Estimating the spatial accessibility to blood group and rhesus type point-of-care testing for maternal healthcare in Ghana
Background: In Ghana, a blood group and rhesus type test is one of the essential recommended screening tests for women during antenatal care since blood transfusion is a key intervention for haemorrhage. We estimated the spatial accessibility to health facilities for blood group and type point-of-care (POC) testing in the Upper East Region (UER), Ghana. […]
Training Mid-Level Providers to Treat Severe Non-Communicable Diseases in Neno, Malawi through PEN-Plus Strategies
Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a leading cause of worldwide morbidity and mortality, yet access to care in lower-income countries is limited. Rural communities, where poverty levels are high, feel the greatest burden. In Malawi, as elsewhere in the African region, it is particularly challenging for patients in rural districts to obtain care for locally […]
Measuring equity in utilization of emergency obstetric care at Wolisso Hospital in Oromiya, Ethiopia: A cross sectional study
Introduction. Improving equity in access to services for the treatment of complications that arise during pregnancy and childbirth, namely Emergency Obstetric Care (EmOC), is fundamental if maternal and neonatal mortality are to be reduced. Consequently, there is a growing need to monitor equity in access to EmOC. The objective of this study was to develop […]
Adversities and mental health needs of pregnant adolescents in Kenya: Identifying interpersonal, practical, and cultural barriers to care
Background: Adolescent pregnancies present a great public health burden in Kenya and Sub-Saharan Africa (UNFPA, Motherhood in Childhood: Facing the challenge of Adolescent Pregnancy, 2013). The disenfranchisement from public institutions and services is further compounded by cultural stigma and gender inequality creating emotional, psychosocial, health, and educational problems in the lives of vulnerable pregnant adolescents […]
Implementation research approaches to promoting universal health coverage in Africa: a scoping review
Background: Implementation research has emerged as part of evidence-based decision-making efforts to plug current gaps in the translation of research evidence into health policy and practice. While there has been a growing number of initiatives promoting the uptake of implementation research in Africa, its role and effectiveness remain unclear, particularly in the context of universal […]
Time to recovery of neonatal sepsis and determinant factors among neonates admitted in Public Hospitals of Central Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia, 2021
Background Neonatal sepsis is a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality, particularly in developing countries. Time to recovery is an indicator of the severity of sepsis, and risk factors varied significantly according to study population and settings. Moreover, published literature regarding the time to recovery of neonatal sepsis is scarce. Objective The aim of […]
Immunogenicity and safety of different dosing schedules of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine in pregnant women with HIV: a randomised controlled trial
Background: Standard-dose, seasonal, trivalent, inactivated influenza vaccine induces moderate-to-low haemagglutination-inhibition antibody responses in people living with HIV. This study assessed the immunogenicity and safety of different dosing schedules of inactivated influenza vaccine in pregnant women living with HIV in South Africa. Methods: In this double-blind, randomised, controlled trial, we recruited pregnant women with HIV from […]
A cluster-randomized, controlled trial of nutritional supplementation and promotion of responsive parenting in Madagascar: The MAHAY study design and rationale
Background: Over half of the world’s children suffer from poor nutrition, and as a consequence they experience delays in physical and mental health, and cognitive development. There is little data evaluating the effects of delivery of lipid-based, nutrition supplementation on growth and development during pregnancy and early childhood within the context of a scaled-up program. […]
Penta is associated with an increased female-male mortality ratio: cohort study from Bangladesh
Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccine may be associated with excess female deaths. There are few studies of possible nonspecific effects of the DTP-containing vaccine Penta (DTP-hepatitis B-Haemophilus influenzae type b). We therefore investigated whether Penta vaccinations were associated with excess female deaths in rural Bangladesh. Between June 29, 2011 and April 20, 2016, we examined the mortality […]
Assessing the functionality of an emergency obstetric referral system and continuum of care among public healthcare facilities in a low resource setting: an application of process mapping approach
Background: Weak referral systems remain a major concern influencing timely access to the appropriate level of care during obstetric emergencies, particularly for Low-and Middle-Income Countries, including Ghana. It is a serious factor threatening the achievement of the maternal health Sustainable Development Goal. The objective of this study is to establish process details of emergency obstetric […]
