Determinants of enrolment and renewing of community-based health insurance in households with under-5 children in rural South-Western Uganda
Background: The desire for universal health coverage in developing countries has brought attention to community-based health insurance (CBHI) schemes in developing countries. The government of Uganda is currently debating policy for the national health insurance programme, targeting the integration of existing CBHI schemes into a larger national risk pool. However, while enrolment has been largely […]
Impact of reliable light and electricity on job satisfaction among maternity health workers in Uganda: A cluster randomized trial
Background: Maintaining a motivated health workforce is critical to health system effectiveness and quality of care. Scant evidence exists on whether interventions aimed to strengthen health infrastructure in low-resource settings affect health workers. This study evaluated the impact of an intervention providing solar light and electricity to rural maternity facilities in Uganda on health workers’ […]
Development and launch of the first obstetrics and gynaecology master of medicine residency training programme in Botswana
Background: Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) faces a severe shortage of Obstetrician Gynaecologists (OBGYNs). While the Lancet Commission for Global Surgery recommends 20 OBGYNs per 100,000 population, Botswana has only 40 OBGYNs for a population of 2.3 million. We describe the development of the first OBGYN Master of Medicine (MMed) training programme in Botswana to address this […]
Patient perspectives on interpersonal aspects of healthcare and patient-centeredness at primary health facilities: A mixed methods study in rural Eastern Uganda
Introduction: Patient-centered care (PCC) is an approach to involve patients in health care delivery, to contribute to quality of care, and to strengthen health systems responsiveness. This article aims to highlight patient perspectives by showcasing their perceptions of their experience of PCC at primary health facilities in two districts in Uganda. Methods: A mixed methods […]
The Uganda Newborn Study (UNEST): An effectiveness study on improving newborn health and survival in rural Uganda through a community-based intervention linked to health facilities – study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial
Background: Reducing neonatal-related deaths is one of the major bottlenecks to achieving Millennium Development Goal 4. Studies in Asia and South America have shown that neonatal mortality can be reduced through community-based interventions, but these have not been adapted to scalable intervention packages for sub-Saharan Africa where the culture, health system and policy environment is […]
Barriers to male involvement in contraceptive uptake and reproductive health services: A qualitative study of men and women’s perceptions in two rural districts in Uganda
Background: Spousal communication can improve family planning use and continuation. Yet, in countries with high fertility rates and unmet need, men have often been regarded as unsupportive of their partner’s use of family planning methods. This study examines men and women’s perceptions regarding obstacles to men’s support and uptake of modern contraceptives. Methods. A qualitative […]
Prelacteal feeding among infants within the first week of birth in eastern Uganda: evidence from a health facility-based cross-sectional study
Background: Prelacteal feeding hinders early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding but is understudied in Uganda. We examined the prevalence and factors associated with prelacteal feeding among postpartum mothers in Kamuli district in rural eastern Uganda. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study between December 2020 and January 2021 at four large healthcare facilities and randomly […]
Burden and factors associated with clinical neonatal sepsis in urban Uganda: A community cohort study
Background: Neonatal sepsis is one of the most important causes of mortality in developing countries and yet the most preventable. In developing countries clinical algorithms are used to diagnose clinical neonatal sepsis because of inadequate microbiological services. Most information on incidence and risk factors of neonatal sepsis are from hospital studies which may not be […]
The last one heard: The importance of an early-stage participatory evaluation for programme implementation
Background: The systematic involvement of project beneficiaries in community maternal and child health programmes remains low and limited, especially during the formative stages of the project cycle. Understanding how positive and negative feedbacks obtained from communities can subsequently be used to inform and iterate existing programmes is an important step towards ensuring the success of […]
“midwives do not appreciate pregnant women who come to the maternity with torn and dirty clothing”: Institutional delivery and postnatal care in Torit County, South Sudan: A mixed method study
Background: South Sudan has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in the world, at 789 deaths per 100,000 live births. The majority of these deaths are due to complications during labor and delivery. Institutional delivery under the care of skilled attendants is a proven, effective intervention to avert some deaths. The aim was to […]
