Access to integrated community case management of childhood illnesses services in rural Ethiopia: A qualitative study of the perspectives and experiences of caregivers
Background: In 2010, Ethiopia began scaling up the integrated community case management (iCCM) of childhood illness strategy throughout the country allowing health extension workers (HEWs) to treat children in rural health posts. After 2 years of iCCM scale up, utilization of HEWs remains low. Little is known about factors related to the use of health […]
Contracting of private medical practitioners in a National Health Insurance pilot district: What has been the effect on primary healthcare utilisation indicators?
Background: In 2012, the National Department of Health in South Africa started contracting of private medical practitioners (MPs) as part of the first phase of National Health Insurance (NHI) in 11 pilot districts to improve access to healthcare. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe the effect of contracting private MPs on the […]
Prevalence and determinants of adherence to HAART amongst PLHIV in a tertiary health facility in south-south Nigeria
Background: Adherence to Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is a major predictor of the success of HIV/AIDS treatment. Good adherence to HAART is necessary to achieve the best virologic response, lower the risk of drug resistance and reduce morbidity and mortality. This study therefore aimed to determine the prevalence and determinants of adherence to HAART […]
Inequities in childhood anaemia at provincial borders in Mozambique: Cross-sectional study results from multilevel Bayesian analysis of 2018 National Malaria Indicator Survey
Objectives This study aims to identify the child-level, maternal-level, household-level and community-level determinants of anaemia among children aged 6-59 months, and determine the inequities of anaemia prevalence across communities in Mozambique. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Mozambique. Participants This study used data of a weighted population of 3946 children, 6-59 months, delivered by women between 15 […]
Prevalence and determinants of antenatal tetanus vaccination in Sudan: a cross-sectional analysis of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey
Background: Tetanus vaccination is an indispensable component of the antenatal care (ANC) and is considered one of the most effective and protective measures against tetanus deaths. However, data on antenatal tetanus vaccination in Sudan are scarce. We aimed to explore the level of antenatal tetanus vaccination and to identify the influencing factors in a nationally […]
Mortality level and predictors in a rural Ethiopian population: Community based longitudinal study
Background: Over the last fifty years the world has seen enormous decline in mortality rates. However, in low-income countries, where vital registration systems are absent, mortality statistics are not easily available. The recent economic growth of Ethiopia and the parallel large scale healthcare investments make investigating mortality figures worthwhile. Methods: Longitudinal health and demographic surveillance […]
Shamba Maisha: A pilot study assessing impacts of a micro-irrigation intervention on the health and economic wellbeing of HIV patients
HIV/AIDS negatively impacts poverty alleviation and food security, which reciprocally hinder the rapid scale up and effectiveness of HIV care programs. Nyanza province has the highest HIV prevalence (15.3%), and is the third highest contributor (2.4 million people) to rural poverty in Kenya. Thus, we tested the feasibility of providing a micro-irrigation pump to HIV-positive […]
Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Kenya: Challenges to implementation
Background: The prevention of mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is lauded as one of the more successful HIV prevention measures. However, despite some gains in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) in sub-Saharan Africa, mother-to-child transmission rates are still high. In Kenya, mother-to-child transmission is considered one of the greatest health […]
The Critical Role of Supervision in Retaining Staff in Obstetric Services: A Three Country Study
Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5 commits us to reducing maternal mortality rates by three quarters and MDG 4 commits us to reducing child mortality by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015. In order to reach these goals, greater access to basic emergency obstetric care (EmOC) as well as comprehensive EmOC which includes safe Caesarean section, is […]
Undernutrition and Associated Factors Among Children Aged 6–23 Months in Dessie Town, Northeastern Ethiopia, 2021: A Community Based Cross-Sectional Study
Background: Globally about 159, 101, and 52 million children are stunted, underweight, and wasted, respectively. According to the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey, about 38% of Ethiopian children are stunted and 46, 28.4, and 9.8% of children in Amhara Region are stunted, underweight and wasted, respectively. This study aimed to assess undernutrition and associated […]
