Baseline population health conditions ahead of a health system strengthening program in rural Madagascar
Background: A model health district was initiated through a program of health system strengthening (HSS) in Ifanadiana District of southeastern Madagascar in 2014. We report population health indicators prior to initiation of the program. Methods: A representative household survey based on the Demographic Health Survey was conducted using a two-stage cluster sampling design in two […]
Scaling up early infant diagnosis of HIV in Rwanda, 2008-2010
More than 390 000 children are newly infected with HIV each year, only 28 per cent of whom benefit from early infant diagnosis (EID). Rwanda’s Ministry of Health identified several major challenges hindering EID scale-up in care of HIV-positive infants. It found poor counseling and follow-up by caregivers of HIV-exposed infants, lack of coordination with […]
Prevalence and factors associated with caesarean section in Rwanda: a trend analysis of Rwanda demographic and health survey 2000 to 2019–20
Background: Caesarean section (CS) is an important medical intervention for reducing the risk of poor perinatal outcomes. However, CS trends in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) continue to increase yet maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity remain high. Rwanda, like many other countries in SSA, has shown an increasing trend in the use of CS. This study […]
Determinants of timing, adequacy and quality of antenatal care in Rwanda: a cross-sectional study using demographic and health surveys data
Background: Antenatal care (ANC) is a recommended intervention to lessen maternal and neonatal mortality. The increased rate in ANC coverage in most Sub-Saharan African countries is not considerably reducing the maternal and neonatal mortality. This disconnection has raised concerns to study further the trend and determinants of the ANC timing and quality. We aimed to […]
The effect of a decision-support mHealth application on maternal and neonatal outcomes in two district hospitals in Rwanda: pre – post intervention study
Background: Globally, mobile health (mHealth) applications are known for their potential to improve healthcare providers’ access to relevant and reliable health information. Besides, electronic decision support tools, such as the Safe Delivery mHealth Application (SDA), may help to reduce clinical errors and to ensure quality care at the point of service delivery. The current study […]
Availability and use of emergency obstetric services: Kenya, Rwanda, Southern Sudan, and Uganda
The article summarises the baseline assessments of emergency obstetric care (EmOC) carried out in Uganda, Kenya, Southern Sudan, and Rwanda in 2003 and 2004. Objectives: Our objectives were to: (1) set up program baselines on the availability and utilization of EmOC services in these countries; (2) identify gaps and obstacles in providing EmOC services; and […]
Uterine rupture in a teaching hospital in Mbarara, western Uganda, unmatched case-control study
Background: Uterine rupture is one of the most devastating complications of labour that exposes the mother and foetus to grave danger hence contributing to the high maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity in Uganda. Every year, 6000 women die due to complications of pregnancy and childbirth, uterine rupture accounts for about 8% of all maternal […]
Quality of care in six sub-Saharan Africa countries: A provider-based study on adherence to WHO’s antenatal care guideline
Objective: Quality of care may help explain the high burden of disease in maternal, newborn and child health in low- and middle-income countries even as access to care is improved. We explored the determinants of quality of antenatal care (ANC) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Design: Cross-sectional study. Multilevel Generalized Linear Latent Mixed-Effect models with logit […]
Evaluating continuum of maternal and newborn healthcare in Rwanda: evidence from the 2019–2020 Rwanda demographic health survey
Background: Access to a complete continuum of maternal and child health care has been recommended globally for better pregnancy outcomes. Hence this study determined the level (pooled prevalence) and predictors of successfully completing continuum of care (CoC) in Rwanda. Methods: We analyzed weighted secondary data from the 2019–2020 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS) that […]
Men’s roles in care seeking for maternal and newborn health: A qualitative study applying the three delays model to male involvement in Morogoro Region, Tanzania
Background: Increasing the utilization of facility-based care for women and newborns in low-resource settings can reduce maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality. Men influence whether women and newborns receive care because they often control financial resources and household decisions. This influence can have negative effects if men misjudge or ignore danger signs or are unwilling […]
