Collecting maternal health information from HIV-positive pregnant women using mobile phone-assisted face-to-face interviews in Southern Africa
Background: Most of the world’s women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reside in sub-Saharan Africa. Although efforts to reduce mother-to-child transmission are underway, obtaining complete and accurate data from rural clinical sites to track progress presents a major challenge. Objective: To describe the acceptability and feasibility of mobile phones as a tool for clinic-based […]
Identifying common barriers and facilitators to linkage and retention in chronic disease care in western Kenya
Background: Sub-Saharan Africa is increasingly being challenged in providing care and treatment for chronic diseases, both communicable and non-communicable. In order to address the challenges of linkage to and retention in chronic disease management, there is the need to understand the factors that can influence engagement in care. We conducted a qualitative study to identify […]
Determinants of low birth weight in neonates born in three hospitals in Brong Ahafo region, Ghana, 2016- an unmatched case-control study
Background: Each year, about 20 million Low Birth Weight (LBW) babies are born with very high proportion (96.5%) occuring in developing countries. In the last decade, the incidence of LBW in Ghana has not declined. Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana recorded a LBW prevalence of 11% which was higher than the the national average of […]
Exploring primary healthcare practitioners’ experiences regarding the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread rapidly around the world since the initial outbreak in Wuhan, China. With the emergence of the Omicron variant, South Africa is presently the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa. Healthcare workers have been at the forefront of the pandemic in terms of screening, early detection […]
A one health approach to strengthening antimicrobial stewardship in wakiso district, uganda
Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), as one of the global strategies to promote responsible use of antimicrobials to prevent antimicrobial resistance (AMR), remains poor in many low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). We implemented a project aimed at strengthening AMS in Wakiso district, Uganda using a One Health approach. A total of 86 health practitioners (HPs), including animal health […]
Perceptions of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp) and barriers to adherence in Nasarawa and Cross River States in Nigeria
Background: Malaria during pregnancy is dangerous to both mother and foetus. Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp) is a strategy where pregnant women in malaria-endemic countries receive full doses of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), whether or not they have malaria. The Nigerian government adopted IPTp as a national strategy in 2005; however, major gaps affecting […]
Uptake of care and treatment amongst a national cohort of HIV positive infants diagnosed at primary care level, South Africa
BACKGROUND: Loss to follow-up after a positive infant HIV diagnosis negates the potential benefits of robust policies recommending immediate triple antiretroviral therapy initiation in HIV positive infants. Whilst the diagnosis and follow-up of HIV positive infants in urban, specialized settings is easier to institutionalize, there is little information about access to care amongst HIV positive children […]
Home-based record (HBR) ownership and use of HBR recording fields in selected Kenyan communities: Results from the Kenya Missed Opportunities for Vaccination Assessment
Background Home-based records (HBRs), which take many forms, serve as an important tool for frontline health workers by providing a standardized patient history vital to making informed decisions about the need for immunization services. There are increasing concerns around HBRs with recording areas that are functionally irrelevant because records are incomplete or not up-to-date. The […]
Evaluating quality neonatal care, call Centre service, tele-health and community engagement in reducing newborn morbidity and mortality in Bungoma county, Kenya
Background: Neonatal mortality is a major health burden in Bungoma County with the rate estimated at 31 per 1000 live births and is above the national average of 22 per 1000. Nonetheless, out of the nine sub county hospitals, only two are fairly equipped with necessary infrastructure and skilled personnel to manage neonatal complications such […]
Maternity waiting homes utilization and associated factors among childbearing women in rural settings of Finfinnee special zone, central Ethiopia: A community based cross-sectional study
Background Maternity waiting home (MWH) is one of the strategies designed for improved access to comprehensive obstetric care for pregnant women living far from health facilities. Hence, it is vital to promote MWHs for pregnant women in Ethiopia, where most people reside in rural settings and have a high mortality rate. Therefore, this study aimed […]
