Effectiveness of an Electronic Partogram: A Mixed-Method, Quasi-Experimental Study Among Skilled Birth Attendants in Kenya
BACKGROUND: Timely identification and management of intrapartum complications could significantly reduce maternal deaths, intrapartum stillbirths, and newborn deaths due to hypoxia. The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies monitoring of labor using the paper partograph as a high-priority intervention for identifying abnormities in labor and fetal well-being. This article describes a mixed-method, quasi-experimental study to assess […]
Effect of zinc added to a daily small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplement on diarrhoea, malaria, fever and respiratory infections in young children in rural Burkina Faso: A cluster-randomised trial
Objective: Preventive zinc supplementation in the form of tablets or syrup reduces the incidence of diarrhoea and acute lower respiratory tract infections (RTI), but its effect on malaria is inconsistent. When zinc is administered with other micronutrients or foods, its effect is also uncertain. We assessed the effects of different amounts and sources of zinc […]
Measuring the Overall Burden of Early Childhood Malnutrition in Ghana: A Comparison of Estimates From Multiple Data Sources
Background: Childhood malnutrition contributes to nearly half (45%) of all deaths among children under 5 globally. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aims to end all forms of malnutrition by 2030; however, measuring progress towards these goals is challenging, particularly in countries with emerging economies where nationally-representative data are limited. The primary objective of […]
Improving lives by accelerating progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals for adolescents living with HIV: a prospective cohort study
Background: Low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) face major challenges in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for vulnerable adolescents. We aimed to test the UN Development Programme’s proposed approach of development accelerators—provisions that lead to progress across multiple SDGs—and synergies between accelerators on achieving SDG-aligned targets in a highly vulnerable group of adolescents in […]
Exclusive Breastfeeding and Associated Factors among Mothers with Twins in the Tamale Metropolis
Background. Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for the first six months after birth has been recommended by the WHO as the best infant feeding strategy. Data on EBF rates among twin infants in Ghana remain limited and for that matter hypothesized to be low. Aim. The study sought to measure the prevalence of EBF and identify associated […]
Universal health coverage and the poor: to what extent are health financing policies making a difference? Evidence from a benefit incidence analysis in Zambia
Background: Zambia has invested in several healthcare financing reforms aimed at achieving universal access to health services. Several evaluations have investigated the effects of these reforms on the utilization of health services. However, only one study has assessed the distributional incidence of health spending across different socioeconomic groups, but without differentiating between public and overall […]
The double burden of malnutrition in a rural health and demographic surveillance system site in South Africa: A study of primary schoolchildren and their mothers
Background: In South Africa, the occurrence of the double burden of malnutrition is on the rise at a household level predisposing children and their mothers to negative health outcomes. However, few studies have been conducted at a household level. Therefore, we studied a double burden of malnutrition using child-mother pairs in a rural setting. Methods: […]
Risk factors associated with poor health outcomes for children under the age of 5 with moderate acute malnutrition in rural fagita lekoma district, Awi Zone, Amhara, Ethiopia, 2016
Background: Left untreated, moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) in children can lead to severe acute malnutrition, stunting, developmental delays, and death. Despite recent progress the prevalence of malnutrition remains high throughout Ethiopia. The ability to make accurate prognoses and develop effective treatment strategies for children with MAM is currently limited and, as result, a significant proportion […]
Addressing child undernutrition in Tanzania with the ASTUTE program
Background: Optimal infant and young child feeding practices (IYCFP) reduce childhood stunting and are associated with additional health benefits. In Tanzania, IYCFP are far from optimal where 32% of children under the age of 5 years are stunted. The purpose of this study was to examine whether behavior change communication focused on reducing child undernutrition was […]
Malnutrition, morbidity and infection in the informal settlements of Nairobi, Kenya: An epidemiological study
Background: Malnutrition constitutes one of the major public health challenges throughout the developing world. Urban poverty and malnutrition have been on the rise, with an increased rate of morbidity. We herein explore the relationship between infections and nutritional status and the related association with hygienic conditions as risk of infection in children residing in the […]
