Weight and mid-upper arm circumference gain velocities during treatment of young children with severe acute malnutrition, a prospective study in Uganda
Background: Weight gain is routinely monitored to assess hydration and growth during treatment of children with complicated severe acute malnutrition (SAM). However, changes in weight and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) gain velocities over time are scarcely described. We assessed weight and MUAC gain velocities in 6–59 mo-old children with complicated SAM by treatment phase and […]
Predictors of chronic food insecurity among adolescents in Southwest Ethiopia: A longitudinal study
Background: Evidence on the differential impacts of the global food crisis as it translates into chronic food insecurity locally is essential to design food security interventions targeting the most vulnerable population groups. There are no studies on the extent of chronic food insecurity or its predictors among adolescents in developing countries. In the context of […]
‘We are the advocates for the babies’ – understanding interactions between patients and health care providers during the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in South Africa: a qualitative study
Background: HIV/AIDS has had a significant impact on maternal and child health in South Africa. It is thus of vital importance to implement interventions to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) as early as possible during pregnancy. Negative interactions between patients and health care providers (HCPs) can be an important barrier to antenatal care, PMTCT […]
“I cry every day and night, I have my son tied in chains”: Physical restraint of people with schizophrenia in community settings in Ethiopia
Background: A primary rationale for scaling up mental health services in low and middle-income countries is to address human rights violations, including physical restraint in community settings. The voices of those with intimate experiences of restraint, in particular people with mental illness and their families, are rarely heard. The aim of this study was to […]
Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and rhesus disease of the newborn: Incidence and impairment estimates for 2010 at regional and global levels
Background: Rhesus (Rh) disease and extreme hyperbilirubinemia (EHB) result in neonatal mortality and long-term neurodevelopmental impairment, yet there are no estimates of their burden. Methods: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses were undertaken of national prevalence, mortality, and kernicterus due to Rh disease and EHB. We applied a compartmental model to estimate neonatal survivors and impairment cases […]
Factors influencing rapid progress in child health in post-conflict Liberia: A mixed methods country case study on progress in child survival, 2000-2013
Objectives Only 12 countries in the WHO’s African region met Millennium Development Goal 4 (MDG 4) to reduce under-five mortality by two-thirds by 2015. Given the variability across the African region, a four-country mixed methods study was undertaken to examine barriers and facilitators of child survival prior to 2015. Liberia was selected for an in-depth […]
Food insecurity is associated with attitudes towards exclusive breastfeeding among women in urban Kenya
This study aimed to document whether food insecurity was associated with beliefs and attitudes towards exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) among urban Kenyan women. We conducted structured interviews with 75 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-affected and 75 HIV-status unknown, low-income women who were either pregnant or with a child ≤24months and residing in Nakuru, Kenya to generate categorical […]
Prevalence of wasting and associated factors among children aged 6-59 months in Wolkite town of the Gurage zone, Southern Ethiopia, 2020. A cross-sectional study
Background Undernutrition among children is one of the leading major public health problems and about 49.5 million children were wasted worldwide. Asia and African countries contributed 69% and 27.2% of wasting respectively. In Ethiopia, 7% of children were wasted and 1% was severely wasted. Although Ethiopia has achieved remarkable progress in reducing underfive mortality and […]
Assessing early access to care and child survival during a health system strengthening intervention in Mali: A repeated cross sectional survey
Background: In 2012, 6.6 million children under age five died worldwide, most from diseases with known means of prevention and treatment. A delivery gap persists between well-validated methods for child survival and equitable, timely access to those methods. We measured early child health care access, morbidity, and mortality over the course of a health system […]
Food beliefs and practices among the Kalenjin pregnant women in rural Uasin Gishu County, Kenya
Background: Understanding food beliefs and practices is critical to the development of dietary recommendations, nutritional programmes, and educational messages. This study aimed to understand the pregnancy food beliefs and practices and the underlying reasons for these among the contemporary rural Kalenjin communities of Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. Methods: Through semi-structured interviews, data was collected from […]
