Integrating noncommunicable disease prevention into maternal and child health programs: Can it be done and what will it take?
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of mortality worldwide. However, these diseases have not been adequately addressed by health systems, especially in low-resource countries. Similarly, there is no equitable allocation of global resources for health commensurate with the burden of diseases occasioned by NCDs. This has resulted in poor access to care for women, […]
Improving maternal and child healthcare programme using community-participatory interventions in Ebonyi state Nigeria
In Nigeria, the government is implementing the Free Maternal and Child Health Care Programme (FMCHCP). The policy is premised on the notion that financial barriers are one of the most important constraints to equitable access and use of skilled maternal and child healthcare. In Ebonyi State, Southeastern Nigeria the FMCHCP is experiencing implementation challenges including: […]
Barriers to access and utilization of emergency obstetric care at health facilities in sub-Saharan Africa-a systematic review protocol
Background: Nearly 15% of all pregnancies end in fatal perinatal obstetric complications including bleeding, infections, hypertension, obstructed labor, and complications of abortion. Between 1990 and 2015, an estimated 10.7 million women died due to obstetric complications. Almost all of these deaths (99%) happened in developing countries, and 66% of maternal deaths were attributed to sub-Saharan […]
The what’s, where’s and why’s of miscarriage: evidence from the 2017 Ghana Maternal Health Survey
Objectives: Miscarriage remains a significant public health challenge in most low- and middle-income settings, including Ghana. We thus examined the sociodemographic and maternal characteristics associated with miscarriage in Ghana using the 2017 Maternal Health Survey dataset. Study design: This was a cross-sectional quantitative study. Methods: We quantitatively analysed Ghana Maternal and Health Survey dataset. Demographic […]
Estimation of potential effects of improved community-based drug provision, to augment health-facility strengthening, on maternal mortality due to post-partum haemorrhage and sepsis in sub-Saharan Africa: an equity-effectiveness model
Background: Maternal mortality in Africa has changed little since 1990. We developed a mathematical model with the aim to assess whether improved community-based access to life-saving drugs, to augment a core programme of health-facility strengthening, could reduce maternal mortality due to post-partum haemorrhage or sepsis. Methods: We developed a mathematical model by considering the key […]
Improving poor women’s access to maternity care: Findings from a primary care intervention in Burkina Faso
To date, there has been little progress in reducing wealth inequities in access to maternity care. This paper describes the results of a maternal health intervention in Burkina Faso that was aimed at increasing access to skilled maternity care by improving availability and quality of maternity care, particularly at primary care health facilities, and promoting […]
Towards comprehensive women’s healthcare in sub-saharan Africa: Addressing intersections between HIV, reproductive and maternal health
This themed supplement to JAIDS: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes focuses on the critical intersections between HIV, reproductive, and maternal health services in the health systems of sub-Saharan Africa. The epidemiology of HIV among women of reproductive age on the sub-continent demands a holistic conceptualization and comprehensive approaches to ensure that HIV, reproductive, and […]
Gastroschisis in Uganda: Opportunities for improved survival
Purpose Neonatal mortality from gastroschisis in sub-Saharan Africa is high, while in high-income countries, mortality is less than 5%. The purpose of this study was to describe the maternal and neonatal characteristics of gastroschisis in Uganda, estimate the mortality and elucidate opportunities for intervention. Methods An ethics-approved, prospective cohort study was conducted over a one-year […]
Changes in maternal and neonatal care after a quality improvement intervention in a sub-Saharan setting
Aim: Quality improvement approaches have been integrated into routine health care in high-resource settings, but not in low-resource settings. We aimed to report the achievements in maternal and neonatal care after a quality improvement intervention in a sub-Saharan setting. Methods: After a first quality assessment in 2012 at Tosamaganga hospital in Tanzania, main areas of […]
Maternal health care utilization among HIV-positive female adolescents in Kenya
Context:Given the health risks of HIV/AIDS and the risks of teenage pregnancy in general, pregnant HIV-positive adolescents in Kenya need maternal health care services that account for their HIV status. However, research on their access to and use of these services is scant. Methods: To examine maternal health care utilization, pregnancy history data collected in […]
