Availability and Utilization of Postabortion Care Services in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, and Guinea: A Secondary Analysis of Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care Needs Assessments (EmONC)
SYNOPSIS: Generally, there are disparities in the availability and utilization of postabortion care services within the different regions at the national level in Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, and Guinea and between the 3 countries. Access to postabortion care at the primary level must be improved and the adoption of family planning when providing postabortion care. […]
Local people’s views on the evidence-based skilled-maternal-care in Mfuwe, Zambia: A qualitative study
Background: There is growing demand for high quality evidence-based practice in the fight against negative maternal health outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Zambia is one of the countries that has transposed this evidence-based approach by outlawing Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and recommending exclusive skilled-care. There is division among scholars regarding the usefulness of this approach […]
A double-edged sword-telemedicine for maternal care during COVID-19: Findings from a global mixed-methods study of healthcare providers
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rapid implementation of telemedicine for the provision of maternal and newborn healthcare. The objective of this study was to document the experiences with providing telemedicine for maternal and newborn healthcare during the pandemic among healthcare professionals globally. Methods The second round of a global online survey of […]
Diet and food insecurity among mothers, infants, and young children in Peru before and during COVID-19: A panel survey
The COVID-19 pandemic may impact diet and nutrition through increased household food insecurity, lack of access to health services, and poorer quality diets. The primary aim of this study is to assess the impact of the pandemic on dietary outcomes of mothers and their infants and young children (IYC) in low-income urban areas of Peru. […]
Educational Disparities in AIDS-affected Communities: Does Orphanhood Confer Unique Vulnerability?
To inform policy, our study identifies which populations of AIDS-affected children are in need of educational assistance. Using the 2004-2005 Malawi Integrated Household Survey, multilevel models examine the association between AIDS-related impacts and educational outcomes. Double and maternal orphans are more likely to be out of school and behind in grade level; living with an […]
Individual and Contextual Determinants of Adequate Maternal Health Care Services in Kenya
This study aimed to examine individual and community level factors associated with adequate use of maternal antenatal health services in Kenya. Individual and community level factors associated with adequate use of maternal health care (MHC) services were obtained from the 2008–09 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey data set. Multilevel partial-proportional odds logit models were fitted […]
Disability and access to sexual and reproductive health services in Cameroon: A mediation analysis of the role of socioeconomic factors
There is growing evidence showing that people with disabilities face more frequently socioeconomic inequities than their non-disabled peers. This study aims to examine to what extent socioeconomic consequences of disability contribute to poorer access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services for Cameroonian with disabilities and how these outcomes vary with disabilities characteristics and gender. […]
The use of traditional medicine in maternity care among African women in Africa and the diaspora: A systematic review
Background: There is a paucity of literature describing traditional health practices and beliefs of African women. The purpose of this study was to undertake a systematic review of the use of traditional medicine (TM) to address maternal and reproductive health complaints and wellbeing by African women in Africa and the diaspora. Method: A literature search […]
Maternal depression symptoms are highly prevalent among food-insecure households in Ethiopia
Objective We aimed to evaluate the association between household food insecurity and maternal depression in Ethiopia. Design/Setting/Subjects In 2014, we conducted a cross-sectional study in southern Ethiopia, including 591 food-secure and 2500 food-insecure households. We measured depression status of women using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 validated for Ethiopia, with a cut-off of ≥5. We evaluated […]
Integrating Mental Health into Maternal Health Care in Rural Mali: A Qualitative Study
Introduction: Common perinatal mental disorders are prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. The gap between the need for and availability of mental health services, also known as the mental health treatment gap, is particularly acute for women during the perinatal period in rural Mali. This qualitative study aimed to identify a feasible and acceptable integrated […]
