Access and utilisation of antenatal care services in a rural community of eThekwini district in KwaZulu-Natal
Although the South African government adopted a primary health care approach to health care service provision in order to ensure equitable access to and utilisation of health care services to all communities, the country continues to face challenges regarding access and utilisation of health care services especially in the rural communities. Antenatal care which is […]
Growing inequities in maternal health in South Africa: A comparison of serial national household surveys
Background: Rates of maternal mortality and morbidity vary markedly, both between and within countries. Documenting these variations, in a very unequal society like South Africa, provides useful information to direct initiatives to improve services. The study describes inequalities over time in access to maternal health services in South Africa, and identifies differences in maternal health […]
Obstetric outcomes and antenatal access among adolescent pregnancies in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Background: Pregnancy among adolescents in South Africa is a growing concern as it may be associated with adverse socioeconomic and health impacts. Timeous initiation and optimal utilisation of antenatal care (ANC) services is imperative to ensure positive pregnancy outcomes. However, this is not always possible owing to various challenges. Methods: A multi-method study design using […]
Direct maternal deaths attributable to HIV in the era of antiretroviral therapy: evidence from three population-based HIV cohorts with verbal autopsy
OBJECTIVE: To assess whether HIV is associated with an increased risk of mortality from direct maternal complications. DESIGN: Population-based cohort study using data from three demographic surveillance sites in Eastern and Southern Africa. METHODS: We use verbal autopsy data, with cause of death assigned using the InSilicoVA algorithm, to describe the association between HIV and […]
African infants’ CCL3 gene copies influence perinatal HIV transmission in the absence of maternal nevirapine
BACKGROUND: Individuals with more copies of CCL3L1 (CCR5 ligand) than their population median have been found to be less susceptible to HIV infection. We investigated whether maternal or infant CCL3L1 gene copy numbers are associated with perinatal HIV transmission when single-dose nevirapine is given for prevention. METHOD: A nested case-control study was undertaken combining data […]
Conversations with mothers: Exploring reasons for prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) failures in the era of programmatic scale-up in soweto, South Africa
Reasons for incident cases of vertical HIV transmission in the era of free access to PMTCT in South Africa were investigated. This mixed-methods study was conducted in Soweto, South Africa from June-August, 2009. Birthmothers of HIV-infected infants born after 1 December 2008 were eligible. All participants completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Women also participated in a […]
The impact of national health promotion policy on stillbirth and maternal mortality in South Africa
Objectives: In 2015, the South African government implemented the national health promotion policy (NHPP), intending to reduce stillbirth and maternal mortality. This study was designed to quantify the impact of the NHPP on stillbirth and maternal mortality in both the South African population and immigrant citizens. Study design: This was a panel analysis using secondary […]
Despite Access to Antiretrovirals for Prevention and Treatment, High Rates of Mortality Persist among HIV-infected Infants and Young Children
Background: Outcomes of HIV-infected children before widespread use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for treatment and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) have been well characterized but less is known about children who acquire HIV infection in the context of good ART access. Methods: We enrolled newly diagnosed HIV-infected children ≤24 months of age at 3 hospitals […]
Local level inequalities in the use of hospital-based maternal delivery in rural South Africa
Background: There is global concern with geographical and socio-economic inequalities in access to and use of maternal delivery services. Little is known, however, on how local-level socio-economic inequalities are related to the uptake of needed maternal health care. We conducted a study of relative socio-economic inequalities in use of hospital-based maternal delivery services within two […]
Measurement approaches in continuum of care for maternal health: A critical interpretive synthesis of evidence from LMICs and its implications for the South African context
Background: Global strategies recommend a continuum of care for maternal health to improve outcomes and access to care in low and middle income countries (LMICs). South Africa has already set priority interventions along the continuum of care for maternal health, and mandated their implementation at the district health level. However, the approach for monitoring access […]
