Health system strengthening using a Maximizing Engagement for Readiness and Impact (MERI) Approach: A community case study

Introduction: Health system strengthening initiatives in low and middle-income countries are commonly hampered by limited implementation readiness. The Maximizing Engagement for Readiness and Impact (MERI) Approach uses a system “readiness” theory of change to address implementation obstacles. MERI is documented based on field experiences, incorporating best practices, and lessons learned from two decades of maternal, […]

Community perceptions of malaria and vaccines in the South Coast and Busia regions of Kenya

Background: Malaria is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children younger than 5 years in Kenya. Within the context of planning for a vaccine to be used alongside existing malaria control methods, this study explores sociocultural and health communications issues among individuals who are responsible for or influence decisions on childhood vaccination at […]

Supportive supervision for volunteers to deliver reproductive health education: a cluster randomized trial

Background: Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) can be effective in improving pregnancy and newborn outcomes through community education. Inadequate supervision of CHVs, whether due to poor planning, irregular visits, or ineffective supervisory methods, is, however, recognized as a weakness in many programs. There has been little research on best practice supervisory or accompaniment models. Methods: From […]

Family medicine training in sub-Saharan Africa: South-South cooperation in the Primafamed project as strategy for development

Background. Health-care systems based on primary health care (PHC) are more equitable and cost effective. Family medicine trains medical doctors in comprehensive PHC with knowledge and skills that are needed to increase quality of care. Family medicine is a relatively new specialty in sub-Saharan Africa. Objective. To explore the extent to which the Primafamed South-South […]

Predictors of Stunting and Underweight Among Children Aged 6 to 59 months in Bussi Islands, Wakiso District, Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Child undernutrition is a major public health concern in Uganda that can lead to increased risks of death with its prevalence higher in rural hard-to-reach areas than in urban areas. While it is assumed that the prevalence will be more concerning in islands with restricted accessibility to healthcare resources, limited research has been conducted […]

Should I stay or should I go? Initiation of joint travel in mother–infant dyads of two chimpanzee communities in the wild

It is well established that great apes communicate via intentionally produced, elaborate and flexible gestural means. Yet relatively little is known about the most fundamental steps into this communicative endeavour—communicative exchanges of mother–infant dyads and gestural acquisition; perhaps because the majority of studies concerned captive groups and single communities in the wild only. Here, we […]

Effect of single-dose anthelmintic treatment during pregnancy on an infant’s response to immunisation and on susceptibility to infectious diseases in infancy: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Helminth infections affect the human immune response. We investigated whether prenatal exposure to and treatment of maternal helminth infections affects development of an infant’s immune response to immunisations and unrelated infections. In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we enrolled 2507 women in the second or third trimester of pregnancy who were planning to deliver in […]

There are many fevers: Communities’ perception and management of Febrile illness and its relationship with human animal interactions in South-Western Uganda

Diagnosing the causative agent of febrile illness in resource-limited countries is a challenge in part due to lack of adequate diagnostic infrastructure to confirm cause of infection. Most febrile illnesses (>60%) are non-malarial, with a significant proportion being zoonotic and likely from animal origins. To better characterize the pathways for zoonotic disease transmission and control […]

Incidence of induced abortion in Malawi, 2015

Background In Malawi, abortion is legal only if performed to save a woman’s life; other attempts to procure an abortion are punishable by 7-14 years imprisonment. Most induced abortions in Malawi are performed under unsafe conditions, contributing to Malawi’s high maternal mortality ratio. Malawians are currently debating whether to provide additional exceptions under which an […]

The development of a Simplified, Effective, Labour Monitoring-to-Action (SELMA) tool for Better Outcomes in Labour Difficulty (BOLD): Study protocol Obstetrics

Background: The partograph is currently the main tool available to support decision-making of health professionals during labour. However, the rate of appropriate use of the partograph is disappointingly low. Apart from limitations that are associated with partograph use, evidence of positive impact on labour-related health outcomes is lacking. The main goal of this study is […]