Addressing the migrant gap: maternal healthcare perspectives on utilising prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) services during the COVID-19 pandemic, South Africa
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) programming in South Africa. In 2020, it was estimated that there were 4 million cross-border migrants in South Africa, some of whom are women living with HIV (WLWH), who are highly mobile and located within peripheral and urban areas of Johannesburg. […]
Medical and psychological consequences of rape among survivors during armed conflicts in northeast Ethiopia
Background Rape is the most common act of violence against women during wartime which is considered interpersonal, social and political violence because survivors usually suffer from stigma and discrimination in the community. Sexual violence is a serious threat to women’s health. The psychological and medical consequences of rape during the conflict period are not well […]
Essential health services delivery in South Africa during COVID-19: Community and healthcare worker perspectives
Background: Between May 2020 and February 2022, South Africa’s health system bore strain as it battled mitigating the coronavirus pandemic. The country’s pandemic response was scrutinized. This period also brought into focus pre-existing shortcomings in the healthcare system and its governing bodies. Contextually, there is a paucity in literature on the experiences of healthcare providers […]
Limited handwashing facility and associated factors in sub-Saharan Africa: pooled prevalence and multilevel analysis of 29 sub-Saharan Africa countries from demographic health survey data
Introduction: Handwashing is fundamentally an inexpensive means of reducing the spread of communicable diseases. In developing countries, many people die due to infectious diseases that could be prevented by proper hand hygiene. The recent coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is a threat to people who are living in resource-limited countries including sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Effective hand hygiene […]
Animal source food social and behavior change communication intervention among girinka livestock transfer beneficiaries in rwanda: A cluster randomized evaluation
Animal source foods (ASFs), including cow’s milk, contain essential nutrients and contribute to a healthy diet, but frequency of intake is low among children in low- and middle-income countries. We hypothesized that an ASF social and behavior change communication (SBCC) intervention implemented by community health workers (CHWs) would increase child milk consumption and dietary diversity […]
Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on provision of sexual and reproductive health services in primary health facilities in Nigeria: a cross-sectional study
Background: Nigeria, like many other countries, has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. While efforts have been devoted to curtailing the disease, a major concern has been its potential effects on the delivery and utilization of reproductive health care services in the country. The objective of the study was to investigate the extent to […]
Towards universal health coverage in the WHO African Region: Assessing health system functionality, incorporating lessons from COVID-19
The move towards universal health coverage is premised on having well-functioning health systems, which can assure provision of the essential health and related services people need. Efforts to define ways to assess functionality of health systems have however varied, with many not translating into concrete policy action and influence on system development. We present an […]
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare access and utilisation in South Sudan: a cross-sectional mixed methods study
Background: Indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on communities in fragile and conflict-affected settings may be severe due to reduced access and use of healthcare, as happened during the 2015 Ebola Virus Disease outbreak. Achieving a balance between short-term emergency response and addressing long-term health needs is particularly challenging in fragile and conflict-affected settings such […]
Effect of Primary Health Care Expenditure on Universal Health Coverage: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa
Background: Investment in primary health care (PHC) to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) and better health outcomes remains a key global health agenda. This study aimed to assess the effects of PHC spending on UHC and health outcomes. Methods: The study used the Grossman Health Production Model and conducted econometric analyses using panel data from […]
A mixed-methods study of maternal health care utilisation in six referral hospitals in four sub-Saharan African countries before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
Introduction In sub-Saharan Africa, referral hospitals are important sources of key maternal health services, especially during a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study prospectively assessed the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal health service utilisation in six large referral hospitals in Guinea, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda during the first year of the […]
