Adherence to prenatal iron-folic acid supplementation in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC): A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Daily iron-folic acid supplementation reduces anemia and various adverse obstetric outcomes such as preterm delivery, low birthweight, hemorrhage, and perinatal and maternal morbidity and mortality. However, its supplementation has not been successful that attributed to several determinants including poor adherence. Therefore, we aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis on the prevalence and […]

Timing of first antenatal care contact, its associated factors and state-level analysis in Nigeria: a cross-sectional assessment of compliance with the WHO guidelines

OBJECTIVES: To assess the compliance of WHO guidelines on the timeliness of antenatal care (ANC) initiation in Nigeria and its associated factors and to provide subcountry analysis of disparities in the timing of the first ANC in Nigeria. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Nationally representative data of most recent pregnancies between 2013 and 2018 in Nigeria. PARTICIPANTS: […]

Attendance at antenatal clinics in inner-city Johannesburg, South Africa and its associations with birth outcomes: Analysis of data from birth registers at three facilities

Background: Antenatal care (ANC) clinics serve as key gateways to screening and treatment interventions that improve pregnancy outcomes, and are especially important for HIV-infected women. By disaggregating data on access to ANC, we aimed to identify variation in ANC attendance by level of care and across vulnerable groups in inner-city Johannesburg, and document the impact […]

Improving emergency obstetric referral systems in low and middle income countries: A qualitative study in a tertiary health facility in Ghana

Background: Timely access to emergency obstetric care is crucial in preventing mortalities associated with pregnancy and childbirth. The referral of patients from lower levels of care to higher levels has been identified as an integral component of the health care delivery system in Ghana. To this effect, in 2012, the National Referral Policy and Guidelines […]

Contextual factors associated with health care service utilization for children with acute childhood illnesses in Nigeria

Objective To examine the independent contribution of individual, community and state-level factors to health care service utilization for children with acute childhood illnesses in Nigeria. Materials and methods The study was based on secondary analyses of cross-sectional population-based data from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). Multilevel logistic regression models were applied to […]

Text messaging for maternal and infant retention in prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission services: A pragmatic steppedwedge cluster-randomized trial in Kenya

Background: Timely diagnosis of infant HIV infection is essential for antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation. In a randomized controlled trial, we found the Texting Improves Testing (TextIT) intervention (a theory-based text messaging system) to be efficacious for improving infant HIV testing rates and maternal retention in prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) programs. Using an implementation […]

Prevalence, predictors of low birth weight and its association with maternal iron status using serum ferritin concentration in rural Eastern Ethiopia: a prospective cohort study

Introduction: Low birth weight (LBW) is one of the major predictors of perinatal survival, infant morbidity, and mortality, as well as the risk of developmental disabilities and illnesses in future lives. The effect of the nutritional status of pregnant women on birth outcomes is becoming a common research agenda, but evidence on the level of […]

Epidemiology and Impact of Campylobacter Infection in Children in 8 Low-Resource Settings: Results from the MAL-ED Study

Background. Enteropathogen infections have been associated with enteric dysfunction and impaired growth in children in low-resource settings. In a multisite birth cohort study (MAL-ED), we describe the epidemiology and impact of Campylobacter infection in the first 2 years of life. Methods. Children were actively followed up until 24 months of age. Diarrheal and nondiarrheal stool […]

Decomposing socio-economic inequalities in antenatal care utilisation in 12 Southern African Development Community countries

Although many countries are making progress towards achieving the global sustainable development goals, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) lags behind. SSA bears a relatively higher burden of maternal morbidity and mortality than other regions despite existing cost-effective interventions. This paper assesses antenatal care (ANC) service utilisation among women in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, one […]

Is the decline in neonatal mortality in northern Ghana, 1996-2012, associated with the decline in the age of BCG vaccination? An ecological study

Objective To examine the association between early Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination and neonatal mortality in northern Ghana Methods This ecological study used vaccination and mortality data from the Navrongo Health and Demographic Surveillance System First, we assessed and compared changes in neonatal mortality rates (NMRs) and median BCG vaccination age from 1996 to 2012 Second, […]