Home gardening improves dietary diversity, a cluster-randomized controlled trial among Tanzanian women
Homestead food production (HFP) programmes improve the availability of vegetables by providing training in growing nutrient-dense crops. In rural Tanzania, most foods consumed are carbohydrate-rich staples with low micronutrient concentrations. This cluster-randomized controlled trial investigated whether women growing home gardens have higher dietary diversity, household food security or probability of consuming nutrient-rich food groups than […]
Estimated hepatitis C prevalence and key population sizes in San Francisco: A foundation for elimination
Background Initiated in 2016, End Hep C SF is a comprehensive initiative to eliminate hepatitis C (HCV) infection in San Francisco. The introduction of direct-acting antivirals to treat and cure HCV provides an opportunity for elimination. To properly measure progress, an estimate of baseline HCV prevalence, and of the number of people in various subpopulations […]
Safety, Quality, and Acceptability of Contraceptive Implant Provision by Community Health Extension Workers versus Nurses and Midwives in Two States in Nigeria
Task sharing is a strategy with potential to increase access to effective modern contraceptive methods. This study examines whether community health extension workers (CHEWs) can insert contraceptive implants to the same safety and quality standards as nurse/midwives. We analyze data from 7,691 clients of CHEWs and nurse/midwives who participated in a noninferiority study conducted in […]
Gestational diabetes mellitus per different diagnostic criteria, risk factors, obstetric outcomes and postpartum glycemia: A prospective study in Ghana
The surge in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) globally requires a health system tailored approach towards prevention, detection and management. We estimated the prevalence of GDM using diverse recommended tests and diagnostic thresholds, and also assessed the risk factors and obstetric outcomes, including postpartum glycemia. Using a prospective cohort design, 446 singleton pregnant women without pre-existing […]
Prevalence and Risk Factors for Periodontal Disease Among Women Attending Antenatal Care in Public Hospitals, Southwest Ethiopia, 2022: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study
Background: Periodontal disease is characterized by the inflammation of all tissues that surround and support the teeth, and it is the most common public health problem worldwide. It has many different contributing factors, such as poor oral hygiene, smoking, anemia, bacterial plaque, poor economic status, and nutritional deficiency. It also causes different feto-maternal complications like […]
Microbiota at multiple body sites during pregnancy in a rural tanzanian population and effects of Moringa-supplemented probiotic yogurt
The nutritional status of pregnant women is vital for healthy outcomes and is a concern for a large proportion of the world’s population. The role of the microbiota in pregnancy and nutrition is a promising new area of study with potential health ramifications. In many African countries, maternal and infant death and morbidity are associated […]
Scaling up integrated community case management of childhood illness: Update from Malawi
The Government of Malawi (GoM) initiated activities to deliver treatment of common childhood illnesses (suspected pneumonia, fever/suspected malaria, and diarrhea) in the community in 2008. The service providers are Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs), and they are posted nationwide to serve communities at a ratio of 1 to 1, 000 population. The GoM targeted the establishment […]
Cost-effectiveness of the non-pneumatic anti-shock garment (NASG): Evidence from a cluster randomized controlled trial in Zambia and Zimbabwe
Background: Obstetric hemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal mortality, particularly in low resource settings where delays in obtaining definitive care contribute to high rates of death. The non-pneumatic anti-shock garment (NASG) first-aid device has been demonstrated to be highly cost-effective when applied at the referral hospital (RH) level. In this analysis we evaluate the […]
Effects of scaling up various community-level interventions on child mortality in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania: a modeling study
Background: Improving child health remains one of the most significant health challenges in sub-Saharan Africa, a region that accounts for half of the global burden of under-five mortality despite having approximately 13% of the world population and 25% of births globally. Improving access to evidence-based community-level interventions has increasingly been advocated to contribute to reducing […]
Characterization of Genetic Variants in the SLC5A5 Gene and Associations With Breast Milk Iodine Concentration in Lactating Women of African Descent: The NUPED Study
Background: The sodium iodide symporter is responsible for the transfer of iodine into breast milk and is encoded for by the SLC5A5 gene. The role of genetic variants in the SLC5A5 gene locus in relation to the transfer of iodine from plasma into breast milk in healthy lactating individuals has, to our knowledge, not been […]
