A contextual exploration of healthcare service use in urban slums in Nigeria
Introduction Many urban residents in low- and middle-income countries live in unfavorable conditions with few healthcare facilities, calling to question the long-held view of urban advantage in health, healthcare access and utilization. We explore the patterns of healthcare utilization in these deprived neighborhoods by studying three such settlements in Nigeria. Methods The study was conducted […]
Correlates of poor perinatal outcomes in non-hospital births in the context of weak health system: The nigerian experience
Background: Nigeria’s high perinatal mortality rate (PNMR) could be most effectively reduced by targeting factorsthat are associated with increased newborn deaths. Low access to skilled birth attendants (SBAs) and weak healthsystem are recognized factors associated with high PNMR but other socio-demographic and reproductive factorscould have significant influences as well. Identification of the major factors associated […]
Family influences on child nutritional outcomes in Nairobi’s informal settlements
Background: Improving child nutritional status is an important step towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 3 in developing countries. Most child nutrition interventions in these countries remain variably effective because the strategies often target the child’s mother/caregiver and give limited attention to other household members. Quantitative studies have identified individual level factors, such […]
Skin prick test reactivity to common allergens among women in Entebbe, Uganda
The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of atopic sensitization, and to identify common aeroallergens associated with atopic sensitization among women in Entebbe, Uganda, and to determine risk factors for atopic sensitization among those with and without a history of asthma or eczema. A case-control study was conducted within a trial of […]
Household Microenvironment and Under-Fives Health Outcomes in Uganda: Focusing on Multidimensional Energy Poverty and Women Empowerment Indices
Young children in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) are vulnerable to adverse effects of household microenvironments. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—specifically SDG 3 through 7—urge for a comprehensive multi-sector approach to achieve the 2030 goals. This study addresses gaps in understanding the health effects of household microenvironments in resourcepoor settings. It studies associations of household […]
Food insecurity and water insecurity in rural Zimbabwe: Development of multidimensional household measures
Background: With millions of people experiencing malnutrition and inadequate water access, FI and WI remain topics of vital importance to global health. Existing unidimensional FI and WI metrics do not all capture similar multidimensional aspects, thus restricting our ability to assess and address food-and water-related issues. Methods: Using the Sanitation, Hygiene and Infant Nutrition Efficacy […]
Breastfeeding and child survival from 0 to 5 years in Côte d’Ivoire
Background: One of the main objectives of health policy-makers is to promote children’s growth, development, and survival. The current research evaluates the impact of breastfeeding on infant survival and highlights the major socio-economic determinants of child survival from 0 to 5 years old in Côte d’Ivoire. Methods: This study uses Probit estimation to evaluate the […]
Co-design and implementation of a mHealth intervention targeting fathers and mothers to improve breastfeeding
Background: Evidence has shown that SMS text message-based health education is effective in improving exclusive breastfeeding. However, there is limited evidence on the development and design of SMS messaging intervention targeting fathers and mothers. Method: This is the formative assessment and intervention design for a larger trial targeting both fathers and mothers for breastfeeding support […]
Whether weather matters: Evidence of association between in utero meteorological exposures and foetal growth among Indigenous and non-Indigenous mothers in rural Uganda
Pregnancy and birth outcomes have been found to be sensitive to meteorological variation, yet few studies explore this relationship in sub-Saharan Africa where infant mortality rates are the highest in the world. We address this research gap by examining the association between meteorological factors and birth weight in a rural population in southwestern Uganda. Our […]
Playing the catch-up game: Accelerating the scale-up of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) services to eliminate new pediatric HIV infection in Nigeria
Introduction As the world is making progress towards elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, poor coverage of PMTCT services in Nigeria remains a major challenge. In order to address this, scale-up was planned with activities organized into 3 phases. This paper describes the process undertaken in eight high burden Nigerian states to rapidly close PMTCT […]
