Postemergency health services for refugee and host populations in Uganda, 1999-2002
Since 1990, Uganda has hosted an estimated 200 000 refugees in postemergency settlements interspersed within host communities. We investigated the extent to which obstetric needs were met in the refugee and host populations during 1999-2002. Between September and December, 2000, we retrospectively collected data from 1999 and 2000 on major obstetric interventions for absolute maternal […]
Review of contributions from HDSSs to research in sexual and reproductive health in low- and middle-income countries
Objective: To evaluate the contributions of the INDEPTH Network of health and demographic surveillance system (HDSS) members to research efforts and interventions on reproductive health in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods: Review of peer-reviewed published papers on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) that use the HDSS framework through (i) an online search for publications […]
Perfluorinated compounds in maternal serum and cord blood from selected areas of South Africa: Results of a pilot study
There is limited information about both environmental and human perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) concentrations in the southern hemisphere, and for the first time, concentrations of these compounds are reported in maternal serum and cord blood of South African women. The majority of the participants were of African Black ethnicity, with a similar socioeconomic status. In maternal […]
Why women utilize traditional rather than skilled birth attendants for maternity care in rural Nigeria: Implications for policies and programs
Objective: Data from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey indicate that many pregnant women in rural Nigeria use traditional birth attendants (TBAs) rather than skilled birth attendants (SBAs) for maternal health care. This is one factor that accounts for the persistently high rate of maternal mortality in Nigeria. The objective of this study was to […]
Maternal humoral immune responses do not predict postnatal HIV-1 transmission risk in antiretroviral-treated mothers from the IMPAACT PROMISE Study
To design immune interventions that can synergize with antiretroviral therapy (ART) to reduce the rate of HIV mother-to-child transmission (MTCT), it is essential to characterize maternal immune responses in the setting of ART during pregnancy and breastfeeding and define their effect on MTCT. Prior studies reported an association between breast milk envelope (Env)-specific antibodies and […]
A qualitative study exploring the determinants of maternal health service uptake in post-conflict Burundi and Northern Uganda
Background: Armed conflict has been described as an important contributor to the social determinants of health and a driver of health inequity, including maternal health. These conflicts may severely reduce access to maternal health services and, as a consequence, lead to poor maternal health outcomes for a period extending beyond the conflict itself. As such, […]
Evaluating the impact of a maternal health voucher programme on service use before and after the introduction of free maternity services in Kenya: A quasi-experimental study
Introduction From 2006 to 2016, the Government of Kenya implemented a reproductive health voucher programme in select counties, providing poor women subsidised access to public and private sector care. In June 2013, the government introduced a policy calling for free maternity services to be provided in all public facilities. The concurrent implementation of these interventions […]
Influence of women’s empowerment indices on the utilization of skilled maternity care: Evidence from rural Nigeria
There is increasing evidence that women with the ability to exercise control over their sexual and reproductive lives have greater access to prompt prevention and treatment of maternal health disorders, resulting in a concomitant reduction in maternal morbidity and mortality. This study assessed the association between indices of women’s empowerment and utilization of skilled antenatal, […]
Public health spending and health outcome in Nigeria: the role of governance
Purpose: This paper aims to analyze the relationship between public health spending and health outcome using time series data in Nigeria over the period 1980 to 2017, taking into account the role of governance by assessing how the quality of governance directly affects health status and indirectly as a mediator for the effectiveness of public […]
Maternal and perinatal adverse outcomes in women with pre-eclampsia cared for at facility-level in South Africa: A prospective cohort study
Background Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy contribute to 14% of all maternal deaths, the majority of which occur in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of the study was to describe the maternal and perinatal clinical outcomes of women with pre-eclampsia living in middle- and low-income countries. Methods The study was a prospective observational study of […]
