A multilevel analysis of individual and contextual factors associated with the practice of safe disposal of children’s faeces in sub-Saharan Africa
Background Over the years, sanitation programs over the world have focused more on household sanitation, with limited attention towards the disposal of children’s stools. This lack of attention could be due to the misconception that children’s stools are harmless. The current study examined the individual and contextual predictors of safe disposal of children’s faeces among […]
Knowledge of neonatal danger signs and associated factors among husbands of mothers who gave birth in the last 6 months in Gurage Zone, Southern Ethiopia, 2020: A community-based cross-sectional study
Objective To assess knowledge of neonatal danger signs and their associations among husbands of mothers who gave birth in the last 6 months in Gurage Zone, Southern Ethiopia, from 1 February to 28 February 2020. Design Community-based cross-sectional study. Setting Gurage Zone, Southern Ethiopia. Participants The study was conducted among 633 participants living in Gurage […]
Variation in competent and respectful delivery care in Kenya and Malawi: a retrospective analysis of national facility surveys
Objective: Although substantial progress has been made in increasing access to care during childbirth, reductions in maternal and neonatal mortality have been slower. Poor-quality care may be to blame. In this study, we measure the quality of labour and delivery services in Kenya and Malawi using data from observations of deliveries and explore factors associated […]
Factors associated with comorbidity of diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections among children under five years in Ghana
Introduction Globally, childhood mortality is an important public health concern. In Ghana, both diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are among the top five causes of morbidity and mortality among children under five years old (CU5). Yet, there is a paucity of studies on the comorbidity of diarrhoea and ARIs in CU5 in Ghana. Aim […]
Galvanizing action on primary health care: Analyzing bottlenecks and strategies to strengthen community health systems inwest and central Africa
Introduction: The renewed commitment to primary health care (PHC) presents an opportunity to strengthen health systems in West and Central Africa (WCA). Though evidence-based costeffective interventions that are predicted to prevent up to onethird of maternal, newborn, and child health complications and deaths with universal coverage have been identified, more than 50% of people living […]
Prevalence and correlates of anemia among children aged 6-23 months in Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia
Background Anemia, the world’s most common micro-nutrient deficiency disorder, can affect a person at any time and at all stages of life. Though all members of the community may face the problem, children aged 6-23 months are particularly at higher risk. If left untreated, it adversely affects the health, cognitive development, school achievement, and work […]
Barriers to institutional childbirth in rumbek north county, South Sudan: A qualitative study
Background South Sudan has one of the world’s poorest health indicators due to a fragile health system and a combination of socio-cultural, economic and political factors. This study was conducted to identify barriers to utilisation of institutional childbirth services in Rumbek North County. Methods Data were collected through 14 focus group discussions with 169 women […]
Four delays of child mortality in Rwanda: A mixed methods analysis of verbal social autopsies
Objectives We sought to understand healthcare-seeking patterns and delays in obtaining effective treatment for rural Rwandan children aged 1-5 years by analysing verbal and social autopsies (VSA). Factors in the home, related to transport and to quality of care in the formal health sector (FHS) were thought to contribute to delays. Design We collected quantitative […]
Health management information system (HMIS) data verification: A case study in four districts in Rwanda
Introduction Reliable Health Management and Information System (HMIS) data can be used with minimal cost to identify areas for improvement and to measure impact of healthcare delivery. However, variable HMIS data quality in low- and middle-income countries limits its value in monitoring, evaluation and research. We aimed to review the quality of Rwandan HMIS data […]
Quality of maternity care and its determinants along the continuum in Kenya: A structural equation modeling analysis
Background: Improving access to delivery services does not guarantee access to quality obstetric care and better survival, and therefore, concerns for quality of maternal and newborn care in low-and middle-income countries have been raised. Our study explored characteristics associated with the quality of initial assessment, intrapartum, and immediate postpartum and newborn care, and further assessed […]
