Viewpoints of pregnant mothers and community health workers on antenatal care in Lweza village, Uganda

Background Uganda is a low-income country with high fertility, adolescent birth, and maternal mortality rates. How Ugandan Ministry of Health antenatal education guidelines have been implemented into standardized health education and how pregnant women utilize health facilities remains unclear. Objective We aimed to determine how women obtain education during pregnancy, what guidelines health educators follow, […]

Exposure to family planning messages and contraceptive use among women of reproductive age in sub-Saharan Africa: a cross-sectional program impact evaluation study

Many women of reproductive age in sub Saharan Africa are not utilizing any contraceptive method which is contributing to the high burden of maternal mortality. This study determined the prevalence, trends, and the impact of exposure to family planning messages (FPM) on contraceptive use (CU) among women of reproductive age in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We […]

Role of Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILCs) in improving household wealth and financial preparedness for birth in rural Zambia

Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILCs) are a type of informal microfinance mechanism adapted in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to improve financial resources for poor and rural communities. Although SILCs are often paired with other health and non-health-related interventions, few studies have examined SILCs in the context of maternal health. This study examined […]

Comparison of nutritional status and associated factors of lactating women between lowland and highland communities of District Raya, Alamata, Southern Tigiray, Ethiopia

Background: The Ethiopian regions have a relatively higher prevalence of under-nutrition are found in the lowlands of the country, with the exception of the highlands of Tigiray, where under-nutrition is also prevalent. The intention of this study was to compare anthropometric nutritional status and associated factors of lactating women between lowland and highland communities of […]

Effectiveness of interventions to reduce household air pollution from solid biomass fuels and improve maternal and child health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review protocol

Background: A variety of public health interventions have been undertaken in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to prevent morbidity and mortality associated with household air pollution (HAP) due to cooking, heating and lighting with solid biomass fuels. Pregnant women and children under five are particularly vulnerable to the effects of HAP, due to biological susceptibility […]

Determinants of under-nutrition among children under five years of age in Ethiopia

Background: Ethiopia is one of the developing countries where child under-nutrition is prevalent. Prior studies employed three anthropometric indicators for identifying factors of children’s under-nutrition. This study aimed at identifying the factors of child under-nutrition using a single composite index of anthropometric indicators. Methods: Data from Ethiopia’s Demographic and Health Survey 2016 was the base […]

Spatial variation and determinants of childhood anemia among children aged 6 to 59 months in Ethiopia: further analysis of Ethiopian demographic and health survey 2016

Background: The magnitude of childhood anemia was increased from time to time. Thus, Even if the Ethiopian government applied tremendous efforts, anemia in children continues as a major public health problem. There is limited evidence on the spatial variation of and determinant factors of childhood anemia at the national level. Therefore, this study aimed to […]

From kitchen to classroom: Assessing the impact of cleaner burning biomass-fuelled cookstoves on primary school attendance in Karonga district, northern Malawi

Household air pollution from burning solid fuels is responsible for an estimated 2.9 million premature deaths worldwide each year and 4.5% of global disability-adjusted life years, while cooking and fuel collection pose a considerable time burden, particularly for women and children. Cleaner burning biomass-fuelled cookstoves have the potential to lower exposure to household air pollution […]

Engaging men in maternal, infant and young child nutrition in rural Tanzania: Outcomes from a cluster randomized control trial and qualitative study

There is growing recognition that engaging men in maternal, infant and young child nutrition (MIYCN) interventions can benefit child health and disrupt harmful gender norms. We conducted a cluster-randomized controlled trial in Tanzania, which engaged men and women in behaviour change via mobile messaging (short message service [SMS]) and traditional interpersonal communication (IPC), separately and in combination. […]

Effects of health education on spousal knowledge and participation in birth preparedness in Farafenni Regional Hospital, The Gambia: a randomized trial

Background: The Gambia is a male-dominant society in which the cultural norms empower husbands to decide when and where their wives seek care, yet they are not always involved in maternal health care services. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to design and measure the effects of antenatal health education on spousal participation in […]