An assessment of priority setting process and its implication on availability of emergency obstetric care services in Malindi district, Kenya
Introduction: In spite of the critical role of Emergency Obstetric Care in treating complications arising from pregnancy and childbirth, very few facilities are equipped in Kenya to offer this service. In Malindi, availability of EmOC services does not meet the UN recommended levels of at least one comprehensive and four basic EmOC facilities per 500,000 […]
Evaluation of the impact of the voucher and accreditation approach on improving reproductive behaviors and status in Cambodia
Background: Cost of delivering reproductive health services to low income populations will always require total or partial subsidization by government and/or development partners. Broadly termed “demand-side financing” or “output-based aid”, these strategies include a range of interventions that channel government or donor subsidies to the user rather than the service provider. Initial pilot assessments of […]
Delays in healthcare delivery to sick neonates in Enugu South-East Nigeria: An analysis of causes and effects
Background In most parts of the world, neonatal mortality rates have shown a slower decline when compared with under-5 mortality decline. A sick newborn can die within minutes if there is a delay in presentation, thus early diagnosis and treatment are essential for the survival of a critically ill newborn. This study investigated factors responsible […]
Inadequate coordination of maternal and infant HIV services detrimentally affects early infant diagnosis outcomes in lilongwe, Malawi
Objective: To assess the continuity of care and outcome of pediatric HIV prevention, testing, and treatment services, focusing on early infant diagnosis with DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Design: A retrospective observational cohort. Methods: Maternal HIV antibody, infant HIV DNA PCR test results, and outcome data from HIV-infected infants from the prevention of mother-to-child transmission, […]
Ghana’s community-based primary health care: Why women and children are ‘disadvantaged’ by its implementation
Policy analysis on why women and children in low- and middle-income settings are still disadvantaged by access to appropriate care despite Primary Health Care (PHC) programmes implementation is limited. Drawing on the street-level bureaucracy theory, we explored how and why frontline providers (FLP) actions on their own and in interaction with health system factors shape […]
Examining the impact of WHO’s Focused Antenatal Care policy on early access, underutilisation and quality of antenatal care services in Malawi: A retrospective study
Background: A variety of antenatal care models have been implemented in low and middle-income countries over the past decades, as proposed by the World Health Organisation (WHO). One such model is the 2001 Focused Antenatal Care (FANC) programme. FANC recommended a minimum of four visits for women with uncomplicated pregnancies and emphasised quality of care […]
Cryptosporidium Prevalence and Risk Factors among Mothers and Infants 0 to 6 Months in Rural and Semi-Rural Northwest Tanzania: A Prospective Cohort Study
Background: Cryptosporidium epidemiology is poorly understood, but infection is suspected of contributing to childhood malnutrition and diarrhea-related mortality worldwide. Methods/Findings: A prospective cohort of 108 women and their infants in rural/semi-rural Tanzania were followed from delivery through six months. Cryptosporidium infection was determined in feces using modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining. Breastfeeding/infant feeding practices were queried and […]
Impact of maternal death reviews at a rural hospital in Zambia: A mixed methods study
Background: Maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa remains high despite programmatic efforts to improve maternal health. In 2007, the Zambian Ministry of Health mandated facility-based maternal death review (MDR) programs in line with World Health Organization recommendations. We assessed the impact of an [MDR program] at a district-level hospital in rural Zambia. Methods: We conducted a […]
Effect of a participatory multisectoral maternal and newborn intervention on maternal health service utilization and newborn care practices: A quasi-experimental study in three rural Ugandan districts
Background: The MANIFEST study in eastern Uganda employed a participatory multisectoral approach to reduce barriers to access to maternal and newborn care services. Objectives: This study analyses the effect of the intervention on the utilization of maternal and newborn services and care practices. Methods: The quasi-experimental pre- and post-comparison design had two main components: community […]
Maternal near-miss and mortality associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy remote from term: a multicenter observational study in Ghana
BACKGROUND: Maternal death rates remain high in many low- and middle-income countries. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy account for 18% of maternal mortality in Ghana. The maternal near-miss approach was designed to evaluate severe (acute) complications in pregnancy, which is useful to detect potential areas for clinical care improvement. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed (1) to determine […]
