Efficacy and safety of azithromycin-chloroquine versus sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine for intermittent preventive treatment of plasmodium falciparum malaria infection in pregnant women in Africa: An open-label, randomized trial
Background The World Health Organization recommends intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) in African regions with moderate to high malaria transmission. However, growing resistance to SP threatens the effectiveness of IPTp-SP, and alternative drugs are needed. This study tested the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of a fixed-dose combination azithromycin-chloroquine (AZCQ; 250 mg […]
Reducing stigma among healthcare providers to improve mental health services (RESHAPE): Protocol for a pilot cluster randomized controlled trial of a stigma reduction intervention for training primary healthcare workers in Nepal
Background: Non-specialist healthcare providers, including primary and community healthcare workers, in low- and middle-income countries can effectively treat mental illness. However, scaling-up mental health services within existing health systems has been limited by barriers such as stigma against people with mental illness. Therefore, interventions are needed to address attitudes and behaviors among non-specialists. Aimed at […]
Daily zinc but not multivitamin supplementation reduces diarrhea and upper respiratory infections in tanzanian infants: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial
Background: Although various micronutrient regimens have been shown to prevent and treat common infectious diseases in children, the effects of daily multivitamin (MV) and/or zinc supplementation have not been widely evaluated in young African infants. Objective: The objective was to determine whether daily supplementation of HIV-unexposed Tanzanian infants with MVs or zinc reduces the risk […]
Protective efficacy and safety of three antimalarial regimens for the prevention of malaria in young Ugandan children: A randomized controlled trial
Chemoprevention offers a promising strategy for prevention of malaria in African children. However, the optimal chemoprevention drug and dosing strategy is unclear in areas of year-round transmission and resistance to many antimalarial drugs. To compare three available regimens, we conducted an open-label randomized controlled trial of chemoprevention in Ugandan children. Methods and Findings: This study […]
Factors associated with anaemia among preschool- age children in underprivileged neighbourhoods in Antananarivo, Madagascar
Background: Anaemia occurs in children when the haemoglobin level in the blood is less than the normal (11 g/dL), the consequence is the decrease of oxygen quantity in the tissues. It is a prevalent public health problem in many low-income countries, including Madagascar, and data on risk factors are lacking. We used existing data collected […]
The effect of performance-based financing on illness, care-seeking and treatment among children: An impact evaluation in Rwanda
Background: Performance-based financing (PBF) strategies are promoted as a supply-side, results-based financing mechanism to improve primary health care. This study estimated the effects of Rwanda’s PBF program on less-incentivized child health services and examined the differential program impact by household poverty. Methods: Districts were allocated to intervention and comparison for PBF implementation in Rwanda. Using […]
Predictive value of pulse oximetry for mortality in infants and children presenting to primary care with clinical pneumonia in rural Malawi: A data linkage study
Background The mortality impact of pulse oximetry use during infant and childhood pneumonia management at the primary healthcare level in low-income countries is unknown. We sought to determine mortality outcomes of infants and children diagnosed and referred using clinical guidelines with or without pulse oximetry in Malawi. Methods and findings We conducted a data linkage […]
Modelling the supply and need for health professionals for primary health care in Ghana: Implications for health professions education and employment planning
Background The health workforce (HWF) is critical in developing responsive health systems to address population health needs and respond to health emergencies, but defective planning have arguably resulted in underinvestment in health professions education and decent employment. Primary Health Care (PHC) has been the anchor of Ghana’s health system. As Ghana’s population increases and the […]
Attitudes and perceptions about breastfeeding among female and male informal workers in India and South Africa
Background: Worldwide, over 740 million women make their living in the informal economy and therefore lack formal employment benefits, such as maternity leave, that can improve infant feeding practices. Returning to work is one of the biggest challenges women face to maintaining breastfeeding. This study aimed to explore attitudes and perceptions towards breastfeeding in the […]
Impact of fee subsidy policy on perinatal health in a low-resource setting: A quasi-experimental study
Background A national subsidy policy was introduced in 2007 in Burkina Faso to improve financial accessibility to facility-based delivery. In this article, we estimated the effects of reducing user fees on institutional delivery and neonatal mortality, immediately and three years after the introduction of the policy. Methods The study was based on a quasi-experimental design. […]
