An investigation of maternal anaemia among hiv infected pregnant women on antiretroviral treatment in johannesburg, south africa
Introduction: maternal anaemia is a major public health problem in developing countries. Data suggests that anaemia contributes to the progression of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-infection. The aim of this study was to investigate if pregnancy was an aggravating factor for anaemia among HIV-positive women on anti-retroviral treatment (ART). Methods: we analyzed data of all HIV-positive […]
The Effectiveness of Routine Opt-Out HIV Testing for Children in Harare, Zimbabwe
Objective: HIV testing is the entry point to access HIV care. For HIV-infected children who survive infancy undiagnosed, diagnosis usually occurs on presentation to health care services. We investigated the effectiveness of routine opt-out HIV testing (ROOT) compared with conventional opt-in provider-initiated testing and counseling (PITC) for children attending primary care clinics. Methods: After an […]
Short-term mortality and implementation of antiretroviral treatment for critically ill HIV-infected children in a developing country
Objective: To describe the short-term outcome of critically ill HIV-infected children with access to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in a developing region. Methods: Prospective observational study conducted in a paediatric teaching hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. All children admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) with suspected HIV infection were screened. Data […]
Vikela Ekhaya: A Novel, Community-based, Tuberculosis Contact Management Program in a High Burden Setting
Background: The prevention of tuberculosis (TB) in child contacts of TB cases and people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a public health priority, but global access to TB preventive therapy (TPT) remains low. In 2019, we implemented Vikela Ekhaya, a novel community-based TB contact management program in Eswatini designed to reduce barriers to […]
Experiences of women enrolled in a prevention of mother to child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus infection programme in Zimbabwe
Background: Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programmes have been reported to reduce the rate of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection by 30%-40% during pregnancy and childbirth. The PMTCT transmission is achieved by offering HIV prophylaxis or initiating antiretrovirals to pregnant women who test HIV positive. Being aware of the experiences of these women […]
A policy analysis of the implementation of a reproductive health vouchers program in Kenya
Background: Innovative financing strategies such as those that integrate supply and demand elements like the output-based approach (OBA) have been implemented to reduce financial barriers to maternal health services. The Kenyan government with support from the German Development Bank (KfW) implemented an OBA voucher program to subsidize priority reproductive health services. Little evidence exists on […]
Contraceptive use and associated factors among women seeking induced abortion in Debre Marko’s town, Northwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study
Background: Contraceptive utilization is a practice that helps individuals or couples to avoid unwanted pregnancy. Even though there is the widespread availability of contraceptives, induced abortion remains an alarming public health problem in Ethiopia. Nationally, more than a third (35%) of women seeking an induced abortion service had a previous history of abortion. Therefore, this […]
Skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding practices in Nigeria: a study of socioeconomic inequalities
Background: The effects of breastfeeding practices on children’s health are undoubtedly of great interest. However, inequalities in breastfeeding practices and mother and newborn skin-to-skin contact (SSC) exist in many resource-constrained settings. This study examined the regional prevalence and socioeconomic inequalities in exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), early initiation of breastfeeding and SSC in Nigeria. Methods: Data on […]
Effect of anti-malarial interventions on trends of malaria cases, hospital admissions and deaths, 2005-2015, Ghana
Background: Since 2005, the Government of Ghana and its partners, in concerted efforts to control malaria, scaled up the use of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) and insecticide-treated nets (ITNs). Beginning in 2011, a mass campaign of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) was implemented, targeting all the population. The impact of these interventions on malaria cases, admissions […]
Supportive supervision for volunteers to deliver reproductive health education: a cluster randomized trial
Background: Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) can be effective in improving pregnancy and newborn outcomes through community education. Inadequate supervision of CHVs, whether due to poor planning, irregular visits, or ineffective supervisory methods, is, however, recognized as a weakness in many programs. There has been little research on best practice supervisory or accompaniment models. Methods: From […]
