Women’s perceptions of and experiences with the use of misoprostol for treatment of incomplete abortion in central Malawi: a mixed methods study

Background: Abortion-related complications are among the common causes of maternal mortality in Malawi. Misoprostol is recommended for the treatment of first-trimester incomplete abortions but is seldom used for post-abortion care in Malawi. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study that used mixed methods was conducted in three hospitals in central Malawi. A survey was done on 400 […]

From effectiveness to sustainability: Understanding the impact of CARE’s Community Score Card© social accountability approach in Ntcheu, Malawi

We evaluated the sustainability of CARE’s Community Score Card>© (CSC) social accountability approach in Ntcheu, Malawi, approximately 2.5 years after the end of formal intervention activities. Using a cross-sectional, exploratory design, we conducted 41 focus groups with members of Community Health Advisory Groups (CHAGs) and youth groups and 19 semi-structured interviews with local and district […]

Bringing women’s voices to PMTCT CARE: Adapting CARE’s Community Score Card© to engage women living with HIV to build quality health systems in Malawi

Background: Coverage of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) services has expanded rapidly but approaches to ensure service delivery is patient-centered have not always kept pace. To better understand how the inclusion of women living with HIV in a collective, quality improvement process could address persistent gaps, we adapted a social accountability approach, CARE’s […]

How do women prepare for pregnancy in a low-income setting? Prevalence and associated factors

Background Despite growing evidence of pregnancy preparation benefits, there is little knowledge on how women in developing countries prepare for pregnancy and factors influencing their preparedness for pregnancy. Here, we determine how women in Malawi prepare for pregnancy and factors associated with pregnancy preparation. Methods We used data from a previous cohort study comprising 4,244 […]

Preparedness for and impact of COVID-19 on primary health care delivery in urban and rural Malawi: a mixed methods study

Objective Across Africa, the impact of COVID-19 continues to be acutely felt. This includes Malawi, where a key component of health service delivery to mitigate against COVID-19 are the primary healthcare facilities, strategically placed throughout districts to offer primary and maternal healthcare. These facilities have limited infrastructure and capacity but are the most accessible and […]

Independent and combined effects of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (Wash) and improved complementary feeding on early neurodevelopment among children born to hiv-negative mothers in rural zimbabwe: Sub study of a cluster-randomized trial

Background Globally, nearly 250 million children (43% of all children under 5 years of age) are at risk of compromised neurodevelopment due to poverty, stunting, and lack of stimulation. We tested the independent and combined effects of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and improved infant and young child feeding (IYCF) on early child development […]

HIV transmission and retention in care among HIV-exposed children enrolled in Malawi’s prevention of mother-to-child transmission programme

Introduction: In Malawi, HIV-infected pregnant and breastfeeding women are offered lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) regardless of CD4 count or clinical stage (Option B+). Their HIV-exposed children are enrolled in the national prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programme, but many are lost to follow-up. We estimated the cumulative incidence of vertical HIV transmission, taking loss to […]

Consensus-based approach to develop a measurement framework and identify a core set of indicators to track implementation and progress towards effective coverage of facility- based Kangaroo Mother Care

Background As efforts to scale up the delivery of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) in facilities are increasing, a standardized approach to measure implementation and progress towards effective coverage is needed. Here, we describe a consensus-based approach to develop a measurement framework and identify a core set of indicators for monitoring facility-based KMC that would be […]

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