Antenatal care visit attendance, intermittent preventive treatment and bed net use during pregnancy in Gabon

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) and insecticide treated bed nets (ITNs) must be provided during antenatal care (ANC) visits for malaria prevention during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to determine the level of ANC attendance and its relationship with IPTp-SP and bed net coverage […]

Maternal mental health of adolescent mothers: a cross-sectional mixed-method study protocol to determine cultural and social factors and mental health needs in Lilongwe, Malawi

INTRODUCTION: Adolescence marks a transition of life from childhood to adulthood. Becoming a mother during adolescence presents unique challenges that have a significant mental and physical burden and may increase the likelihood of developing common mental disorders (CMDs). Untreated CMDs have serious effects on both the mother and her child. Culture constitutes an important context […]

Chronic gestational inflammation: Transfer of maternal adaptation over two generations of progeny

Changes in the in utero environment result in generational transfer of maladapted physiology in the context of conditions such as stress, obesity, and anxiety. Given the significant contribution of noncommunicable diseases – which are characterised by chronic inflammation – to population mortality, the potential for chronic maternal inflammation mediating foetal programming is a growing concern. […]

Effect of oral prophylactic measures on the occurrence of pre-eclampsia (OP-PE) in high-risk pregnant women: A cluster randomized controlled trial

Pre-eclampsia (PE), a pregnancy-specific hypertensive disorder, characterized by the development of placental endothelial dysfunction, remains a major source of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, especially in low-and middle-income settings. Periodontal disorders during pregnancy, and particularly periodontal pathogens, may be related to the risk of PE. Standard oral hygiene methods, based mainly on the joint […]

Effect of guided counseling on nutritional status of pregnant women in West Gojjam zone, Ethiopia: A cluster-randomized controlled trial

Background: Undernutrition during pregnancy affects birth outcomes adversely. In Ethiopia, despite nutrition counseling on the maternal diet being given by the health workers during pregnancy, maternal undernutrition is still high in the country. Hence, this study aimed to assess the effect of guided counseling using the health belief model and the theory of planned behavior […]

Effectiveness of post-partum family planning interventions on contraceptive use and method mix at 1 year after childbirth in Kinshasa, DR Congo (Yam Daabo): a single-blind, cluster-randomised controlled trial

Background: In rural Burkina Faso, a package of six low-technology, post-partum contraceptive interventions (ie, refresher training for providers, a counselling tool, supportive supervision, daily availability of contraceptive services, client appointment cards, and invitation letters to attend appointments for partners), aimed at strengthening existing primary health-care services and enhancing demand for them, doubled the use of […]

Equality in maternal and newborn health: Modelling geographic disparities in utilisation of care in five East African countries

Background: Geographic accessibility to health facilities represents a fundamental barrier to utilisation of maternal and newborn health (MNH) services, driving historically hidden spatial pockets of localized inequalities. Here, we examine utilisation of MNH care as an emergent property of accessibility, highlighting high-resolution spatial heterogeneity and sub-national inequalities in receiving care before, during, and after delivery […]

Managers’ and providers’ perspectives on barriers and facilitators for the implementation of differentiated service delivery models for HIV treatment in Mozambique: a qualitative study

INTRODUCTION: In 2018, Mozambique’s Ministry of Health launched a guideline for a nationwide implementation of eight differentiated service delivery models to optimize HIV service delivery and achieve universal coverage of HIV care and treatment. The models were (1) Fast-track, (2) Three-month Antiretrovirals Dispensing, (3) Community Antiretroviral Therapy Groups, (4) Adherence Clubs, (5) Family-approach, and three […]

Determinants of domestic violence against women in Ghana

Background: The prevalence of domestic violence remains unacceptably high with numerous consequences ranging from psychological to maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity outcomes in pregnant women. The aim of this study was to identify factors that increased the likelihood of an event of domestic violence as reported by ever married Ghanaian women. Methods: Data from […]

Renal Failure among Women of Reproductive Age in Burundi: Estimating the Prevalence and Associated Factors Using Population-Based Data

Background. Renal failure is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in many resource-constrained settings. In developing countries, little has been known about the prevalence and predisposing factors of renal failure using population-based data. The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence and associated factors of renal failure among women of reproductive age […]