Predictors of utilisation of skilled maternal healthcare in Lilongwe District, Malawi
Background: Despite numerous efforts to improve maternal and child health in Malawi, maternal and newborn mortality rates remain very high, with the country having one of the highest maternal mortality ratios globally. The aim of this study was to identify which individual factors best predict utilisation of skilled maternal healthcare in a sample of women […]
Utilizing mobile health and community informants to collect real-time health care data in extremely low resource environments
Background: Mobile health provides promising opportunities to perform population surveillance in rural, impoverished, or unstable communities. The objective of this study was to test the efficacy and accuracy of data collected by community informants in extreme low-resource environments using electronic surveys and mobile phones. Methods: We carried out a population-based, cross-sectional survey between October and […]
Maternal and child health in Yushu, Qinghai Province, China
Introduction. Surmang, Qinghai Province is a rural nomadic Tibetan region in western China recently devastated by the 2010 Yushu earthquake; little information is available on access and coverage of maternal and child health services. Methods. A cross-sectional household survey was conducted in August 2004. 402 women of reproductive age (15-50) were interviewed regarding their pregnancy […]
Poor coverage and quality for poor women: Inequalities in quality antenatal care in nine East African countries
The use of quality antenatal care (ANC) improves maternal and newborn health outcomes. Ensuring equity in access to quality maternal health services is a priority agenda in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to assess inequalities in the use of quality ANC in nine East African countries using the most recent Demographic and Health […]
Improving maternal and newborn health care delivery in rural Amhara and Oromiya regions of Ethiopia through the maternal and newborn health in Ethiopia partnership
Introduction: In Ethiopia, rural residence and limited access to skilled providers and health services pose challenges for maternal and newborn survival. The Maternal Health in Ethiopia Partnership (MaNHEP) developed a community-based model of maternal and newborn health focusing on birth and the early postnatal period and positioned it for scale-up. MaNHEP’s 3-pronged intervention included community- […]
The health MDGs in Ghana: lessons and implications for the implementation of the sustainable development goals
Purpose: The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), an initiative by the United Nations, consisted of eight broad goals, which were envisaged to improve the living conditions of the world’s populations. In spite of the momentum and investments made to achieve the MDGs, significant challenges still exist at the global and national levels. In Ghana, the attainment […]
Towards elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Ghana: An analysis of national programme data
Background: Despite global scale up of interventions for Preventing Mother to child HIV Transmissions (PMTCT), there still remain high pediatric HIV infections, which result from unequal access in resource-constrained settings. Sub-Saharan Africa alone contributes more than 90 % of global Mother-to-Child Transmission (MTCT) burden. As part of efforts to address this, African countries (including Ghana) […]
The rate and perioperative mortality of caesarean section in Sierra Leone
Introduction Sierra Leone has the world’s highest maternal mortality, partly due to low access to caesarean section. Limited data are available to guide improvement. In this study, we aimed to analyse the rate and mortality of caesarean sections in the country. Methods We conducted a retrospective study of all caesarean sections and all reported in-facility […]
DRIVERS OF ANAEMIA REDUCTION AMONG WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE IN THE EASTERN AND UPPER WEST REGIONS OF GHANA: A SECONDARY DATA ANALYSIS OF THE GHANA DEMOGRAPHIC AND HEALTH SURVEYS
Anaemia among women of reproductive age (WRA) increases the risk of pregnancy-related morbidity, mortality, and poor pregnancy outcomes. Globally, there is growing interest to reduce anaemia among WRA. In Ghana, anaemia among WRA declined at the national level between 2008 (59%) and 2014 (42%). There were also important declines at the sub-national level. The Eastern […]
Perceptions of policymakers in Nigeria toward unsafe abortion and maternal mortality
Context: In Nigeria, abortion is permitted only to save the life of awoman.Unsafe abortion is commonand is a major cause of maternal mortality, yet policymakers have done little to address the problem. Methods: In-depth interviewswere conducted in 2008 with 49 Nigerian politicians and officials to assess their awareness of unsafe abortion and its role in […]
