STACKing the odds for adolescent survival: health service factors associated with full retention in care and adherence amongst adolescents living with HIV in South Africa
Introduction: There are two million HIV-positive adolescents in southern Africa, and this group has low retention in care and high mortality. There is almost no evidence to identify which healthcare factors can improve adolescent self-reported retention. This study examines factors associated with retention amongst antiretroviral therapy (ART)-initiated adolescents in South Africa. Methods: We collected clinical […]
Implementation of an international standardized set of outcome indicators in pregnancy and childbirth in Kenya: Utilizing mobile technology to collect patient-reported outcomes
Background Limited data exist on health outcomes during pregnancy and childbirth in low- and middleincome countries. This is a pilot of an innovative data collection tool using mobile technology to collect patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) selected from the International Consortium of Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM) Pregnancy and Childbirth Standard Set in Nairobi, Kenya. Methods Pregnant […]
Postnatal depression among Sudanese women: Prevalence and validation of the Edinburgh Postnatal depression scale at 3 months postpartum
Purpose: Postnatal depression (PND) rates in low-resource countries have reached levels between 4.9% and 59%. Maternal mental health has not been researched in Sudan, and there are no existing statistics on prevalence or significant risk factors for PND. Consequently, no screening test has been validated to screen for PND at the primary health care level. […]
An audit of zimbabwean public sector diagnostic ultrasound services
Introduction: the provision of basic diagnostic imaging services is pivotal to achieving universal health coverage. An estimated two-thirds of the world’s population have no access to basic diagnostic imaging. Accurate data on current imaging equipment resources are required to inform health delivery strategy and policy at national level. This is an audit of Zimbabwean public […]
Urinary Aflatoxin M1 Concentration and Its Determinants in School-Age Children in Southern Ethiopia
Aflatoxins are mycotoxins that can contaminate grains, legumes, and oil seeds. These toxic compounds are an especially serious problem in tropical and sub-tropical climates. The objective of this study was to raise awareness of aflatoxin exposure among primary school children in Shebedino woreda, southern Ethiopia, by measuring urinary aflatoxin M1 (AFM1). The study employed a […]
Approximation of the Cox survival regression model by MCMC Bayesian Hierarchical Poisson modelling of factors associated with childhood mortality in Nigeria
The need for more pragmatic approaches to achieve sustainable development goal on childhood mortality reduction necessitated this study. Simultaneous study of the influence of where the children live and the censoring nature of children survival data is scarce. We identified the compositional and contextual factors associated with under-five (U5M) and infant (INM) mortality in Nigeria […]
The impact of strike action by Ghana registered nurses and midwives on the access to and utilization of healthcare services
Background As the largest professional group, nurses and midwives play instrumental roles in healthcare delivery, supporting the smooth administration and operation of the health system. Consequently, the withdrawal of nursing and midwifery services via strike action has direct and indirect detrimental effects on access to healthcare. Objective The current study examined the impact of strike […]
Barriers and facilitators to health care seeking behaviours in pregnancy in rural communities of southern Mozambique
Background: In countries, such as Mozambique, where maternal mortality remains high, the greatest contribution of mortality comes from the poor and vulnerable communities, who frequently reside in remote and rural areas with limited access to health care services. This study aimed to understand women’s health care seeking practices during pregnancy, taking into account the underlying […]
What mechanisms drive uptake of family planning when integrated with childhood immunisation in Ethiopia? A realist evaluation
Background: Maternal and child health are key priorities among the Sustainable Development Goals, which include a particular focus on reducing morbidity and mortality among women of reproductive age, newborns, and children under the age of five. Two components of maternal and child health are family planning (FP) and immunisation. Providing these services through an integrated […]
Effects of responsive caregiving and learning opportunities during pre-school ages on the association of early adversities and adolescent human capital: an analysis of birth cohorts in two middle-income countries
Background: Millions of children globally are at risk of not reaching their developmental potential because of early adversities. We hypothesised that responsive caregiving and learning opportunities, components of nurturing care, at pre-school ages might mitigate the effects of adversities. Methods: We analysed longitudinal birth cohort data from Brazil (1993 Pelotas Birth Cohort, n=632) and South […]
