Zinc utilization and associated factors among under-five children with diarrhea in East Africa: A generalized linear mixed modeling
Introduction Diarrhea is the leading cause of illness and death among under-five children in low and middle income countries. Through the provision of zinc supplements has been shown to reduce the severity and duration of diarrhea, as well as the risk of mortality, the use of zinc for the treatment of diarrhea is still very […]
Beyond political will: unpacking the drivers of (non) health reforms in sub-Saharan Africa
Background Lack of political will is frequently invoked as a rhetorical tool to explain the gap between commitment and action for health reforms in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, the concept remains vague, ill defined and risks being used as a scapegoat to actually examine what shapes reforms in a given context, and what to do […]
Association between prenatal provision of lipid-based nutrient supplements and caesarean delivery: Findings from a randomised controlled trial in Malawi
In populations with a high prevalence of childhood and adolescent undernutrition, supplementation during pregnancy aiming at improving maternal nutritional status and preventing fetal growth restriction might theoretically lead to cephalopelvic disproportion and delivery complications. We investigated whether the prenatal provision of small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) was associated with an increased risk of caesarean section […]
Gender equity and sexual and reproductive health in Eastern and Southern Africa: A critical overview of the literature
Background: Gender inequalities are important social determinants of health. We set out to critically review the literature relating to gender equity and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in Eastern and Southern Africa with the aim of identifying priorities for action. Design: During November 2011, we identified studies relating to SRH and gender equity through a […]
Household costs and time to seek care for pregnancy related complications: The role of results-based financing
Results-based financing (RBF) schemes–including performance based financing (PBF) and conditional cash transfers (CCT)-are increasingly being used to encourage use and improve quality of institutional health care for pregnant women in order to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in low-income countries. While there is emerging evidence that RBF can increase service use and quality, little is […]
Compliance to prenatal iron and folic acid supplement use in relation to low birth weight in lilongwe, Malawi
Prenatal iron and folic acid (IFA) supplements are offered free to all pregnant women in Malawi to reduce maternal anemia and improve birth outcomes. We investigated the association between self-reported compliance to IFA intake and risk of low birth weight (LBW). Pregnant women who attended Bwaila Maternity Wing of Lilongwe District Hospital for delivery were […]
Global, regional, and national minimum estimates of children affected by COVID-19-associated orphanhood and caregiver death, by age and family circumstance up to Oct 31, 2021: an updated modelling study
Background: In the 6 months following our estimates from March 1, 2020, to April 30, 2021, the proliferation of new coronavirus variants, updated mortality data, and disparities in vaccine access increased the amount of children experiencing COVID-19-associated orphanhood. To inform responses, we aimed to model the increases in numbers of children affected by COVID-19-associated orphanhood […]
Antenatal corticosteroids for women at risk of imminent preterm birth in 7 sub-Saharan African countries: A policy and implementation landscape analysis
Countries have put in place some elements necessary for safe and effective antenatal corticosteroid (ACS) use, but significant challenges remain including: ensuring accurate gestational age determination, establishing clear treatment guidelines, strengthening provider capacity, incorporating obstetric indications for ACS use in national essential medicines lists, and collecting and using ACS-related data in the HMIS. Most importantly, […]
Infant gut microbiota characteristics generally do not modify effects of lipid-based nutrient supplementation on growth or inflammation: secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial in Malawi
An unhealthy gut microbial community may act as a barrier to improvement in growth and health outcomes in response to nutritional interventions. The objective of this analysis was to determine whether the infant microbiota modified the effects of a randomized controlled trial of lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) in Malawi on growth and inflammation at 12 […]
A cluster randomised controlled trial of the community effectiveness of two interventions in rural Malawi to improve health care and to reduce maternal, newborn and infant mortality
Background: The UN Millennium Development Goals call for substantial reductions in maternal and child mortality, to be achieved through reductions in morbidity and mortality during pregnancy, delivery, postpartum and early childhood. The MaiMwana Project aims to test community-based interventions that tackle maternal and child health problems through increasing awareness and local action.Methods/Design: This study uses […]
