Prevalence and risk factors of malaria and anaemia and the impact of preventive methods among pregnant women: A case study at the Akatsi South District in Ghana
Aim This study aimed to ascertain the prevalence and risk factors of malaria and anaemia as well as the impact of preventive methods among pregnant women at the Akatsi South District Hospital of Ghana. Subjects and methods A hospital based cross-sectional study using simple random sampling technique was conducted among 200 pregnant women receiving antenatal […]
Determinants of wasting among children aged 6-59 months in North-East Ethiopia: a community-based case-control study
Objective Childhood acute malnutrition, in the form of wasting defined by Weight-for-Height Z-Scores, is a major public health concern. It is one of the main reasons for the death of children in developing countries like Ethiopia. Accordingly, this study aimed to assess determinants of wasting among children aged 6-59 months in Meket district, North Wollo […]
Rationale, design and protocol of a cross-sectional study on pregnancy-related cardiovascular diseases in Tanzania (PRECARDT): Burden, characterisation and prognostic significance at delivery
Introduction The paucity of data describing cardiovascular disease (CVD) in pregnancy in many parts of Africa including Tanzania has given rise to challenges in proper management by the healthcare providers. This study is set out to (1) determine the prevalence of a range of CVDs during pregnancy in women attending antenatal clinics in Tanzania and […]
The differential impacts of PEPFAR transition on private for-profit, private not-for-profit and publicly owned health facilities in Uganda
While transition of donor programs to national control is increasingly common, there is a lack of evidence about the consequences of transition for private health care providers. In 2015, President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) identified 734 facilities in Uganda for transition from PEPFAR support, including 137 private not-for-profits (PNFP) and 140 private for-profits […]
Mobile nudges and financial incentives to improve coverage of timely neonatal vaccination in rural areas (GEVaP trial): A 3-armed cluster randomized controlled trial in Northern Ghana
Background Despite progress in vaccination coverage, timeliness of childhood vaccination remains a challenge in many settings. We aimed to assess if mobile phone-based reminders and incentives to health workers and caregivers could increase timely neonatal vaccination in a rural, low-resource setting. Methods We conducted an open-label cluster randomized controlled 1:1:1 trial with three arms in […]
Population Health Metrics Research Consortium gold standard verbal autopsy validation study: Design, implementation, and development of analysis datasets
Background: Verbal autopsy methods are critically important for evaluating the leading causes of death in populations without adequate vital registration systems. With a myriad of analytical and data collection approaches, it is essential to create a high quality validation dataset from different populations to evaluate comparative method performance and make recommendations for future verbal autopsy […]
Contraceptive utilization and associated factors among HIV positive women on chronic follow up care in tigray region, northern ethiopia: A cross sectional study
Background: In sub-Sahara Africa, more than 60% of all new HIV infections are occurring in women, infants and young children. Maternal to child transmission is responsible for 90% of childhood HIV infection. Preventing unwanted pregnancy among HIV positive women is imperative to reduce maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted […]
Investigating factors that influence the practice of exclusive breastfeeding among mothers in an urban general hospital in Ghana: a cross-sectional study
Background: In Ghana, only 52% of mothers exclusively breastfeed their babies and the rate of increase has been steadily slow across all geographical areas of Ghana. The purpose of this study was to determine the various factors that influence exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) among mothers who visited the child welfare clinic at the Tema General Hospital, […]
Household factors and gestational age predict diet quality of pregnant women
Adequate diet during pregnancy has positive effects on the mother and pregnancy outcome. Assessment of diet quality during pregnancy is particularly important in areas where household food security is suboptimal, to enable appropriate targeting and intervention. This study assessed diet quality and identified predicting factors among pregnant women in northern Ghana. A cross-sectional study involving […]
Factors associated with catastrophic health expenditure in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review
Objective A non-negligible proportion of sub-Saharan African (SSA) households experience catastrophic costs accessing healthcare. This study aimed to systematically review the existing evidence to identify factors associated with catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) incidence in the region. Methods We searched PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, CNKI, Africa Journal Online, SciELO, PsycINFO, and Web of Science, and supplemented these […]
