Changing times? Gender roles and relationships in maternal, newborn and child health in Malawi
Background: For years, Malawi remained at the bottom of league tables on maternal, neonatal and child health. Although maternal mortality ratios have reduced and significant progress has been made in reducing neonatal morality, many challenges in achieving universal access to maternal, newborn and child health care still exist in Malawi. In Malawi, there is still […]
Infant-parent psychotherapy at primary care level: Establishment of a service
Background. Access to infant and child psychiatric care in South Africa is limited. With focus on maternal and infant mental health, early identification and management of developmental, behavioural and psychosocial parent-child problems can be initiated. Objectives. To establish a mental health service for children aged 0 – 3 years, for delivery of infant-parent psychotherapy in […]
‘They say she is bewitched’: A qualitative study of community and health provider perspectives regarding pre-eclampsia and eclampsia in rural Tanzania
The objective of this qualitative study was to understand community and health provider perspectives regarding pre-eclampsia and eclampsia in rural Tanzania. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions with health workers and community members were conducted in the Geita and Singida districts. An interview guide, focusing on individual or community-based factors affecting women’s access to […]
‘A normal delivery takes place at home’: A qualitative study of the location of childbirth in rural Ethiopia
To identify reasons why women who access health facilities and utilise maternal newborn and child health services at other times, do not necessarily deliver at health facilities. Forty-six semi-structured interviews were conducted with mothers who had recently delivered (n = 30) or were pregnant (n = 16). Thematic analysis of the interview data resulted in […]
Effect of a community health worker mHealth monitoring system on uptake of maternal and newborn health services in Rwanda
Background: In an effort to improve access to proven maternal and newborn health interventions, Rwanda implemented a mobile phone (mHealth) monitoring system called RapidSMS. RapidSMS was scaled up across Rwanda in 2013. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of RapidSMS on the utilization of maternal and newborn health services in Rwanda. […]
The delegation of tasks in the era of e-health to support community interventions in maternal and child health: Lessons learned from the PACT-Denbaya project
The PACT-Denbaya project (Program for community access to telemedicine for families) aimed to help improve the health of mothers and child in rural communities through the delegation of obstetric-gynecologic and pediatric tasks, supported by teleconsultations. This operational research took place in 6 community health centers in the Dioïla health district in Mali. Our method was […]
Clinical decision making in basic emergency obstetric and newborn care among nurses and midwives: the role of the safe delivery mhealth application_pre-post-intervention study (research protocol)
Most maternal and newborn deaths in low-income countries, including Rwanda, are attributable to preventable causes. Timely access to Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (BEmONC) guidelines to support clinical decisions could lead to better obstetric care thus reduction of maternal and newborn deaths. Besides, innovative methods such as the usage and reference to healthcare guidelines […]
Protocol for analysing the epidemiology of maternal mortality in Zimbabwe: A civil registration and vital statistics trend study
Background Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) carries the highest burden of maternal mortality, yet, the accurate maternal mortality ratios (MMR) are uncertain in most SSA countries. Measuring maternal mortality is challenging in this region, where civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems are weak or non-existent. We describe a protocol designed to explore the use of CRVS […]
Male involvement in maternal health: Perspectives of opinion leaders
Background: Twenty years after acknowledging the importance of joint responsibilities and male participation in maternal health programs, most health care systems in low income countries continue to face challenges in involving men. We explored the reasons for men’s resistance to the adoption of a more proactive role in pregnancy care and their enduring influence in […]
Caste in Muslim Pakistan: a structural determinant of inequities in the uptake of maternal health services
The failure to reduce maternal mortality rates in high-burden countries has led to calls for a greater understanding of structural determinants of inequities in access to maternal health services. Caste is a socially constructed identity that imposes structural disadvantages on subordinate groups. Although a South Asian construct, the existence of caste as a structural social […]
