Giving Birth in a Foreign Land: Exploring the Maternal Healthcare Experiences of Zimbabwean Migrant Women Living in Johannesburg, South Africa
Maternal mortality in South Africa is unacceptably high, and interventions to address this are urgently needed. Whilst urban centres, such as Johannesburg, are home to significant numbers of non-national migrant women, little is known about their maternal healthcare experiences. In order to inform future research, an exploratory study investigating the maternal healthcare and help-seeking experiences […]
Review of health and non-health sector indicators for monitoring service provision along the continuum of care for maternal health
Objective: This study uses health and non-health sector data sources to select and assess available indicators for service provision along the continuum of care for maternal health at subnational levels in South Africa. It applies the adequacy approach established in another study to assess the multi-dimensionality of available indicators. Using adequacy and the process of […]
The predictors of different measures of dietary diversity among one-year-olds in South Africa
Objectives: A study was undertaken to compare a range of dietary diversity indicators and their predictors among one-year-olds. Design: Multivariate regression analysis was employed, where dietary diversity indicators are the outcome variables and the main predictor variables are access to resources and maternal education. Three different dietary diversity indicators are analysed: a count of food […]
Disclosure, stigma of HIV positive child and access to early infant diagnosis in the rural communities of OR Tambo District, South Africa: A qualitative exploration of maternal perspective
Background: Despite the overwhelming evidence confirming the morbidity and mortality benefits of early initiation of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) in HIV-infected infants, some children are still disadvantaged from gaining access to care. The understanding of the maternal perspective on early infant HIV diagnosis and prompt initiation of HAART has not been adequately explored, especially […]
Health system weaknesses constrain access to PMTCT and maternal HIV services in South Africa: A qualitative enquiry
Background: HIV remains responsible for an estimated 40% of mortality in South African pregnant women and their children. To address these avoidable deaths, eligibility criteria for antiretroviral therapy (ART) in pregnant women were revised in 2010 to enhance ART coverage. With greater availability of HIV services in public health settings and increasing government attention to […]
Increased access to antiretroviral therapy is associated with reduced maternal mortality in Johannesburg, South Africa: An Audit from 2003-2012
Objective: To assess the impact of expanded access to antiretroviral treatment (ART) on maternal mortality in Johannesburg, South Africa between 2003 and 2012. Methods: Audit of patient files, birth registers and death certificates at a tertiary level referral hospital. Cause of death was assigned independently, by two reviewers. We compared causes of deaths and the […]
Equity in Maternal Health in South Africa: Analysis of Health Service Access and Health Status in a National Household Survey
Background:South Africa is increasingly focused on reducing maternal mortality. Documenting variation in access to maternal health services across one of the most inequitable nations could assist in re-direction of resources.Methods:Analysis draws on a population-based household survey that used multistage-stratified sampling. Women, who in the past two years were pregnant (1113) or had a child (1304), […]
Exploring inequalities in access to and use of maternal health services in South Africa
Background: South Africas maternal mortality rate (625 deaths/100,000 live births) is high for a middle-income country, although over 90% of pregnant women utilize maternal health services. Alongside HIV/AIDS, barriers to Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric Care currently impede the countrys Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) of reducing child mortality and improving maternal health. While health system barriers to […]
Determinants of access to and use of maternal health care services in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: A quantitative and qualitative investigation
Background: The main aim of the study is to examine whether women in Mdantsane are accessing and using maternal health care services. Accessibility of maternal health care facilities is important in ensuring that lives are saved through the provision and use of essential maternal services. Therefore, access to these health care services directly translates to […]
