Crude childhood vaccination coverage in West Africa: Trends and predictors of completeness [version 1; Referees: 1 approved, 3 approved with reservations]
Background: Africa has the lowest childhood vaccination coverage worldwide. If the full benefits of childhood vaccination programmes are to be enjoyed in sub-Saharan Africa, all countries need to improve on vaccine delivery to achieve and sustain high coverage. In this paper, we review trends in vaccination coverage, dropouts between vaccine doses and explored the country-specific […]
Induced abortion in Papua-New Guinea: Experience and opinions of health professionals
Background: Papua-New Guinea (PNG) has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world; complications due to unsafe abortion are an important cause. Abortion laws are restrictive, and safe, induced abortions are unavailable to the majority of women, while unsafe abortions are known to be practised throughout the country. The topic of abortion is […]
Disparities in pregnancy-related deaths: Spatial and Bayesian network analyses of maternal mortality ratio in 54 African countries
Background Maternal mortality remains a public health problem despite several global efforts. Globally, about 830 women die of pregnancy-related death per day, with more than two-third of these cases occurring in Africa. We examined the spatial distribution of maternal mortality in Africa and explored the influence of SDoH on the spatial distribution. Methods We used […]
Severe maternal morbidity in the Asia Pacific: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Background: Monitoring rates of severe maternal morbidity (such as eclampsia and uterine rupture) is useful to assess the quality of obstetric care, particularly in low and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods: We undertook a systematic review characterising the proportion and causes of severe maternal morbidity in the Asia Pacific region. We searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL […]
Developing equity-focused interventions for maternal and child health in nigeria: An evidence synthesis for policy, based on equitable impact sensitive tool (EQUIST)
Introduction: among the most critical health systems components that requires strengthening to improve maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) outcomes in Nigeria is the concept of equity. UNICEF has designed the equitable impact sensitive tool (EQUIST) to enable policymakers improve equity in MNCH and reduce disparities between the most marginalized mothers and young children and […]
How has the free obstetric care policy impacted unmet obstetric need in a rural health district in guinea?
Introduction: In 2010, the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Guinea introduced a free emergency obstetric care policy in all the public health facilities of the country. This included antenatal checks, normal delivery and Caesarean section. Objective: This study aims at assessing the changes in coverage of obstetric care according to the Unmet Obstetric Need concept […]
Exclusive breastfeeding rates and associated factors in 13 “economic community of West African states” (ECOWAS) countries
Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) has important protective effects on child survival and also increases the growth and development of infants. This paper examined EBF rates and associated factors in 13 “Economic Community of West African States” (ECOWAS) countries. A weighted sample of 19,735 infants from the recent Demographic and Health Survey dataset in ECOWAS countries for […]
Hospital admission following induced abortion in Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea – A descriptive study
Background: In Papua New Guinea abortion is restricted under the Criminal Code Act. While safe abortions should available in certain situations, frequently they are not available to the majority of women. Sepsis from unsafe abortion is a leading cause of maternal mortality. Our findings form part of a wider, mixed methods study designed to identify […]
A facility birth can be the time to start family planning: Postpartum intrauterine device experiences from six countries
Initiation of family planning at the time of birth is opportune, since few women in low-resource settings who give birth in a facility return for further care. Postpartum family planning (PPFP) and postpartum intrauterine device (PPIUD) services were integrated into maternal care in six low- and middle-income countries, applying an insertion technique developed in Paraguay. […]
Examining barriers to healthcare access and utilization of antenatal care services: evidence from demographic health surveys in sub-Saharan Africa
Background: Antenatal care utilization is one of the means for reducing the high maternal mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examined the association between barriers to healthcare access and implementation of the 2016 WHO antenatal care services model among pregnant women seeking antenatal care in selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: This study considered only […]
