Female genital mutilation/cutting in Sierra Leone: Are educated women intending to circumcise their daughters?
Background: Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) has been recognized as a gross violation of human rights of girls and women. This is well established in numerous international legal instruments. It forms part of the initiation ceremony that confers womanhood in Sierra Leone. Girls and women who are subjected to this practice are considered to be ready […]
Factors associated with stunting among children according to the level of food insecurity in the household: A cross-sectional study in a rural community of Southeastern Kenya Global health
Background: Chronic malnutrition or stunting among children under 5 years old is affected by several household environmental factors, such as food insecurity, disease burden, and poverty. However, not all children experience stunting even in food insecure conditions. To seek a solution at the local level for preventing stunting, a cross-sectional study was conducted in southeastern […]
Access to infertility care services towards Universal Health Coverage is a right and not an option
Background: In Morocco, the national health plan 2025 was developed to promote Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services for all. The principal aim was to achieve the Universal Health Coverage of SRH by 2030. For many years, health authorities’ efforts had focused on reducing maternal mortality through a widespread access to antenatal and obstetric care […]
Knowledge and Attitude of Women Towards Herbal Medicine Usage During Pregnancy and Associated Factors Among Mothers Who Gave Birth in the Last Twelve Months in Dega Damot District, Northwest Ethiopia
Background: The use of herbal medicine is increasing globally, particularly in developing countries including Ethiopia, yet little is known regarding its effect and safety during pregnancy. Pregnant women prefer herbal medicine due to easy accessibility, traditional and cultural beliefs, and comparatively low cost. This study aimed to assess women’s knowledge and attitude towards the effects […]
Rethinking collaboration: Developing a learning platform to address under-five mortality in Mpumalanga province, South Africa
Following 50 years of apartheid, South Africa introduced visionary health policy committing to the right to health as part of a primary health care (PHC) approach. Implementation is seriously challenged, however, in an often-dysfunctional health system with scarce resources and a complex burden of avoidable mortality persists. Our aim was to develop a process generating […]
Valuing and sustaining (or not) the ability of volunteer community health workers to deliver integrated community case management in northern Ghana: A qualitative study
Background: Within the integrated community case management of childhood illnesses (iCCM) programme, the traditional health promotion and prevention role of community health workers (CHWs) has been expanded to treatment. Understanding both the impact and the implementation experience of this expanded role are important. In evaluating UNICEF’s implementation of iCCM, this qualitative case study explores the […]
The social stratification of availability, affordability, and consumption of food in families with preschoolers in addis ababa; the eat addis study in Ethiopia
The aim of this study was to understand the quality of diet being consumed among families in Addis Ababa, and to what extent social stratification and perceptions of availability and affordability affect healthy food consumption. Data were collected from 5467 households in a face-to-face interview with mothers/caretakers and analyzed using mixed effect logistic regression models. […]
A critical discourse analysis of adolescent fertility in Zambia: a postcolonial perspective
Background: Despite global and regional policies that promote the reduction of adolescent fertility through ending early marriages and reducing early child-bearing, adolescent fertility remains high in most sub-Saharan countries. This study aimed to explore the competing discourses that shape adolescent fertility control in Zambia. Methods: A qualitative case study design was adopted, involving 33 individual […]
Care pathways during a child’s final illness in rural South Africa: Findings from a social autopsy study
Background Half of under-5 deaths in South Africa occur at home, however the reasons remain poorly described and data on the care pathways during fatal childhood illness is limited. This study aimed to better describe care-seeking behavior in fatal childhood illness and to assess barriers to healthcare and modifiable factors that contribute to under-5 deaths […]
Expanding access to non-communicable disease care in rural Malawi: Outcomes from a retrospective cohort in an integrated NCD-HIV model
Objectives Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for one-third of disability-adjusted life years in Malawi, and access to care is exceptionally limited. Integrated services with HIV are widely recommended, but few examples exist globally. We report descriptive outcomes from an Integrated Chronic Care Clinic (IC3). Design This is a retrospective cohort study. Setting The study includes an […]
