Barriers to timely administration of birth dose vaccines in The Gambia, West Africa
Objective Although vaccine coverage in infants in sub-Saharan Africa is high, this is estimated at the age of 6–12 months. There is little information on the timely administration of birth dose vaccines. The objective of this study was to assess the timing of birth dose vaccines (hepatitis B, BCG and oral polio) and reasons for […]
Regular antenatal care visits were associated with low risk of low birth weight among newborns in Rwanda: Evidence from the 2014/2015 Rwanda Demographic Health Survey (RDHS) Data
Background: Low birth weight (LBW) remains the global unfinished agenda in most countries of the world especially in low- and middle-income countries. LBW subsequently has harmful effects on the lifestyle, psychosocial and physiological development of the child. Although it is known that antenatal care (ANC) visits are important interventions contributing to prediction of newborn birth […]
Improving the quality of obstetric care for women with obstructed labour in the national referral hospital in Uganda: Lessons learnt from criteria based audit
Background: Obstructed labour remains a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality whose complications can be reduced with improved quality of obstetric care. The objective was to assess whether criteria-based audit improves quality of obstetric care provided to women with obstructed labour in Mulago hospital, Uganda. Methods: Using criteria-based audit, management of obstructed labour was […]
Birth attendance and magnitude of obstetric complications in Western Kenya: a retrospective case-control study
Background: Skilled birth attendance is critical in the provision of child birth related services. Yet, literature is scanty on the outcomes of child birth related complications in situations where majority of women deliver under the care of non-skilled birth attendants compared to those who are assisted by skilled providers. The study sought to assess the […]
The Development of an Electronic Clinical Decision and Support System to Improve the Quality of Antenatal Care in Rural Tanzania: Lessons Learned Using Intervention Mapping
It is widely recognised that high quality antenatal care is a key element in maternal healthcare. Tanzania has a very high maternal mortality ratio of 524 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Most maternal deaths are due to preventable causes that can be detected during pregnancy, and antenatal care therefore plays an important role in […]
Effects of short birth interval on neonatal, infant and under-five child mortality in Ethiopia: A nationally representative observational study using inverse probability of treatment weighting
Objective To assess the effect of short birth interval (SBI) on neonatal, infant, and under-five mortality in Ethiopia. Design A nationally representative cross-sectional survey. Setting This study used data from the Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey 2016. Participants A total of 8448 women who had at least two live births during the 5 years preceding […]
Childhood undernutrition in three disadvantaged East African Districts: A multinomial analysis
Background: Undernutrition is an important public health indicator for monitoring nutritional status and survival. In spite of its importance, undernutrition is a significant problem health problem in many East African communities. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with childhood undernutrition in three disadvantaged East African Districts. Methods: We examined data for […]
Effectiveness of a Lay Counselor-Led Combination Intervention for Retention of Mothers and Infants in HIV Care: A Randomized Trial in Kenya
Background:Retention of mothers and infants across the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) continuum remains challenging. We assessed the effectiveness of a lay worker administered combination intervention compared with the standard of care (SOC) on mother-infant attrition.Methods:HIV-positive pregnant women starting antenatal care at 10 facilities in western Kenya were randomized using simple randomization to receive […]
Impact of a bottom-up community engagement intervention on maternal and child health services utilization in Ghana: A cluster randomised trial
Background: Ghana is among African countries not likely to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) three (3) target of reducing maternal mortality to 70 per 100,000 live births by the year 2030 if maternal and child health services utilization are not improved. Community engagement in health is therefore advocated to help address this challenge. This […]
Major causes of death in preterm infants in selected hospitals in Ethiopia (SIP): a prospective, cross-sectional, observational study
Background: Neonatal deaths now account for 47% of all deaths in children younger than 5 years globally. More than a third of newborn deaths are due to preterm birth complications, which is the leading cause of death. Understanding the causes and factors contributing to neonatal deaths is needed to identify interventions that will reduce mortality. […]
