Depression and anxiety among pregnant women living with HIV in Kilimanjaro region, Tanzania
Introduction Mental health disorders in pregnant women living with HIV are associated with poor maternal and child outcomes, and undermine the global goals of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT). This study aimed to determine prevalence of depression and anxiety and identify factors associated with these common mental health disorders among HIV-infeced pregnant women […]
When the law makes doors slightly open: ethical dilemmas among abortion service providers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
BACKGROUND: In 2005, Ethiopia changed its abortion law to curb its high maternal mortality. This has led to a considerable reduction in deaths from unsafe abortions. Abortion is now legal if the woman’s pregnancy is a result of rape or incest, if her health is endangered, if the fetus has a serious deformity, if she […]
Trabecular bone parameters, TIMP-2, MMP-8, MMP-13, VEGF expression and immunolocalization in bone and cartilage in newborn offspring prenatally exposed to fumonisins
Fumonisins are protein serine/threonine phosphatase inhibitors and potent inhibitors of sphingosine N-acyltransferase (ceramide synthase) disrupting de novo sphingolipid biosynthesis. The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of fumonisins (FB) exposure from the 7th day of pregnancy to parturition on offspring bone development. The rats were randomly allocated to either a control group (n = […]
The influence of prenatal fumonisin exposure on bone properties, as well as opg and rankl expression and immunolocalization, in newborn offspring is sex and dose dependent
The current study examined the effects of exposure of pregnant dams to fumonisins (FBs; FB1 and FB2), from the seventh day of pregnancy to parturition, on offspring bone metabolism and properties. The rats were randomly divided into three groups intoxicated with FBs at either 0, 60, or 90 mg/kg b.w. Body weight and bone length […]
Midwives’ and patients’ perspectives on disrespect and abuse during labor and delivery care in Ethiopia: A qualitative study
Background: It is increasingly recognized that disrespect and abuse of women during labor and delivery is a violation of a woman’s rights and a deterrent to the use of life-saving, facility-based labor and delivery services. In Ethiopia, rates of skilled birth attendance are still only 28% despite a recent dramatic national scale up in the […]
Academic research productivity of post-graduate students at Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Uganda, from 1996 to 2010: A retrospective review
Background: Research is a core business of universities globally, and is crucial in the scientific process as a precursor for knowledge uptake and use. We aimed to assess the academic productivity of post-graduate students in a university located in a low-income country. Methods: This is an observational retrospective documentary analysis using hand searching archives, Google […]
Pregnant and Postpartum Women’s Experiences and Perspectives on the Acceptability and Feasibility of Copackaged Medicine for Antenatal Care and PMTCT in Lesotho
Objective. To improve PMTCT and antenatal care-related service delivery, a pack with centrally prepackaged medicine was rolled out to all pregnant women in Lesotho in 2011. This study assessed acceptability and feasibility of this copackaging mechanism for drug delivery among pregnant and postpartum women. Methods. Acceptability and feasibility were assessed in a mixed method, cross-sectional […]
Rwanda’s community health workers at the front line: a mixed-method study on perceived needs and challenges for community-based healthcare delivery during COVID-19 pandemic
Objective During the COVID-19 pandemic, community health workers (CHWs) served as front-line workers in the COVID-19 response while maintaining community health services. We aimed to understand challenges faced by Rwanda’s CHWs during a nationwide COVID-19 lockdown that occurred between March and May 2020 by assessing the availability of trainings, supplies and supervision while exploring perceived […]
Undernutrition and its determinants among adolescent girls in low land area of Southern Ethiopia
Background Undernutrition is one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality among adolescent girls worldwide, especially in South-East Asia and Africa. Even though adolescence is a window of opportunity to break the intergenerational cycle of undernutrition, adolescent girls are a neglected group. The objective of this study was to assess the nutritional status […]
Protocol for a drugs exposure pregnancy registry for implementation in resource-limited settings
Background: The absence of robust evidence of safety of medicines in pregnancy, particularly those for major diseases provided by public health programmes in developing countries, has resulted in cautious recommendations on their use. We describe a protocol for a Pregnancy Registry adapted to resource-limited settings aimed at providing evidence on the safety of medicines in […]
