Patient satisfaction and perceived quality of care: Evidence from a cross-sectional national exit survey of HIV and non-HIV service users in Zambia
Objective: To examine the associations between perceived quality of care and patient satisfaction among HIV and non-HIV patients in Zambia. Setting: Patient exit survey conducted at 104 primary, secondary and tertiary health clinics across 16 Zambian districts. Participants: 2789 exiting patients. Primary independent variables: Five dimensions of perceived quality of care (health personnel practice and […]
Mortality amongst patients with influenza-associated severe acute respiratory illness, South Africa, 2009-2013
Introduction: Data on the burden and risk groups for influenza-associated mortality from Africa are limited. We aimed to estimate the incidence and risk-factors for in-hospital influenza-associated severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) deaths. Methods: Hospitalised patients with SARI were enrolled prospectively in four provinces of South Africa from 2009- 2013. Using polymerase chain reaction, respiratory samples […]
Tracking immunization coverage, dropout and equity gaps among children ages 12-23 months in Malawi-bottleneck analysis of the Malawi Demographic and Health Survey
Background: Between 2010 and 2016, the proportion of children 12-23 months of age who received full immunization in Malawi decreased from 81% to 76%. Most studies on immunization have mainly focused on the risk factors of vaccination coverage while data on dropouts and equity gaps is very scanty. Thus the aim of the present study […]
Prenatal acrylamide exposure results in time-dependent changes in liver function and basal hematological, and oxidative parameters in weaned Wistar rats
Acrylamide (ACR) is a toxic compound commonly found in fried, baked and heat-processed starchy foods. The current study investigated the time-dependent effects of maternal exposure to non-toxic ACR doses on the oxidative stress, liver function, and basal blood morphology of the rat offspring. Pregnant, Wistar rats were randomly divided into the control group or the […]
Contraceptive use, prevalence and predictors of pregnancy planning among female sex workers in Uganda: A cross sectional study
Background: Unintended pregnancies are associated with negative consequences to both mother and baby. Female Sex Workers (FSWs) are at high risk of unintended/unplanned pregnancies. However, prevalence of pregnancy planning and its predictors among FSWs has not been comprehensively investigated. This study was designed to determine contraceptive use, the prevalence, and predictors of pregnancy planning among […]
Stated job preferences of three health worker cadres in Ethiopia: A discrete choice experiment
Attracting, training and retaining high-quality health workers are critical for a health system to function well, and it is important to know what health workers value in their roles. Many studies eliciting the labour market preferences of health workers have interviewed doctors or medical students, and there has been little research on the job preferences […]
“Telling my husband I have HIV is too heavy to come out of my mouth”: Pregnant women’s disclosure experiences and support needs following antenatal HIV testing in eastern Uganda
Introduction: Disclosure of HIV serostatus by women to their sexual partners is critical for the success of the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) programme as an integrated service in antenatal care. We explored pregnant HIV-positive and HIV-negative women’s partner disclosure experiences and support needs in eastern Uganda. Methods: This was a qualitative study […]
Social norms and family planning decisions in South Sudan
Background: With a maternal mortality ratio of 789 per 100,000 live births, and a contraceptive prevalence rate of 4.7%, South Sudan has one of the worst reproductive health situations in the world. Understanding the social norms around sexuality and reproduction, across different ethnic groups, is key to developing and implementing locally appropriate public health responses. […]
Adaptation and validation of social accountability measures in the context of contraceptive services in Ghana and Tanzania
Background: Changes in the values, attitudes, and interactions of both service users and health care providers are central to social accountability processes in reproductive health. However, there is little consensus on how best to measure these latent changes. This paper reports on the adaptation and validation of measures that capture these changes in Tanzania and […]
Effect of care environment on educational attainment among orphaned and separated children and adolescents in Western Kenya
Background: There are approximately 140 million orphaned and separated children (OSCA) around the world. In Kenya, many of these children live with extended family while others live in institutions. Despite evidence that orphans are less likely to be enrolled in school than non-orphans, there is little evidence regarding the role of care environment. This evidence […]
