The role of transportation to access maternal care services for women in rural Bangladesh and Burkina Faso: A mixed methods study

Objective To understand the role of transportation in accessing health care during pregnancy, delivery, and the postpartum period among women in rural Bangladesh and Burkina Faso. Methods An exploratory mixed methods study was conducted in Mymensingh district in Bangladesh and Kaya district in Burkina Faso. We recruited 300 women from Bangladesh and 340 from Burkina […]

Barriers and facilitators to the implementation of lay health worker programmes to improve access to maternal and child health: Qualitative evidence synthesis

This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows: To explore factors affecting the implementation of lay health worker programmes for maternal and child health. The review has the following specific objectives: to identify, appraise and synthesise qualitative research evidence on barriers and facilitators to the implementation […]

“We have a lot of home deliveries” A qualitative study on the impact of COVID-19 on access to and utilization of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health care among refugee women in urban Eastleigh, Kenya

Background: Little is known about how pregnant refugee women, and the frontline health care workers who serve them, are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of health, and health service access. Women refugees are classified as a vulnerable group with regard to pregnancy outcomes and access to maternal care, and may be disproportionally at […]

Improving access to maternal health services among rural hard-to-reach fishing communities in Uganda, the role of community health workers

Objectives: To explore whether community health worker household-based maternal health visits improve antenatal care and skilled birth attendance among hard-to-reach fishing villages on Lake Victoria, Uganda. Methods: This quasi-experimental 18-month prospective study involved 486 consenting women aged 15–49 years, who were pregnant or had a pregnancy outcome in the past 6 months, from 6 island […]

Access to Maternal Health Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences of Indigent Mothers and Health Care Providers in Kilifi County, Kenya

COVID-19 has spread rapidly in Kenya and has not spared pregnant women. Evidence from Kenya shows that during the COVID-19 pandemic, health systems have been either stressed to their maximum capacity or are becoming overwhelmed. However, the population is advised not to attend hospital unless strictly necessary, and this advice seems to apply to all, […]

The impact of access to health facilities on maternal care use, travel patterns, and health status: Evidence from longitudinal data from Uganda

This paper investigates whether new health facilities affect maternal care use, maternal/child health, and travel patterns to facilities. Community- and mother-level fixed effects models are applied to decade-long panel data from Uganda. The results show that the openings of large facilities increase delivery at formal facilities, while new clinics increase regular antenatal care usage. The […]

Narratives of women using a 24-hour ride-hailing transport system to increase access and utilization of maternal and newborn health services in rural western Kenya: A qualitative study

Between 1990 and 2015, Kenya had a 0.9% annual reduction in maternal mortality, one of the lowest reductions globally. This slow decline was linked to the relatively low utilization of delivery services. We designed a mobile phone–enhanced 24-hour transport navigation system coupled with personalized and interactive gestation-based text messages (MAccess) to address maternal child health […]

Barriers to Access of Maternity Care in Kenya: A Social Perspective

Objective: In response to high maternal mortality rates, the global community has rallied to improve the state of maternal health worldwide. However, progress towards the fifth Millennium Development Goal, “Improve Maternal Health,” has been disappointingly slow. There is a pressing need to address the factors that contribute to maternal mortality, one of which is access […]

Realizing women´s right to maternal health: A study of awareness of rights and utilization of maternal health services among reproductive age women in two rural districts in Tanzania

Background Maternal mortality rates are still unacceptably high in many countries, indicating violation of women´s human right to life and health. Access to adequate information about maternal health rights and available services are essential aspects of realizing women´s right to accessible health care. This study aimed at assessing awareness of the right to access maternal […]

Assessment of Interventions in Primary Health Care for Improved Maternal, New-born and Child Health in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review

Primary health care (PHC) holds great potentials to improve maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) outcomes. However, there has been limited documentation of its effects on increasing universal access to maternal, newborn, and child health services in sub-Saharan Africa. Also, not adequately known are the most effective interventions to improve the delivery of PHC services […]