Derivation of a contextually-appropriate covid-19 mortality scale for low-resource settings

Background: In many low-and middle-income countries, where vaccinations will be delayed and healthcare systems are underdeveloped, the COVID-19 pandemic will continue for the foreseeable future. Mortality scales can aid frontline providers in low-resource settings (LRS) in identifying those at greatest risk of death so that limited resources can be directed towards those in greatest need […]

Risk factors for Bordetella pertussis disease in hospitalized children

Introduction Despite a resurgence of disease, risk factors for pertussis in children in low and middle-income countries are poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate risk factors for pertussis disease in African children hospitalized with severe LRTI. Methods A prospective study of children hospitalized with severe LRTI in Cape Town, South Africa was conducted over […]

“From experts to locals hands” healthcare service planning in sub-Saharan Africa: an insight from the integrated community case management of Ghana

Background: Although community participation remains an essential component globally in healthcare service planning, evidence of how rural communities participate in the planning of rural-based healthcare programs has less been explored in Sub-Saharan Africa. Objective: We explored communities’ participation in health care planning in hard-to-reach communities, within the context of Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM), a […]

Determinants of practice of birth preparedness and complication readiness among pregnant women in Sodo Zuria District, Southern Ethiopia: Content analysis using Poisson’s regression

Objectives: Every pregnancy can face risk. One of the World Health Organization recommendations for health promotion interventions for maternal and newborn health was to increase birth preparedness and complication readiness. The main objective of this recommendation was to increase the use of skilled care at birth and to increase the timely use of facility care […]

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on utilisation of facility-based essential maternal and child health services from March to August 2020 compared with pre-pandemic March-August 2019: a mixed-methods study in North Shewa Zone, Ethiopia

Introduction Health systems are often weakened by public health emergencies that make it harder to access health services. We aimed to assess maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) service utilisation during the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with prior to the pandemic. Methods We conducted a mixed study design in eight health […]

Help-seeking intention and associated factors towards mental illness among residents of Mertule Mariam town, East Gojam Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia: A mixed-method study

Background: About 76% and 85% of people in low and middle-income countries with severe mental illness did not get management because of fear of expected discrimination. Studying the intention to seek help for mental illness will, therefore, help to know their intended plan for help that would have a vital role to access patients with […]

Disrespect and abuse experienced by women during childbirth in midwife-led obstetric units in Tshwane district, South Africa: A qualitative study

The disrespect and abuse (D&A) of women during childbirth is common and a great concern in midwifery-led obstetric units (MOUs) in South Africa. This paper used the seven chapters of the Respectful Maternity Care Charter as a framework to explore women’s experiences of care during childbirth and examine the occurrence of D&A during childbirth in […]

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Hypertension among Women in Southern Ghana: Evidence from 2014 GDHS

Background. Hypertension, coupled with prehypertension and other hazards such as high blood pressure, is responsible for 8·5 million deaths from stroke, ischaemic heart disease, other vascular diseases, and renal disease worldwide. Hypertension is the fifth commonest cause of outpatient morbidity in Ghana. Some evidence have illustrated geographical variation in hypertension and it seems to have […]

Participation in household decision making and justification of wife beating: Evidence from the 2018 Mali Demographic and Health Survey

Background: We assessed the association between women’s participation in household decision making and justification of wife beating among married women ages 15-49 y in Mali. Methods: We employed a cross-sectional study design among 7893 women of reproductive age involving a two-stage sampling technique using version 6 of the Mali Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS) data, […]

Which Factors Predict Hospital Length-of-Stay for Children Admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Pediatric Ward? A Hospital-Based Prospective Study

Background. The ability to accurately predict hospital length of stay (LOS) or time to discharge could aid in resource planning, stimulate quality improvement activities, and provide evidence for future research and medical practice. This study aimed to determine the predictive factors of time to discharge among patients admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) […]