Detection of foci of residual malaria transmission through reactive case detection in Ethiopia
Background: Sub-microscopic and asymptomatic infections could be bottlenecks to malaria elimination efforts in Ethiopia. This study determined the prevalence of malaria, and individual and household-level factors associated with Plasmodium infections obtained following detection of index cases in health facilities in Jimma Zone. Methods: Index malaria cases were passively detected and tracked in health facilities from […]
Investigating mediators of the poor pneumonia outcomes of human immunodeficiency virus–exposed but uninfected children
Background. Human immunodeficiency virus–exposed but uninfected (HIV-EU) children have a higher mortality rate than the children of HIV-negative mothers (HIV-unexposed). Causal mediators of the poor health outcomes of HIV-EU children remain poorly defined. Methods. We conducted a hospital-based prospective cohort study of children aged 1 to 23 months with clinically defined pneumonia. The children were […]
Socioeconomic, urban‐rural and sex‐based inequality in infant mortality rate: evidence from 2013 Yemen demographic and health survey
Background: The occurrence of Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) varied globally with most of the cases coming from developing countries including Yemen. The disparity in IMR in Yemen however, has not been well dealt and therefore we examined the IMR inequality based on the most reliable methodology in order to generate evidence-based information for some program […]
Child dietary diversity and food (in)security as a potential correlate of child anthropometric indices in the context of urban food system in the cases of north-central Ethiopia
Objective: To investigate the relation of child dietary diversity and household food insecurity along with other socio-demographic with child anthropometric indices in north-central Ethiopia, an area with a high level of food insecurity and inadequate diet quality. Design: A community-based cross-sectional study was used. Settings: The study was conducted in Dessie and Combolcha towns of […]
Trends and determinants of teenage childbearing in Ethiopia: Evidence from the 2000 to 2016 demographic and health surveys
Background: Teenage childbearing among adolescents aged 15 to 19 is a common sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issue among young people, particularly in developing countries. It is associated with higher maternal and neonatal complications. Almost half (47%) of the population in Ethiopia are young people under 15 years old. Therefore, a clear understanding of the […]
Stunting in the Context of Plenty: Unprecedented Magnitudes Among Children of Peasant’s Households in Bukombe, Tanzania
Background: It is perceived that children living in peasants’ households are protected from undernutrition owing to a relative better food availability. However, evidence suggests an increased vulnerability that is not conforming to such norm and varies from one region to another. To address this research gap, we examined the magnitude and factors associated with stunting […]
Modelling cost benefit of community-oriented primary care in rural South Africa
Background: Globally, rural populations have poorer health and considerably lower levels of access to healthcare compared with urban populations. Although the drive to ensure universal coverage through community healthcare worker programmes has shown significant results elsewhere, their value has yet to be realised in South Africa. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine […]
Maternal anemia in pregnancy: Assessing the effect of routine preventive measures in a malaria-endemic area
We investigated the effectiveness of routine preventive measures for anemia in Beninese pregnant women during pregnancy. Anemia (hemoglobin < 110 g/L) was common: 68.3% at first antenatal visit (ANV1), 64.7% at second antenatal visit (ANV2), and 40.6% at delivery. Parasitic infections and nutritional deficiencies were the most preventable causes. After intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp) and […]
Trends and Drivers of Unmet Need for Family Planning in Currently Married Tanzanian Women between 1999 and 2016
The current study investigated the trends and factors associated with the unmet need for family planning (FP) for limiting and spacing births among married Tanzanian women between 1999 and 2016. The study used Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS) data for the years 1999 (N = 2653), 2004–2005 (N = 2950), 2010 (N = 6412), […]
Sustainability of market-based community distribution of Sprinkles in Western Kenya
To evaluate the sustainability of market-based community distribution of micronutrient powders (Sprinkles®, Hexagon Nutrition, Mumbai, India.) among pre-school children in Kenya, we conducted in August 2010 a follow-up survey, 18 months after study-related marketing and household monitoring ended. We surveyed 849 children aged 6-35 months randomly selected from 60 study villages. Nutritional biomarkers were measured […]