What prevents pregnant women from adhering to the continuum of maternal care? Evidence on interrelated mechanisms from a cohort study in Kenya
Objectives To examine the determinants of the continuum of maternal care from an integrated perspective, focusing on how key components of an adequate journey are interrelated. Design A facility-based prospective cohort study. Setting 25 health facilities across three counties of Kenya: Nairobi, Kisumu and Kakamega. Participants A total of 5 879 low-income pregnant women aged […]
Early life factors and their relevance to intimamedia thickness of the common carotid artery in early adulthood
Background Early life factors may predispose an offspring to cardiovascular disease in later life; relevance of these associations may extend to “healthy” people in Western populations. We examined the prospective associations between early life factors and adult carotid intimamedia thickness (IMT), a surrogate marker of atherosclerosis, in a healthy German population. Methods We studied term […]
On measuring and decomposing inequality of opportunity in access to health services among Tunisian children: A new approach for public policy
Background: The early years in children’s life are the key to physical, cognitive-language, and, socio-emotional skills development. So, it is of paramount importance in this period to be interested in different indicators that would influence the child’s health. Methods: This paper measures inequality of opportunities among Tunisian children concerning access to nutritional and healthy services […]
Management of post abortion complications in Botswana -The need for a standardized approach
Background Post abortion complications are the third leading cause of maternal death after hemorrhage and hypertension in Botswana where abortion is not legalized. This study aimed at assessing the management of post abortion complications in Botswana. Methods A retrospective study was conducted at four hospitals in Botswana in 2014. Socio-demo-graphic, patient management and outcomes data […]
Prevalence and predictive determinants of adherence to vaccination against COVID-19 among mothers who gave birth in the last two years in Morocco
Background and aim: Vaccination against COVID-19 was one of the most important resolute to stop the spread of the pandemic; however, its acceptance was controversial especially by pregnant and lactating women. This study aims to assess the prevalence of vaccination among participants as well as to explore the determinants of reluctance or adherence to vaccination […]
The 4MOTHERS trial of the impact of a mobile money-based intervention on maternal and neonatal health outcomes in Madagascar: study protocol of a cluster-randomized hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial
Background: Mobile money—a service enabling users to receive, store, and send electronic money using mobile phones—has been widely adopted across low- and middle-income economies to pay for a variety of services, including healthcare. However, evidence on its effects on healthcare access and health outcomes are scarce and the possible implications of using mobile money for […]
Factors affecting utilization of health facilities for labour and childbirth: A case study from rural Uganda
Background: Since 2000 considerable attention has been placed on maternal health outcomes as the 5th Millennium Goal. In Uganda, only 65% of births are delivered by a skilled birth attendant, contributing to the 435 women that die in every 100,000 births from unattended complications. Factors that impact a women’s decision on where to deliver include […]
Improving the quality of antenatal care using mobile health in madagascar: Five-year cross-sectional study
Background: Despite many efforts, maternal mortality remains a major burden in most developing countries. Mobile health (mHealth) has the potential to improve access to obstetric care through apps that help patients and providers. Objective: This study aimed to use mHealth to provide antenatal care (ANC) to 1446 pregnant women in a rural area in Madagascar […]
Safety of components and platforms of COVID-19 vaccines considered for use in pregnancy: A rapid review
Background: Rapid assessment of COVID-19 vaccine safety during pregnancy is urgently needed. Methods: We conducted a rapid systematic review, to evaluate the safety of COVID-19 vaccines selected by the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access-Maternal Immunization Working Group in August 2020, including their components and their technological platforms used in other vaccines for pregnant persons. We searched […]
Perceptions and practice of preconception care by healthcare workers and high-risk women in south africa: A qualitative study
Preconception care is biomedical, behavioural, and social health interventions provided to women and couples before conception. This service is sometimes prioritised for women at high risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Evidence revealed that only very few women in Africa with severe chronic conditions receive or seek preconception care advice and assessment for future pregnancy. Thus, […]
