Reducing stillbirths in Ethiopia: Results of an intervention programme
Previous studies from South Ethiopia have shown that interventions that focus on intrapartum care substantially reduce maternal mortality and there is a need to operationalize health packages that could reduce stillbirths. The aim of this paper is to evaluate if a programme that aimed to improve maternal health, and mainly focusing on strengthening intrapartum care, […]
Maternal health care service seeking behaviors and associated factors among women in rural Haramaya District, Eastern Ethiopia: a triangulated community-based cross-sectional study
Background: Regular utilization of maternal health care services reduces maternal morbidity and mortality. This study assessed the maternal health care seeking behavior and associated factors of reproductive age women in rural villages of Haramaya district, East Ethiopia. Methods: Community based cross sectional study supplemented with qualitative data was conducted in Haramaya district from November 15 […]
Assessing coverage, equity and quality gaps in maternal and neonatal care in sub-Saharan Africa: An integrated approach
Background: Gaps in coverage, equity and quality of health services hinder the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 in most countries of sub-Saharan Africa as well as in other high-burden countries, yet few studies attempt to assess all these dimensions as part of the situation analysis. We present the base-line data of […]
Maternal mortality in rural south ethiopia: Outcomes of community-based birth registration by health extension workers
Introduction Rural communities in low-income countries lack vital registrations to track birth outcomes. We aimed to examine the feasibility of community-based birth registration and measure maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in rural south Ethiopia. Methods In 2010, health extension workers (HEWs) registered births and maternal deaths among 421,639 people in three districts (Derashe, Bonke, and Arba […]
Institutional maternal and perinatal deaths: A review of 40 low and middle income countries
Background: Understanding the magnitude and clinical causes of maternal and perinatal mortality are basic requirements for positive change. Facility-based information offers a contextualized resource for clinical and organizational quality improvement. We describe the magnitude of institutional maternal mortality, causes of death and cause-specific case fatality rates, as well as stillbirth and pre-discharge neonatal death rates. […]
Lifesaving emergency obstetric services are inadequate in south-west Ethiopia: A formidable challenge to reducing maternal mortality in Ethiopia
Background: Most maternal deaths take place during labour and within a few weeks after delivery. The availability and utilization of emergency obstetric care facilities is a key factor in reducing maternal mortality; however, there is limited evidence about how these institutions perform and how many people use emergency obstetric care facilities in rural Ethiopia. We […]
Community’s experience and perceptions of maternal health services across the continuum of care in Ethiopia: A qualitative study
Background Continuum of care is an effective strategy to ensure that every woman receives a series of maternal health services continuously from early pregnancy to postpartum stages. The community perceptions regarding the use of maternal services across the continuum of care are essential for utilization of care in low-income settings but information in that regard […]
Determinants of place birth: a multinomial logistic regression and spatial analysis of the Ethiopian mini demographic and health survey data, 2019
Background: Maternal and neonatal health significantly improves when birth is attended at health institutions where there are quality services and skilled attendants. In contrary, home birth results in high rates of maternal and neonatal mortality. Thus, this study aimed to determine the spatial distribution of home birth and to identify determinants of place of birth […]
Determinants of mother to child transmission of HIV in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Background: According to the 2019 UNAIDS reports, globally 38 million people were living with HIV (36.2 million adult and 1.8 million Children). About 25.4 million were accessing antiretroviral therapy. Only 81% knew their HIV status. About 85% pregnant women living with HIV had access to antiretroviral medicines. Objective: The purpose of this study was to […]
Interpretation of national policy regarding community-based use of misoprostol for postpartum hemorrhage prevention in Ethiopia: A tale of two regions
Introduction: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is responsible for a significant proportion of maternal mortality in developing countries. The uterotonic drug misoprostol (Cytotec) is a safe and effective means of preventing PPH. However, ministries of health in some countries are still grappling with policy that addresses the implementation of this targeted intervention in community settings and with […]
