Effectiveness of a package of postpartum family planning interventions on the uptake of contraceptive methods until twelve months postpartum in Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of Congo: The YAM DAABO study protocol
Background: Postpartum family planning (PPFP) information and services can prevent maternal and child morbidity and mortality in low-resource countries, where high unmet need for PPFP remains despite opportunities offered by routine postnatal care visits. This study aims to identify a package of PPFP interventions and determine its effectiveness on the uptake of contraceptive methods during […]
Antenatal couples’ counselling in Uganda (ACCU): study protocol for a randomised controlled feasibility trial
Background: Common avoidable factors leading to maternal, perinatal and neonatal deaths include lack of birth planning (and delivery in an inappropriate place) and unmet need for contraception. Progress has been slow because routine antenatal care has focused only on women. Yet, in Uganda, many women first want the approval of their husbands. The World Health […]
Improving the demand for birth registration: A discrete choice experiment in Ethiopia
Introduction Birth registration remains limited in most low and middle-income countries. We investigated which characteristics of birth registration facilities might determine caregivers’ decisions to register children in Ethiopia. Methods We conducted a discrete choice experiment in randomly selected households in Addis Ababa and the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region. We interviewed caregivers of children […]
Impact of reduced dose of ready-to-use therapeutic foods in children with uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition: A randomised non-inferiority trial in Burkina Faso
Background: Children with uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition (SAM) are treated at home with ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTFs). The current RUTF dose is prescribed according to the weight of the child to fulfil 100% of their nutritional needs until discharge. However, there is doubt concerning the dose, as it seems to be shared, resulting in suboptimal […]
“Communicate to vaccinate”: The development of a taxonomy of communication interventions to improve routine childhood vaccination
Background: Vaccination is a cost-effective public health measure and is central to the Millennium Development Goal of reducing child mortality. However, childhood vaccination coverage remains sub-optimal in many settings. While communication is a key feature of vaccination programmes, we are not aware of any comprehensive approach to organising the broad range of communication interventions that […]
Characterizing local-scale heterogeneity of malaria risk: A case study in Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo district in northern Ghana
Background: Bayesian methods have been used to generate country-level and global maps of malaria prevalence. With increasing availability of detailed malaria surveillance data, these methodologies can also be used to identify fine-scale heterogeneity of malaria parasitaemia for operational prevention and control of malaria. Methods: In this article, a Bayesian geostatistical model was applied to six […]
Infant HIV testing at birth using point-ofcare and conventional HIV DNA PCR: An implementation feasibility pilot study in Kenya
Background: Infant HIV diagnosis by HIV DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing at the standard 6 weeks of age is often late to mitigate the mortality peak that occurs in HIV positive infants’ first 2-3 months of life. Kenya recently revised their early infant diagnosis (EID) guidelines to include HIV DNA PCR testing at birth […]
Investigating the non-specific effects of BCG vaccination on the innate immune system in Ugandan neonates: Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Background: The potential for Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination to protect infants against non-mycobacterial disease has been suggested by a randomised controlled trial conducted in low birth-weight infants in West Africa. Trials to confirm these findings in healthy term infants, and in a non-West African setting, have not yet been carried out. In addition, a biological […]
Determinants of self-reported hypertension among women in South Africa: evidence from the population-based survey
Background: Hypertension (HTN), characterized by an elevation of blood pressure, is a serious public health chronic condition that significantly raises the risks of heart, brain, kidney, and other diseases. In South Africa, the prevalence of HTN (measured objectively) was reported at 46.0% in females, nonetheless little is known regarding the prevalence and risks factors of […]
Level of quality of option B+PMTCT service provision in public health facilities in Mekelle zone, northern Ethiopia: Cross-sectional study
Background: Substantial improvements have been observed in coverage and access to maternal health services in Ethiopia. However, the quality of care has been lagging behind. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the level of quality of Option B+ PMTCT in Northern Ethiopia. Methods: A facility based survey was conducted from February to April 2016 in […]
