The unfolding counter-transition in rural South Africa: Mortality and cause of death, 1994-2009
The HIV pandemic has led to dramatic increases and inequalities in adult mortality, and the diffusion of antiretroviral treatment, together with demographic and socioeconomic shifts in sub-Saharan Africa, has further changed mortality patterns. We describe all-cause and cause-specific mortality patterns in rural South Africa, analyzing data from the Agincourt health and socio-demographic surveillance system from […]
“I will leave the baby with my mother”: Long-distance travel and follow-up care among HIV-positive pregnant and postpartum women in South Africa
Introduction: It is common in urban African settings for postpartum women to temporarily return to family in distant settings. We sought to explore mobility among peripartum HIV-positive women to understand the timing and motivation of travel, particularly vis-à-vis delivery, and how it may affect healthcare access. Methods: Using the same mobility measurements within three different […]
Engaging mothers on the growth of school-age children in a rural south african health and demographic site: A qualitative insight
A qualitative study was conducted to explore mothers’ insights on the growth of schoolage children in a rural Health and Demographic site of Limpopo Province, in South Africa. The participants were selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected from seven focus group discussions, which were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. NVivo10 was used to analyse interview […]
Measuring and forecasting progress in education: what about early childhood?
A recent Nature article modelled within-country inequalities in primary, secondary, and tertiary education and forecast progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets related to education (SDG 4). However, their paper entirely overlooks inequalities in achieving Target 4.2, which aims to achieve universal access to quality early childhood development, care and preschool education by 2030. This […]
Use of chicken eggshell to improve dietary calcium intake in rural sub-Saharan Africa
Undernutrition resulting from inadequate access to high-quality, nutritious food is a widespread issue in sub-Saharan Africa impacting the health and survival of mothers and their children. Inadequate dietary intake leads to a deficiency in nutrients including calcium, required for growth and physiological functioning. This study investigated the potential of increasing dietary calcium intake by the […]
Determinants of Dietary Diversity Practice among Pregnant Women in the Gurage Zone, Southern Ethiopia, 2021: Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study
Background. Dietary diversification is considered the proxy indicator of dietary quality and nutrient adequacy during pregnancy. Pregnant women have been considered susceptible to malnutrition because of their increased nutrient demands and thus consuming a variety of foods in their diet plays a lion’s role in ensuring adequate nutrient intake. So understanding bottleneck factors associated with […]
The effect of an interactive weekly mobile phone messaging on retention in prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV program: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial (WELTEL PMTCT)
Background: Improving retention in prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV programs is critical to optimize maternal and infant health outcomes, especially now that lifelong treatment is immediate regardless of CD4 cell count). The WelTel strategy of using weekly short message service (SMS) to engage patients in care in Kenya, where mobile coverage […]
Micronutrient status among pregnant women in zinder, niger and risk factors associated with deficiency
Anemia and micronutrient (MN) deficiencies in pregnant women are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. In Niger, 58.6% of pregnant women are anemic, however, MN statuses are unknown. The study objectives were to estimate the prevalence of MN deficiencies among pregnant women in Zinder, Niger and explore associated risk factors. Pregnant women living in randomly selected […]
Mothers moving towards empowerment’ intervention to reduce stigma and improve treatment adherence in pregnant women living with HIV in Botswana: Study protocol for a pragmatic clinical trial
Background: With high rates of HIV and multiple vulnerable subgroups across diverse settings, there is a need for culturally based, HIV stigma reduction interventions. Pregnant women who are living with HIV are especially in need of services to protect not only their own but also their children’s lives. Uptake of HIV services worldwide is hindered […]
Joint spatial mapping of childhood anemia and malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa: A cross-sectional study of small-scale geographical disparities
Background: In epidemiological studies, several diseases share common risk factors or co-exist in their spatial prevalence. Disease mapping allows the health practitioners and epidemiologists to hypothesize the disease aetiology and gain better understanding of the geographical prevalence of the disease risks. Objective: This paper investigates the differences in small scale geographical variations and the underlying […]
