and neonatal complications and death. This qualitative study explored user and provider perspectives on quality of PNC services in the selected health facilities within the context […]
Women’s perceptions of iron deficiency and anemia prevention and control in eight developing countries
The World Health Organization estimates that 58% of pregnant women in developing countries are anemic. In spite of the fact that most ministries of health in developing countries have policies to provide pregnant women with iron in a supplement form, maternal anemia prevalence has not declined significantly where large-scale programs have been evaluated. During the […]
