The social dimensions of community delivery of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy in Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Introduction Intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy with sulphadoxine pyrimethamine (IPTp) is a key malaria prevention strategy in sub-Saharan African countries. We conducted an anthropological study as part of a project aiming to evaluate a community-based approach to the delivery of IPTp (C-IPTp) through community health workers (CHWs) in four countries (the Democratic Republic of Congo, […]
Uptake of intermittent preventive treatment and pregnancy outcomes: Health facilities and community surveys in Chókwè district, southern Mozambique
Background: Malaria in pregnancy leads to serious adverse effects on the mother and the child and accounts for 75,000-200,000 infant deaths every year. Currently, the World Health Organization recommends intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) at each scheduled antenatal care (ANC) visit. This study aimed to assess IPTp-SP coverage in […]
Inpatient point-of-care HIV early infant diagnosis in Mozambique to improve case identification and linkage to antiretroviral therapy
Introduction: Novel approaches to case identification and linkage to antiretroviral therapy (ART) are needed to close gaps in early infant diagnosis (EID) of HIV. Point-of-care (POC) EID is a recent innovation that eliminates the long turnaround times of conventional EID that limit patient management in the inpatient setting. The initial deployment of POC EID in […]
Community perceptions of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia in southern Mozambique
Background: Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest maternal mortality ratio at 500 deaths per 100,000 live births. In Mozambique maternal mortality is estimated at 249-480 per 100,000 live births and eclampsia is the third leading cause of death. The objective of this study was to describe the community understanding of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, as a crucial […]
Comprehensive review of the evidence regarding the effectiveness of community-based primary health care in improving maternal, neonatal and child health: 6. strategies used by effective projects
Background As part of our review of the evidence of the effectiveness of community-based primary health care (CBPHC) in improving maternal, neonatal and child health (MNCH), we summarize here the common delivery strategies of projects, programs and field research studies (collectively referred to as projects) that have demonstrated effectiveness in improving child mortality. Other articles […]
Availability and functionality of neonatal care units in healthcare facilities in Mtwara region, Tanzania: The quest for quality of in-patient care for small and sick newborns
Background Evidence shows that delivery of prompt and appropriate in-patient newborn care (IPNC) through health facility (HF)-based neonatal care and stabilization units (NCU/NSUs) reduce preventable newborn mortalities (NMs). This study investigated the HFs for availability and performance of NCU/NSUs in providing quality IPNC, and explored factors influencing the observed performance outcomes in Mtwara region, Tanzania. […]
Users’ perspectives on the quality of family planning services in Mozambique: a case study
Introduction: user satisfaction assessment has been increasingly important in ensuring health care quality and guidance in the health sector. Africa is the region in the world with the lowest prevalence of contraception use. Universal access to family planning has one of the highest rates of benefits for cost among strategic options for development. Family planning […]
Misoprostol for the prevention of post-partum haemorrhage in Mozambique: An analysis of the interface between human rights, maternal health and development
Background: Mozambique has high maternal mortality which is compounded by limited human resources for health, weak access to health services, and poor development indicators. In 2011, the Mozambique Ministry of Health (MoH) approved the distribution of misoprostol for the prevention of post-partum haemorrhage (PPH) at home births where oxytocin is not available. Misoprostol can be […]
WHO multi-country survey on abortion-related morbidity and mortality in health facilities: Study protocol
Introduction: According to the WHO, abortion accounts for about 8% (4.7–13.2) of maternal mortality worldwide. In 2010, the WHO Multi-Country Survey (MCS) on Maternal and Newborn Health collected data on over 300 000 women who were admitted in health facilities to receive pregnancy-related care. Abortion data were partially captured by centring on severe maternal outcomes […]
Socioeconomic differences in mortality in the antiretroviral therapy era in Agincourt, rural South Africa, 2001–13: a population surveillance analysis
Background Understanding the effects of socioeconomic disparities in health outcomes is important to implement specific preventive actions. We assessed socioeconomic disparities in mortality indicators in a rural South African population over the period 2001–13. Methods We used data from 21 villages of the Agincourt Health and socio-Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS). We calculated the probabilities of […]
