An effectiveness study of an integrated, community-based package for maternal, newborn, child and HIV care in South Africa: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Background: Progress towards MDG4 in South Africa will depend largely on scaling up effective prevention against mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV and also addressing neonatal mortality. This imperative drives increasing focus on the neonatal period and particularly on the development and testing of appropriate models of sustainable, community-based care in South Africa in […]
Geo-spatial factors associated with infection risk among young children in rural Ghana: A secondary spatial analysis
Background: Determining the spatial patterns of infection among young children living in a malaria-endemic area may provide a means of locating high-risk populations who could benefit from additional resources for treatment and improved access to healthcare. The objective of this secondary analysis of baseline data from a cluster-randomized trial among 1943 young Ghanaian children (6-35 […]
Seasonality and predictors of childhood stunting and wasting in drought-prone areas in Ethiopia: a cohort study
Background and objectives Over centuries, Ethiopia has experienced severe famines and periods of serious drought, and malnutrition remains a major public health problem. The aims of this study were to estimate seasonal variations in child stunting and wasting, and identify factors associated with both forms of child malnutrition in drought-prone areas. Methods This cohort study […]
Antenatal care service utilization of pregnant women attending antenatal care in public hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic period
Background: The recent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has had a disastrous effect on the health-care delivery system, of mainly pregnancy-related healthcare. In order to fill the information gap in the scientific literature and in response to the limited evidence in the country, this study aims to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on antenatal […]
Broadening understanding of accountability ecosystems in sexual and reproductive health and rights: A systematic review
Background Accountability for ensuring sexual and reproductive health and rights is increasingly receiving global attention. Less attention has been paid to accountability mechanisms for sexual and reproductive health and rights at national and sub-national level, the focus of this systematic review. Methods We searched for peer-reviewed literature using accountability, sexual and reproductive health, human rights […]
Application of the Ultra-Poverty Graduation Model in understanding community health volunteers’ preferences for socio-economic empowerment strategies to enhance retention: a qualitative study in Kilifi, Kenya
Background: A significant shortage of healthcare workforce exists globally. To achieve Universal Healthcare coverage, governments need to enhance their community-based health programmes. Community health volunteers (CHVs) are essential personnel in achieving this objective. However, their ability to earn a livelihood is compromised by the voluntary nature of their work; hence, the high attrition rates from […]
Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus: Investigating the uptake and utilization of maternal and child health services in Tiko health district, Cameroon
Introduction: despite evidence that interventions to prevent mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV are effective in ensuring a healthy child and keeping mothers alive, there are many challenges to achieving successful interventions in Cameroon. The study was conducted to investigate factors that affect access to and utilization of maternal and child health (MCH) and PMTCT services […]
Practice and Intention to use long acting and permanent contraceptive methods among married women in Ethiopia: Systematic meta-analysis
Background: The long acting and permanent contraceptive methods (LAPCMs) has not used unlike that of short-acting methods in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Sub Saharan Africa with a high total fertility rate, and high maternal and child mortality rates. This study summarized the evidence of practice and intention to use long […]
Evaluation of the impact of a simple hand-washing and water-treatment intervention in rural health facilities on hygiene knowledge and reported behaviours of health workers and their clients, Nyanza Province, Kenya, 2008
Many clinics in rural western Kenya lack access to safe water and hand-washing facilities. To address this problem, in 2005 a programme was initiated to install water stations for hand washing and drinking water in 109 health facilities, train health workers on water treatment and hygiene, and motivate clients to adopt these practices. In 2008, […]
Sero-prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis C virus infection among pregnant women in Bahir Dar city, Northwest Ethiopia: Cross sectional study
Viral hepatitis during pregnancy is associated with high risk of maternal complications and has become a leading cause of fetal death. So the main objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of hepatitis C viral infections among pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic in Bahir Dar health institutions, Ethiopia. This was institutional based […]
