Individual and contextual factors associated with childhood malnutrition: a multilevel analysis of the double burden of childhood malnutrition in 27 countries
Background: Malnutrition is a key global health challenge and a major contributor to childhood morbidity and mortality. In recent times, the contrasting coexistence of undernutrition including micronutrient deficiencies and overweight/obesity called double burden of malnutrition has been noted at individual, household or population level and/or at different times in life. The objective of this study […]
Cultural factors contributing to maternal mortality rate in rural villages of limpopo province, south africa
Introduction: The understanding of the link between cultural affairs and maternal health is critical to save the lives of women. The South African maternal mortality rate (MMR) target for 2015 was 38/100,000 live births. In 2017, South Africa had 1,222 maternal deaths. The purpose was to determine the perceived cultural factors contributing to MMR in […]
Effect of preoperative bicarbonate infusion on maternal and perinatal outcomes of obstructed labour in Mbale Regional Referral Hospital: A study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Introduction To improve maternal and fetal outcomes among patients with obstructed labour (OL) in low-resource settings, the associated electrolyte and metabolic derangements must be adequately corrected. Oral fluid intake during labour and preoperative intravenous fluid replacement following OL corrects the associated dehydration and electrolyte changes, but it does not completely reverse the metabolic acidosis, that […]
In urban South Africa, 16 year old adolescents experience greater health equality than children
Despite the strongly established link between socio-economic status (SES) and health across most stages of the life-course, the evidence for a socio-economic gradient in adolescent health outcomes is less consistent. This paper examines associations between household, school, and neighbourhood SES measures with body composition outcomes in 16 year old South African Black urban adolescents from […]
Challenges and facilitators to the provision of sexual, reproductive health and rights services in Ghana
Expanding access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services is one of the key targets of the Sustainable Development Goals. The extent to which sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) targets will be achieved largely depends on how well they are integrated within Universal Health Coverage (UHC) initiatives. This paper examines challenges and facilitators […]
Environmental heat stress on maternal physiology and fetal blood flow in pregnant subsistence farmers in The Gambia, west Africa: an observational cohort study
Background: Anthropogenic climate change has caused extreme temperatures worldwide, with data showing that sub-Saharan Africa is especially vulnerable to these changes. In sub-Saharan Africa, women comprise 50% of the agricultural workforce, often working throughout pregnancy despite heat exposure increasing the risk of adverse birth outcomes. In this study, we aimed to improve understanding of the […]
Knowledge of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy of Moroccan women in Morocco and in the Netherlands: A qualitative interview study
Background: Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) are the most common medical disorders in pregnancy and the greatest single cause of maternal mortality worldwide. Ethnicity appears to be a significant risk factor for pregnancy related mortality and for severe maternal morbidity. Most of the complications caused by HDP may be reduced by early detection and proper […]
Association between fetal abdominal growth trajectories, maternal metabolite signatures early in pregnancy, and childhood growth and adiposity: prospective observational multinational INTERBIO-21st fetal study
Background: Obesity predominantly affects populations in high-income countries and those countries facing epidemiological transition. The risk of childhood obesity is increased among infants who had overweight or obesity at birth, but in low-resource settings one in five infants are born small for gestational age. We aimed to study the relationships between: (1) maternal metabolite signatures; […]
The burden of influenza among Kenyan pregnant and postpartum women and their infants, 2015–2020
Background: In tropical Africa, data about influenza-associated illness burden are needed to assess potential benefits of influenza vaccination among pregnant women. We estimated the incidence of influenza among pregnant women and their infants in Siaya County, Kenya. Methods: We enrolled women at
Measuring progress towards universal health coverage: National and subnational analysis in Ethiopia
Introduction Aiming for universal health coverage (UHC) as a country-level goal requires that progress is measured and tracked over time. However, few national and subnational studies monitor UHC in low-income countries and there is none for Ethiopia. This study aimed to estimate the 2015 national and subnational UHC service coverage status for Ethiopia. Methods The […]
