Measuring socioeconomic inequalities in prenatal HIV test service uptake for prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV in East Africa: A decomposition analysis
Background Despite efforts made towards the elimination of mother-to-child HIV transmission, socioeconomic inequality in prenatal HIV test uptake in East Africa is not well understood. Therefore, this study aimed at measuring socioeconomic inequalities in prenatal HIV test uptake and explaining its main determinants in East Africa Method We analysed a total weighted sample of 45,476 […]
Drivers of improved health sector performance in Rwanda: A qualitative view from within
Background: Rwanda has achieved great improvements in several key health indicators, including maternal mortality and other health outcomes. This raises the question: what has made this possible, and what makes Rwanda so unique? Methods: We describe the results of a web-based survey among district health managers in Rwanda who gave their personal opinions on the […]
‘You try to play a role in her pregnancy’ – a qualitative study on recent fathers’ perspectives about childbearing and encounter with the maternal health system in Kigali, Rwanda
Background: Rwanda has raised gender equality on the political agenda and is, among other things, striving for involving men in reproductive health matters. With these structural changes taking place, traditional gender norms in this setting are challenged. Deeper understanding is needed of men’s perceptions about their gendered roles in the maternal health system. Objective: To […]
Birth preparedness and complication readiness among pregnant women admitted in a rural hospital in Rwanda
Background: With an aim to prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes, ‘birth preparedness and complication readiness’ (BP/CR) promotes timely access to skilled maternal and neonatal services. Objective of this study was to assess implementation of BP/CR among pregnant women admitted with obstetric emergencies in rural Rwanda. Methods: A cross-sectional study among pregnant women who were referred to […]
Prenatal hiv test uptake and its associated factors for prevention of mother to child transmission of hiv in East Africa
Identifying the socioeconomic and structural issues that act as enablers and/or barriers to HIV testing services is critical in combatting HIV/AIDS amongst mothers and children in Africa. In this study, we used a weighted sample of 46,645 women aged 15–49 who gave birth in the two years preceding the survey from the recent DHS dataset […]
Developing and implementing a model of equitable distribution of mentorship in districts with spatial inequities and maldistribution of human resources for maternal and newborn care in Rwanda
Background: The shortage of health care providers (HCPs) and inequity in their distribution along with the lack of sufficient and equal professional development opportunities in low-income countries contribute to the high mortality and morbidity of women and newborns. Strengthening skills and building the capacity of all HCPs involved in Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH) is […]
Determinants of adverse birth outcome in Sub-Saharan Africa: analysis of recent demographic and health surveys
Background: More than 75% of neonatal deaths occurred in the first weeks of life as a result of adverse birth outcomes. Low birth weight, preterm births are associated with a variety of acute and long-term complications. In Sub-Saharan Africa, there is insufficient evidence of adverse birth outcomes. Hence, this study aimed to determine the pooled […]
Advancing the health of women and newborns: Predictors of patient satisfaction among women attending antenatal and maternity care in rural Rwanda
Objective: Identify predictors of patient satisfaction with antenatal care (ANC) and maternity services in rural Rwanda. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Twenty-six health facilities in Southern Kayonza (SK) and Kirehe districts. Participants: Sample of women ? 16 years old receiving antenatal and delivery care between November and December 2013. Intervention: Survey of patient satisfaction with antenatal and […]
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 […]
Moderate and severe household food insecurity predicts stunting and severe stunting among Rwanda children aged 6–59 months residing in Gicumbi district
Household food insecurity (HFI) plays an important role in child malnutrition in many low-income countries. We determined the association between HFI and stunting and severe stunting among Rwandan children from the Gicumbi district, aged 6–59 months using a cross-sectional study of 2,222 children. HFI factor was calculated by summing all seven HFI (access) frequency questions and […]
