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 […]
Family planning practices and pregnancy intentions among HIV-positive and HIV-negative postpartum women in Swaziland: A cross sectional survey
Background: In settings where sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV prevalence is high, the postpartum period is a time of increased biological susceptibility to pregnancy related sepsis. Enabling women living with HIV to avoid unintended pregnancies during the postpartum period can reduce vertical transmission and maternal mortality associated with HIV infection. We describe family planning […]
Mobile phone intervention reduces perinatal mortality in zanzibar: Secondary outcomes of a cluster randomized controlled trial
Background: Mobile phones are increasingly used in health systems in developing countries and innovative technical solutions have great potential to overcome barriers of access to reproductive and child health care. However, despite widespread support for the use of mobile health technologies, evidence for its role in health care is sparse. Objective: We aimed to evaluate […]
Predictors and consequences of HIV status disclosure to adolescents living with HIV in Eastern Cape, South Africa: a prospective cohort study
Introduction: The World Health Organization recommends full disclosure of HIV-positive status to adolescents who acquired HIV perinatally (APHIV) by age 12. However, even among adolescents (aged 10–19) already on antiretroviral therapy (ART), disclosure rates are low. Caregivers often report the child being too young and fear of disclosure worsening adolescents’ mental health as reasons for […]
Health care seeking in modern urban LMIC settings: evidence from Lusaka, Zambia
Background: In an effort to improve population health, many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have expanded access to public primary care facilities and removed user fees for services in these facilities. However, a growing literature suggests that many patients bypass nearby primary care facilities to seek care at more distant or higher-level facilities. Patients in […]
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 […]
Impact of Birthing Room Design on Maternal Childbirth Experience: Results From the Room4Birth Randomized Trial
Objective: To study the effect of the birthing room design on nulliparous women’s childbirth experience up to 1 year after birth. Background: Although it is known that the birth environment can support or hinder birth processes, the impact of the birthing room design on maternal childbirth experience over time is insufficiently studied. Methods: The Room4Birth […]
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 […]
Expanding contraceptive options for PMTCT clients: A mixed methods implementation study in Cape Town, South Africa
Background: Clients of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services in South Africa who use contraception following childbirth rely primarily on short-acting methods like condoms, pills, and injectables, even when they desire no future pregnancies. Evidence is needed on strategies for expanding contraceptive options for postpartum PMTCT clients to include long-acting and permanent methods. Methods. We […]
