Caesarean section performed by medical doctors and associate clinicians in Sierra Leone
Background: Many countries lack sufficient medical doctors to provide safe and affordable surgical and emergency obstetric care. Task-sharing with associate clinicians (ACs) has been suggested to fill this gap. The aim of this study was to assess maternal and neonatal outcomes of caesarean sections performed by ACs and doctors. Methods: All nine hospitals in Sierra […]
Removal of user fees and system strengthening improves access to maternity care, reducing neonatal mortality in a district hospital in Lesotho
Objective: Lesotho has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. While at primary health care (PHC) level maternity care is free, at hospital level co-payments are required from patients. We describe service utilisation and delivery outcomes before and after removal of user fees and quality of delivery care, and associated costs, at […]
Prevalence of HIV-1 drug resistance amongst newly diagnosed HIV-infected infants age 4-8 weeks, enrolled in three nationally representative PMTCT effectiveness surveys, South Africa: 2010, 2011-12 and 2012-13
BACKGROUND: South Africa (SA) has expanded efforts to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV (MTCT) to less than 2% at six weeks after birth and to less than 5% at 18 months postpartum by 2016. Despite improved antiretroviral regimens and coverage between 2001 and 2016, there is little data on infant HIV drug resistance. This paper tracks […]
Severe maternal morbidity (Near-miss) and its correlates in the world’s newest nation: South Sudan
Background: This study investigates the frequency of near-miss events and compares correlates in the world’s newest nation. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out to audit near-miss events and their causes. A total of 1,041 mothers were sampled. Data were gathered using World Health Organization near-miss evaluation tools according to morbidity and organ failure-based criteria. […]
Household food insecurity, maternal nutrition, environmental risks and infants’ health outcomes: Protocol of the IMPALA birth cohort study in Uganda
Introduction In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), food insecurity and undernutrition disproportionately affect women of reproductive age, infants and young children. The disease burden from undernutrition in these vulnerable sections of societies remains a major concern in LMICs. Biomass fuel use for cooking is also common in LMICs. Empirical evidence from high-income countries indicates that […]
Severe maternal outcomes in eastern Ethiopia: Application of the adapted maternal near miss tool
Background With the reduction of maternal mortality, maternal near miss (MNM) has been used as a complementary indicator of maternal health. The objective of this study was to assess the frequency of MNM in eastern Ethiopia using an adapted sub-Saharan Africa MNM tool and compare its applicability with the original WHO MNM tool. Methods We […]
Impact of the community healthcare plan and the free maternity services programme on maternal and child healthcare utilisation in rural Kenya: A dairy farmer population-based study
Background: Access to and utilisation of quality maternal and child healthcare services is generally recognized as the best way to reduce maternal and child mortality. Objectives: We evaluated whether the introduction of a voluntary family health insurance programme, combined with quality improvement of healthcare facilities [The Community Health Plan (TCHP)], and the introduction of free […]
Ethnicity as a cultural factor influencing complete vaccination among children aged 12-23 months in Nigeria
Achieving complete vaccination for children has been challenging in Nigeria. Yet, addressing Nigeria’s completeness of vaccination requires ethno-cultural diversity consideration rather than nationally population based. This study explored patterns and determinants of complete vaccination among children of Hausa/Fulani, Igbo and Yoruba, the predominant ethnicities in Nigeria. The study used a cross-sectional data involving 3980 children […]
Pregnant adolescents and nurses perspectives on accessibility and utilization of maternal and child health information in Ohangwena Region, Namibia
Background: Adolescent reproductive health is still a challenge in Low and Middle Income Come Countries (LMICs). However, the reasons for the inability of most pregnant adolescent girls to access and utilize maternal and child health information (MCHI) are not well-documented. This is despite the policy guidelines promoting the provision of this necessary information to pregnant […]
“Passing through difficult times”: Perceptions of perinatal depression and treatment needs in Malawi – A qualitative study to inform the development of a culturally sensitive intervention
Purpose This study was conducted to explore the perceptions of perinatal women and key maternal care health workers about perinatal depression and the health service needs required to inform development of a culturally sensitive and acceptable psychosocial intervention. Methods This qualitative study used a descriptive exploratory design; it is the first phase of a larger […]
