Female genital mutilation and obstetric outcome: A cross-sectional comparative study in a tertiary hospital in Abakaliki South East Nigeria
Background: Female genital mutilation (FGM) is an assault on womanhood. Objective: To compare the obstetric outcome between parturient with genital mutilation with a cohort that has no genital mutilation. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional prospective study was done in the labour ward of Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki between 1st January 2013 and 31st December 2013. […]
HIV status disclosure, facility-based delivery and postpartum retention of mothers in a prevention clinical trial in rural Nigeria
Background: Within the context of a cluster randomized prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) trial, we evaluated the impact of disclosure on selected PMTCT continuum of care measures. Methods: In 12 rural matched-pair clinics randomly assigned to an intervention package versus standard-ofcare, we enrolled 372 HIV-infected pregnant women from April 2013 to March 2014. This […]
Individual and contextual factors associated with low childhood immunisation coverage in Sub-Saharan Africa: A multilevel analysis
Background: In 2010, more than six million children in sub-Saharan Africa did not receive the full series of three doses of the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine by one year of age. An evidence-based approach to addressing this burden of un-immunised children requires accurate knowledge of the underlying factors. We therefore developed and tested a model of childhood […]
Prevalence of low birth weight and its associated factor at birth in Sub-Saharan Africa: A generalized linear mixed model
Background Low birth weight (LBW) is one of the major determinants of perinatal survival, infant morbidity, and mortality, as well as the risk of developmental disabilities and illnesses in future lives. Though studies were conducted to assess the magnitude and associated factors of low birth weight, most of the studies were at a single center […]
Socio-economic and demographic determinants of female genital mutilation in sub-Saharan Africa: analysis of data from demographic and health surveys
Background: Owing to the severe repercussions associated with female genital mutilation (FGM) and its illicit status in many countries, the WHO, human rights organisations and governments of most sub-Saharan African countries have garnered concerted efforts to end the practice. This study examined the socioeconomic and demographic factors associated with FGM among women and their daughters in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). […]
Niger’s child survival success, contributing factors and challenges to sustainability: A retrospective analysis
Background: Household surveys undertaken in Niger since 1998 have revealed steady declines in under-5 mortality which have placed the country ‘on track’ to reach the fourth Millennium Development goal (MDG). This paper explores Niger’s mortality and health coverage data for children under-5 years of age up to 2012 to describe trends in high impact interventions […]
Understanding abortion-related complications in health facilities: Results from WHO multicountry survey on abortion (MCS-A) across 11 sub-Saharan African countries
Introduction Complications due to unsafe abortions are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in many sub-Saharan African countries. We aimed to characterise abortion-related complication severity, describe their management, and to report women’s experience of abortion care in Africa. Methods A cross-sectional study was implemented in 210 health facilities across 11 sub-Saharan African countries. Data […]
Qualitative assessment of women’s satisfaction with maternal health care in referral hospitals in Nigeria
Background: Available evidence suggests that the low use of antenatal, delivery, and post-natal services by Nigerian women may be due to their perceptions of low quality of care in health facilities. This study investigated the perceptions of women regarding their satisfaction with the maternity services offered in secondary and tertiary hospitals in Nigeria. Methods: Five […]
Texting for life: a mobile phone application to connect pregnant women with emergency transport and obstetric care in rural Nigeria
Background: Difficulty in transportation to access skilled providers has been cited repeatedly as a major barrier to utilization of emergency obstetric care in Nigeria. Objective: The objective of this paper is to describe the design, implementation, and outcomes of a mobile phone technology aimed at rapidly reaching rural Nigerian women who experience pregnancy complications with emergency […]
Effects of antenatal care visits and health facility delivery on women’s choice to circumcise their daughters in sub-Saharan Africa: evidence from demographic and health surveys
BACKGROUND: This study examines the association between maternal healthcare service utilisation and circumcision of daughters in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). METHODS: This study is based on a cross-sectional study design that draws on analysis of pooled data from current demographic and health surveys conducted between 2010 and 2019 in 12 countries in SSA. Both bivariate and […]
