Perceptions of midwives on shortage and retention of staff at a public hospital in Tshwane District
BACKGROUND: Midwifery is the backbone of women and child healthcare. The shortage of staff in maternity units is a crisis faced by many countries worldwide, including South Africa. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to explore the perceptions of midwives on the shortage and retention of staff at a public institution. METHOD: The study was conducted at […]
Global, regional, and national age-sex specifc mortality for 264 causes of death, 1980-2016: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016
Background: Monitoring levels and trends in premature mortality is crucial to understanding how societies can address prominent sources of early death. The Global Burden of Disease 2016 Study (GBD 2016) provides a comprehensive assessment of cause-specifc mortality for 264 causes in 195 locations from 1980 to 2016. This assessment includes evaluation of the expected epidemiological […]
Improving diets and nutrition through an integrated poultry value chain and nutrition intervention (SELEVER) in Burkina Faso: Study protocol for a randomized trial
Background: The SELEVER study is designed to evaluate the impact of an integrated agriculture-nutrition package of interventions (including poultry value chain development, women’s empowerment activities, and a behavior change communications strategy to promote improved diets and feeding, care, and hygiene practices) on the diets, health, and nutritional status of women and children in Burkina Faso. […]
SMS messaging to improve retention and viral suppression in prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) programs in Kenya: A 3-arm randomized clinical trial
Background Pregnant and postpartum women living with HIV (WLWH) need support for HIV and maternal child health (MCH) care, which could be provided using short message service (SMS). Methods and findings We compared 2-way (interactive) and 1-way SMS messaging to no SMS in a 3-arm randomized trial in 6 MCH clinics in Kenya. Messages were […]
Sexually transmitted infection screening to prevent adverse birth and newborn outcomes: study protocol for a randomized-controlled hybrid-effectiveness trial
Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) during pregnancy are associated with adverse birth outcomes, including preterm birth, low birth weight, perinatal death, and congenital infections such as increased mother-to-child HIV transmission. Prevalence of STIs among pregnant women in South Africa remains high, with most women being asymptomatic for their infection(s). Unfortunately, most STIs remain undetected and […]
Project Masihambisane: A cluster randomised controlled trial with peer mentors to improve outcomes for pregnant mothers living with HIV
Background: Pregnant women living with HIV (WLH) face daily challenges maintaining their own and their babies’ health and mental health. Standard Prevention of Maternal to Child Transmission (PMTCT) programs are not designed to address these challenges.Methods/Design: As part of a cluster randomized controlled trial, WLH are invited to attend four antenatal and four postnatal small […]
PrEP Implementation for Mothers in Antenatal Care (PrIMA): Study protocol of a cluster randomised trial
Introduction Women in regions with high HIV prevalence are at high risk of HIV acquisition during pregnancy and postpartum, and acute maternal HIV contributes a substantial proportion of infant HIV infections. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) could prevent HIV during pregnancy/postpartum; however, identifying women who would most benefit from PrEP in this period is challenging. Women may […]
Outcome of training of maternal and child health workers in Ifo Local Government Area, Ogun State, Nigeria, on common childhood blinding diseases: A pre-test, post-test, one-group quasi-experimental study
Background: Maternal and child health workers (MCHWs) are often the first point of contact with pregnant women, children, and caregivers. Therefore, they can play a significant role in early detection of causes of childhood blindness, facilitate prompt referral to specialized centers and provide health education to caregivers for preventive eye care. Methods: This is a […]
Abuse in Childhood and Cardiometabolic Health in Early Adulthood: Evidence From the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children
BACKGROUND: Although childhood abuse has been consistently associated with cardiovascular disease in later adulthood, its associations with cardiometabolic health in younger adults are poorly understood. We assessed associations between childhood physical, sexual, and psychological abuse and cardiometabolic outcomes at 18 and 25 years. METHODS AND RESULTS: We used data on 3223 participants of the ALSPAC […]
Improving lives by accelerating progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals for adolescents living with HIV: a prospective cohort study
Background: Low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) face major challenges in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for vulnerable adolescents. We aimed to test the UN Development Programme’s proposed approach of development accelerators—provisions that lead to progress across multiple SDGs—and synergies between accelerators on achieving SDG-aligned targets in a highly vulnerable group of adolescents in […]
