A comparative analysis of socioeconomic inequities in stunting: A case of three middle-income African countries

Background: Despite increased economic growth and development, and existence of various policies and interventions aimed at improving food security and nutrition, majority of countries in sub-Saharan Africa have very high levels of child malnutrition. The prevalence of stunting, an indicator of chronic malnutrition, is especially high. Methods: In this paper, we use Demographic and Health […]

The burden of mental disorders, substance use disorders and self-harm among young people in Europe, 1990–2019: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: Mental health is a public health issue for European young people, with great heterogeneity in resource allocation. Representative population-based studies are needed. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019 provides internationally comparable information on trends in the health status of populations and changes in the leading causes of disease burden over time. Methods: […]

Is the routine health information system ready to support the planned national health insurance scheme in South Africa?

Implementation of a National Health Insurance (NHI) in South Africa requires a reliable, standardized health information system that supports Diagnosis-Related Groupers for reimbursements and resource management. We assessed the quality of inpatient health records, the availability of standard discharge summaries and coded clinical data and the congruence between inpatient health records and discharge summaries in […]

Improving the effectiveness of point of care tests for malaria and anaemia: A qualitative study across three Ghanaian antenatal clinics

Background: Anaemia and malaria are both major contributors to maternal and child mortality, and morbidity, with some of the worst outcomes occurring in sub-Saharan Africa. Point of care tests (POCT), if used appropriately, provide a simple, inexpensive form of diagnostic testing, as a reliable alternative when laboratory tests are not readily available. In such resource […]

How do diverse low-income and middle-income countries implement primary healthcare team integration to support the delivery of comprehensive primary health care? A mixed-methods study protocol from India, Mexico and Uganda

Introduction Attainment of universal health coverage is feasible via strengthened primary health systems that are comprehensive, accessible, people-centred, continuous and coordinated. Having an adequately trained, motivated and equipped primary healthcare workforce is central to the provision of comprehensive primary healthcare (CPHC). This study aims to understand PHC team integration, composition and organisation in the delivery […]

Cultural and contextual adaptation of mental health measures in Kenya: An adolescentcentered transcultural adaptation of measures study

Introduction There is paucity of culturally adapted tools for assessing depression and anxiety in children and adolescents in low-and middle-income countries. This hinders early detection, provision of appropriate and culturally acceptable interventions. In a partnership with the University of Nairobi, Nairobi County, Kenyatta National Hospital, and UNICEF, a rapid cultural adaptation of three adolescent mental […]

Determinants of poor utilization of antenatal care services among recently delivered women in Rwanda; a population based study

Background: In Rwanda, a majority of pregnant women visit antenatal care (ANC) services, however not to the extent that is recommended. Association between socio-demographic or psychosocial factors and poor utilization of antenatal care services (≤2 visits during the course of pregnancy irrespective of the timing) among recently pregnant women in Rwanda were investigated. Methods: This […]

Dietary diversity and nutritional status of preschool children in north west province, south africa: A cross sectional study

Preschool children consume diets inadequate to meet their macro and micronutrient requirements, which ultimately affect their nutritional status due to lack of dietary diversity. A cross sectional study was conducted to investigate the association between dietary diversity scores (DDS) and the nutritional status of 379 preschool children in North West Province of South Africa. A […]

Understanding patterns of family support and its role on viral load suppression among youth living with HIV aged 15 to 24 years in southwestern Uganda

Background: Active family support helps as a buffer against adverse life events associated with antiretroviral therapy (ART) uptake and adherence. There is limited data available to explain how family support shapes and affects individual healthcare choices, decisions, experiences, and health outcomes among youth living with HIV (YLWH). We aimed to describe family support patterns and […]

Mothers’ dietary practices in the amoron’i mania region Madagascar

Introduction: Madagascar has one of the highest prevalence’s of malnutrition worldwide. Dietary practice is an important element to consider in the fight against malnutrition. This study aims to describe mothers’ dietary patterns and dietary diversity and to identify characteristics associated with this dietary diversity. Methods: A cross sectional study was carried-out among 670 non-pregnant mothers […]