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 cross-sectional ecological analysis of international and sub-national health inequalities in commercial geospatial resource availability
Background: Commercial geospatial data resources are frequently used to understand healthcare utilisation. Although there is widespread evidence of a digital divide for other digital resources and infra-structure, it is unclear how commercial geospatial data resources are distributed relative to health need. Methods: To examine the distribution of commercial geospatial data resources relative to health needs, […]
The influence of family physicians within the South African district health system: A cross-sectional study
PURPOSE Evidence of the influence of family physicians on health care is required to assist managers and policy makers with human resource planning in Africa. The international argument for family physicians derives mainly from research in high-income countries, so this study aimed to evaluate the influence of family physicians on the South African district health […]
A multilevel analysis of prevalence and factors associated with female child marriage in Nigeria using the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey data
Background: Globally, there has been a decline in female child marriage (FCM) from 1 in 4 girls married a decade ago to approximately 1 in 5 currently. However, this decline is not homogenous because some regions are still experiencing a high prevalence of FCM. As such, the United Nations reiterated the need for concentrated efforts […]
Community perspectives on HIV, violence and health surveillance in rural South Africa: A participatory pilot study
Background South Africa faces a complex burden of disease consisting of infectious and non-communicable conditions, injury and interpersonal violence, and maternal and child mortality. Inequalities in income and opportunity push disease burdens towards vulnerable populations, a situation to which the health system struggles to respond. There is an urgent need for health planning to account […]
Experiences of frontline nurses with adverse medical events in a regional referral hospital in northern Ghana: A cross-sectional study
Background: Adverse medical events (AMEs) are threats to delivery of quality healthcare services, particularly in resource-poor settings such as Ghana. In sub-Saharan Africa, 30% of deaths are attributed to AMEs and a significant proportion of these events are not reported. This study explored personal experiences of nurses with AMEs and the constraints to reporting them. […]
Access to urban acute care services in high- vs. middle-income countries: An analysis of seven cities
Purpose: Cities are expanding rapidly in middle-income countries, but their supply of acute care services is unknown. We measured acute care services supply in seven cities of diverse economic background. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we compared cities from two high-income (Boston, USA and Paris, France), three upper-middle-income (Bogota, Colombia; Recife, Brazil; and Liaocheng, China), […]
Protocol for a prospective evaluation of postpartum engagement in HIV care among women living with HIV in South Africa
Introduction KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa (SA) has the highest prevalence of pregnant women living with HIV in the world. Pregnancy and the postpartum period offer opportunities to engage women in HIV care, to prevent perinatal transmission and to optimise maternal and infant well-being. However, research suggests that remaining engaged in HIV care during this time […]
The IMpact of Vertical HIV infection on child and Adolescent SKeletal development in Harare, Zimbabwe (IMVASK Study): A protocol for a prospective cohort study
The scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has reduced mortality so that increasing numbers of children with HIV (CWH) are surviving to adolescence. However, they experience a range of morbidities due to chronic HIV infection and its treatment. Impaired linear growth (stunting) is a common manifestation, affecting up to 50% of children. […]
Situation analysis for delivering integrated comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services for displaced population of Kasaï, Democratic Republic of Congo: Protocol for a mixed method study
Introduction Delivering integrated sexual and reproductive health services (SRHS) in emergencies is important in order to save lives of the most vulnerable as well as to combat poverty, reduce inequities and social injustice. More than 60% of preventable maternal deaths occur in conflict areas and especially among the internally displaced persons (IDP). Between 2016 and […]
