Intermittent screening and treatment with artemether-lumefantrine versus intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine for malaria in pregnancy: A facility-based, open-label, non-inferiority trial in Nigeria

Background: The spread of SP resistance may compromise the effectiveness of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (MiP) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) across Africa. However, there is no recommended alternative medicine for IPTp or alternative strategy for prevention of MiP. This poses problems for the prevention of MiP. This study investigated, whether screening with a […]

There are many fevers: Communities’ perception and management of Febrile illness and its relationship with human animal interactions in South-Western Uganda

Diagnosing the causative agent of febrile illness in resource-limited countries is a challenge in part due to lack of adequate diagnostic infrastructure to confirm cause of infection. Most febrile illnesses (>60%) are non-malarial, with a significant proportion being zoonotic and likely from animal origins. To better characterize the pathways for zoonotic disease transmission and control […]

Incidence of induced abortion in Malawi, 2015

Background In Malawi, abortion is legal only if performed to save a woman’s life; other attempts to procure an abortion are punishable by 7-14 years imprisonment. Most induced abortions in Malawi are performed under unsafe conditions, contributing to Malawi’s high maternal mortality ratio. Malawians are currently debating whether to provide additional exceptions under which an […]

Passive sensing on mobile devices to improve mental health services with adolescent and young mothers in low-resource settings: the role of families in feasibility and acceptability

Background: Passive sensor data from mobile devices can shed light on daily activities, social behavior, and maternal-child interactions to improve maternal and child health services including mental healthcare. We assessed feasibility and acceptability of the Sensing Technologies for Maternal Depression Treatment in Low Resource Settings (StandStrong) platform. The StandStrong passive data collection platform was piloted with […]

The development of a Simplified, Effective, Labour Monitoring-to-Action (SELMA) tool for Better Outcomes in Labour Difficulty (BOLD): Study protocol Obstetrics

Background: The partograph is currently the main tool available to support decision-making of health professionals during labour. However, the rate of appropriate use of the partograph is disappointingly low. Apart from limitations that are associated with partograph use, evidence of positive impact on labour-related health outcomes is lacking. The main goal of this study is […]

Project design and technology trade-offs for implementing a large-scale sexual and reproductive health mHealth intervention: Lessons from Sierra Leone

Background: The Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic threatened decades of progress in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and gender-based violence as attendance at health facilities plummeted and service uptake dwindled. Similarly, misinformation regarding COVID-19 was rife. The demographics in Sierra Leone are diverse in the education, economic, and rural/urban divide. Telecommunications coverage, phone ownership, and preference […]

Effects of lipid-based nutrient supplements and infant and young child feeding counseling with or without improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) on anemia and micronutrient status: Results from 2 cluster-randomized trials in Kenya and Bangladesh

Background Anemia in young children is a global health problem. Risk factors include poor nutrient intake and poor water quality, sanitation, or hygiene. Objective We evaluated the effects of water quality, sanitation, handwashing, and nutrition interventions on micronutrient status and anemia among children in rural Kenya and Bangladesh. Design We nested substudies within 2 cluster-randomized […]

Evaluation of a community health worker intervention and the World Health Organization’s Option B versus Option A to improve antenatal care and PMTCT outcomes in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: Study protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled health systems implementation trial

Background: Mother-to-child transmission of HIV remains an important public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa. As HIV testing and linkage to PMTCT occurs in antenatal care (ANC), major challenges for any PMTCT option in developing countries, including Tanzania, are delays in the first ANC visit and a low overall number of visits. Community health workers (CHWs) […]

Association Between Nutrition Social Behavior Change Communication and Improved Caregiver Health and Nutrition Knowledge and Practices in Rural Tanzania

Background: Efforts to improve infant and young child feeding practices include the use of nutrition behavior change communication among caregivers of children under 5 years. We assessed the association between monthly participation in community-level nutrition group meetings on caregiver health and nutrition knowledge and practices (KPs). Methods: Data from a community-based cross-sectional survey conducted in […]

The Philani MOVIE study: A cluster-randomized controlled trial of a mobile video entertainment-education intervention to promote exclusive breastfeeding in South Africa

Background: In South Africa, rates of exclusive breastfeeding remain low and breastfeeding promotion is a national health priority. Mobile health and narrative entertainment-education are recognized strategies for health promotion. In-home counseling by community health workers (CHWs) is a proven breastfeeding promotion strategy. This protocol outlines a cluster-randomized controlled trial with a nested mixed-methods evaluation of […]