Barriers to formal emergency obstetric care services’ utilization
Access to appropriate health care including skilled birth attendance at delivery and timely referrals to emergency obstetric care services can greatly reduce maternal deaths and disabilities, yet women in sub-Saharan Africa continue to face limited access to skilled delivery services. This study relies on qualitative data collected from residents of two slums in Nairobi, Kenya […]
Maternal and newborn health needs for women with walking disabilities; “the twists and turns”: A case study in Kibuku District Uganda
Background: In Uganda 13% of persons have at least one form of disability. The United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities guarantees persons with disabilities the same level of right to access quality and affordable healthcare as persons without disability. Understanding the needs of women with walking disabilities is key in formulating […]
The socio-cultural challenges to maternal and neonatal care: The views of women with disabilities receiving maternity care in the Chereponi district of the Northern Ghana
Persons with disabilities form a significant proportion of the global population, majority of which are women. The United Nations Convention guarantees persons with disabilities equal rights to reproduction and healthcare access. Similarly, the Sustainable Development Goal 3 targets improvement of the health and well-being of individuals including persons with disabilities. However, women with disabilities have […]
Ethiopia’s assessment of emergency obstetric and newborn care: Setting the gold standard for national facility-based assessments
Objective: To describe the methods used to implement Ethiopia’s 2008 emergency obstetric and newborn care services (EmONC) assessment; highlight how the collaborative process contributed to immediate integration of results into national and subnational planning; and explain how the experience informed the development of a set of tools providing best practices and guidelines for other countries […]
Community health workers impact on maternal and child health outcomes in rural South Africa – a non-randomized two-group comparison study
Background: Home visits by paraprofessional community health workers (CHWs) has been shown to improve maternal and child health outcomes in research studies in many countries. Yet, when these are scaled or replicated, efficacy disappears. An effective CHW home visiting program in peri-urban Cape Town found maternal and child health benefits over the 5 years point […]
Determinants of maternal health services utilization in Uganda
Background: Uganda’s poor maternal health indicators have resulted from weak maternal health services delivery, including access to quality family planning, skilled birth attendance, emergency obstetric care, and postnatal care for mothers and newborns. This paper investigated the predictors of maternal health services (MHS) utilization characterized as: desirable, moderate and undesirable. Methods: We used a sample […]
Strengthening and monitoring health system’s capacity to improve availability, utilization and quality of emergency obstetric care in northern Nigeria
Background Quality improvement in emergency obstetric care (EmOC) is a critical and cost-effective suite of interventions for the reduction of maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity. This study was undertaken to evaluate the impact of quality improvement interventions following a baseline assessment in Bauchi state, Nigeria. Methods This was a prospective before and after study […]
Maternal tobacco and alcohol use in relation to child malnutrition in gauteng, south africa: A retrospective analysis
Tobacco and alcohol use among mothers is associated with numerous adverse consequences for affected offspring, including poor growth and development. This study determined the association between maternal tobacco and alcohol use, and malnutrition, among infants aged ≤ 12 months (n = 300), in selected health facilities situated in Gauteng, South Africa. Data on alcohol and […]
Improving maternal care through a state-wide health insurance program: A cost and cost-effectiveness study in rural Nigeria
Background While the Nigerian government has made progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, further investments are needed to achieve the targets of post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals, including Universal Health Coverage. Economic evaluations of innovative interventions can help inform investment decisions in resource-constrained settings. We aim to assess the cost and cost-effectiveness of maternal care provided […]
Maternal HIV infection and other factors associated with growth outcomes of HIV-uninfected infants in Entebbe, Uganda
Objective To assess the associations between maternal HIV infection and growth outcomes of HIV-exposed but uninfected infants and to identify other predictors for poor growth among this population. Design Within a trial of de-worming during pregnancy, the cohort of offspring was followed from birth. HIV status of the mothers and their children was investigated and […]
