Pediatric HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa: Emerging issues and way forward
Background: Sub-Saharan Africa has the largest burden of pediatric HIV in the world. Global target has been set for eradication of pediatric HIV by 2015 but there are still so many complex issues facing HIV infected and affected children in the sub-continent. Objective: To review the current and emerging challenges facing pediatric HIV care in […]
Determinants of Anemia among women in Uganda: Further analysis of the Uganda demographic and health surveys
Background: Anemia is a public health problem in many developing countries. It affects a sizable proportion of women of reproductive age. Anemia increases the risk of morbidity and mortality from infectious diseases, and can lead to poor fetal outcomes, and low productivity. This study examined the trends and determinants of anemia among women of reproductive […]
Mental health financing challenges, opportunities and strategies in low- And middle-income countries: Findings from the Emerald project
BackgroundCurrent coverage of mental healthcare in low- and middle-income countries is very limited, not only in terms of access to services but also in terms of financial protection of individuals in need of care and treatment.AimsTo identify the challenges, opportunities and strategies for more equitable and sustainable mental health financing in six sub-Saharan African and […]
Prenatal hepatitis B screening and associated factors in a high prevalence district of Lira, northern Uganda: A community based cross sectional study
Background: Chronic hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection affects 80-100 million people in sub-Saharan Africa and accounts for an estimated 650,000 deaths annually. The prevalence of active hepatitis B virus infection among women aged 15-64 in mid-Northern Uganda is about 5%. Lira district is among the high prevalence areas where government embarked on mass HBV screening […]
Adverse pregnancy outcomes in rural Uganda (1996-2013): Trends and associated factors from serial cross sectional surveys
Objective: Community based evidence on pregnancy outcomes in rural Africa is lacking yet it is needed to guide maternal and child health interventions. We estimated and compared adverse pregnancy outcomes and associated factors in rural south-western Uganda using two survey methods. Methods: Within a general population cohort, between 1996 and 2013, women aged 15-49 years […]
WHO multi-country survey on abortion-related morbidity and mortality in health facilities: Study protocol
Introduction: According to the WHO, abortion accounts for about 8% (4.7–13.2) of maternal mortality worldwide. In 2010, the WHO Multi-Country Survey (MCS) on Maternal and Newborn Health collected data on over 300 000 women who were admitted in health facilities to receive pregnancy-related care. Abortion data were partially captured by centring on severe maternal outcomes […]
Midwife-performed checklist and ultrasound to identify obstetric conditions at labour triage in Uganda: A quasi-experimental study
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a midwife-performed checklist and limited obstetric ultrasound on sensitivity and positive predictive value for a composite outcome comprising multiple gestation, placenta praevia, oligohydramnios, preterm birth, malpresentation, abnormal foetal heart rate. Design: Quasi-experimental pre-post intervention study. Setting: Maternity unit at a district hospital in […]
Capacity assessment for provision of quality sexual reproductive health and hiv-integrated services in karamoja, uganda
Introduction: Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are crucial global health issues. Uganda continues to sustain a huge burden of HIV and AIDS. Methods: A cross-sectional health facility-based assessment was performed in November and December 2016 in Karamoja Region, northern Uganda. All the 126 health facilities (HFs) in Karamoja, including 5 […]
Action leveraging evidence to reduce perinatal mortality and morbidity (ALERT): study protocol for a stepped-wedge cluster-randomised trial in Benin, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda
Background: Insufficient reductions in maternal and neonatal deaths and stillbirths in the past decade are a deterrence to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 3. The majority of deaths occur during the intrapartum and immediate postnatal period. Overcoming the knowledge-do-gap to ensure implementation of known evidence-based interventions during this period has the potential to avert at […]
Group B Streptococcus Colonization among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care at Tertiary Hospital in Rural Southwestern Uganda
Objectives. This study sought to determine the prevalence and factors associated with group B streptococcal anogenital colonization among pregnant women attending antenatal care at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, a tertiary hospital. Methods. Cross-sectional study where 309 pregnant women ≥ thirty-five weeks of gestation attending antenatal clinic were consecutively recruited between January and March 2015. Anovaginal […]