Adding content to contacts: Measurement of high quality contacts for maternal and newborn health in Ethiopia, North East Nigeria, and Uttar Pradesh, India
Families in high mortality settings need regular contact with high quality services, but existing population-based measurements of contacts do not reflect quality. To address this, in 2012, we designed linked household and frontline worker surveys for Gombe State, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Uttar Pradesh, India. Using reported frequency and content of contacts, we present a method […]
Measles second dose vaccine utilization and associated factors among children aged 24–35 months in Sub-Saharan Africa, a multi-level analysis from recent DHS surveys
Background: Although a safe and effective vaccine is available, measles remains an important cause of mortality and morbidity among young children in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The WHO and UNICEF recommended measles-containing vaccine dose 2 (MCV2) in addition to measles-containing vaccine dose 1 (MCV1) through routine services strategies. Many factors could contribute to the routine dose […]
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 […]
Between pain and pleasure: Pregnant women’s knowledge and preferences for pain relief in labor, a pilot study from Zaria, Northern Nigeria
Background: Pain relief in labor remains a hot topic and these debates get louder by the day as more women become aware of their rights to better quality of care in labor. This study was conceived in a background where the practice of pain relief in labor is evolving and where women are seeking to […]
Why children are not vaccinated against measles: A cross-sectional study in two Nigerian States
Background: Childhood vaccination rates in Nigeria are among the lowest in the world and this affects morbidity and mortality rates. A 2011 mixed methods study in two states in Nigeria examined coverage of measles vaccination and reasons for not vaccinating children. Methods: A household survey covered a stratified random cluster sample of 180 enumeration areas […]
Stakeholders’ perceptions of adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health needs in Southeast Nigeria: a qualitative study
Objectives This study explored the perceptions of adult stakeholders on adolescents sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs, variations of perceived needs by different social stratifiers and adolescent’s perceived interventions to address these needs. This will provide evidence that could be useful for policy and programme reviews for improving access and use of services in to […]
Adherence to intermittent preventive treatment for malaria in pregnancy in urban kano, northern Nigeria
Malaria in pregnancy is associated with substantial risk of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. The uptake of preventive antimalarials is low in malaria endemic countries, including Nigeria. Using a crosssectional study design, we assessed factors associated with uptake and adherence to intermittent preventive treatment for malaria in pregnancy (IPTp) among antenatal attendees in primary […]
A contextual exploration of healthcare service use in urban slums in Nigeria
Introduction Many urban residents in low- and middle-income countries live in unfavorable conditions with few healthcare facilities, calling to question the long-held view of urban advantage in health, healthcare access and utilization. We explore the patterns of healthcare utilization in these deprived neighborhoods by studying three such settlements in Nigeria. Methods The study was conducted […]
Correlates of poor perinatal outcomes in non-hospital births in the context of weak health system: The nigerian experience
Background: Nigeria’s high perinatal mortality rate (PNMR) could be most effectively reduced by targeting factorsthat are associated with increased newborn deaths. Low access to skilled birth attendants (SBAs) and weak healthsystem are recognized factors associated with high PNMR but other socio-demographic and reproductive factorscould have significant influences as well. Identification of the major factors associated […]
Playing the catch-up game: Accelerating the scale-up of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) services to eliminate new pediatric HIV infection in Nigeria
Introduction As the world is making progress towards elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, poor coverage of PMTCT services in Nigeria remains a major challenge. In order to address this, scale-up was planned with activities organized into 3 phases. This paper describes the process undertaken in eight high burden Nigerian states to rapidly close PMTCT […]
