Understanding patterns of family support and its role on viral load suppression among youth living with HIV aged 15 to 24 years in southwestern Uganda
Background: Active family support helps as a buffer against adverse life events associated with antiretroviral therapy (ART) uptake and adherence. There is limited data available to explain how family support shapes and affects individual healthcare choices, decisions, experiences, and health outcomes among youth living with HIV (YLWH). We aimed to describe family support patterns and […]
Perinatal mortality in eastern uganda: A community based prospective cohort study
Background: To achieve a child mortality reduction according to millennium development goal 4, it is necessary to considerably reduce neonatal mortality. We report stillbirth and early neonatal mortality risks as well as determinants of perinatal mortality in Eastern Uganda. Methods: A community-based prospective cohort study was conducted between 2006 and 2008. A total of 835 […]
From home deliveries to health care facilities: Establishing a traditional birth attendant referral program in Kenya
Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a traditional birth attendant (TBA) referral program on increasing the number of deliveries overseen by skilled birth attendants (SBA) in rural Kenyan health facilities before and after the implementation of a free maternity care policy. Methods: In a rural region of Kenya, TBAs were recruited to educate pregnant women […]
Experiences of infertile women pursuing treatment in Kenya: a qualitative study
Background: The infertility treatment process is associated with various psychological, physical, social, moral, and financial challenges, especially for women. The women are likely to report low marital satisfaction and emotional distress due to fertility treatment demands. This study explored how infertile women described their treatment experience and how they coped with treatment demands as they […]
What does high and low have to do with it? Performance classification to identify health system factors associated with effective prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV delivery in Mozambique
Introduction: Efforts to implement and take to scale highly efficacious, low-cost interventions to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission (pMTCT) have been a cornerstone of reproductive health services in sub-Saharan Africa for over a decade. Yet efforts to increase access and utilization of these services remain far from optimal. This study developed and applied an approach to […]
Provision of family planning vouchers and early initiation of postpartum contraceptive use among women living with HIV in southwestern Uganda: A randomized controlled trial
Background Unwanted pregnancies remain a burden for women living with HIV (WLWH). Family planning prevents unplanned pregnancies while promoting longer birth intervals, key strategies to eliminate perinatal transmission of HIV and promote maternal and child health. We evaluated the effect of a family planning voucher, inclusive of immediate postpartum counseling, on uptake, early initiation, and […]
Protocol for the Birth Asphyxia in African Newborns (Baby BRAiN) Study: A Neonatal Encephalopathy Feasibility Cohort Study
BACKGROUND: Neonatal encephalopathy (NE) is a leading cause of child mortality worldwide and contributes substantially to stillbirths and long-term disability. Ninety-nine percent of deaths from NE occur in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs). Whilst therapeutic hypothermia significantly improves outcomes in high-income countries, its safety and effectiveness in diverse LMIC contexts remains debated. Important differences in the aetiology, […]
A simulation and experiential learning intervention for labor and delivery providers to address HIV stigma during childbirth in Tanzania: study protocol for the evaluation of the MAMA intervention
Background: The experience of HIV stigma during intrapartum care can impact women’s trust in the health care system and undermine their long-term commitment to HIV care engagement. Delivery of respectful maternity care (RMC) to women living with HIV (WLHIV) can improve quality of life and clinical outcomes. The goal of this study is to conduct […]
Pregnant women’s experiences with an integrated diagnostic and decision support device for antenatal care in Ghana
Background: Quality antenatal care (ANC) is recognised as an opportunity for screening and early identification of pregnancy-related complications. In rural Ghana, challenges with access to diagnostic services demotivate women from ANC attendance and referral compliance, leading to absent or late identification and management of high-risk women. In 2016, an integrated diagnostic and clinical decision support […]
Identifying factors associated with the uptake of prevention of mother to child HIV transmission programme in Tigray region, Ethiopia: A multilevel modeling approach
Background: Prevention of mother to child HIV transmission (PMTCT) remains a challenge in low and middle-income countries. Determinants of utilization occur – and often interact – at both individual and community levels, but most studies do not address how determinants interact across levels. Multilevel models allow for the importance of both groups and individuals in […]
