The child survival impact of the Ghana Essential Health Interventions Program: A health systems strengthening plausibility trial in Northern Ghana
Background The Ghana Health Service in collaboration with partner institutions implemented a five-year primary health systems strengthening program known as the Ghana Essential Health Intervention Program (GEHIP). GEHIP was a plausibility trial implemented in an impoverished region of northern Ghana around the World Health Organizations (WHO) six pillars combined with community engagement, leadership development and […]
Measuring socioeconomic inequalities in prenatal HIV test service uptake for prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV in East Africa: A decomposition analysis
Background Despite efforts made towards the elimination of mother-to-child HIV transmission, socioeconomic inequality in prenatal HIV test uptake in East Africa is not well understood. Therefore, this study aimed at measuring socioeconomic inequalities in prenatal HIV test uptake and explaining its main determinants in East Africa Method We analysed a total weighted sample of 45,476 […]
Prevalence and determinants of unintended pregnancy in Mchinji district, Malawi; using a conceptual hierarchy to inform analysis
Background In 2012 there were around 85 million unintended pregnancies globally. Unintended pregnancies unnecessarily expose women to the risks associated with pregnancy, unsafe abortion and childbirth, thereby contributing to maternal mortality and morbidity. Studies have identified a range of potential determinants of unplanned pregnancy but have used varying methodologies, measures of pregnancy intention and analysis […]
Healthcare utilization and maternal and child mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic in 18 low- and middle-income countries: An interrupted time-series analysis with mathematical modeling of administrative data
Background The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had wide-reaching direct and indirect impacts on population health. In low- and middle-income countries, these impacts can halt progress toward reducing maternal and child mortality. This study estimates changes in health services utilization during the pandemic and the associated consequences for maternal, neonatal, and child mortality. Methods […]
Sanitation and Hygiene-Specific Risk Factors for Moderate-to-Severe Diarrhea in Young Children in the Global Enteric Multicenter Study, 2007–2011: Case-Control Study
Background: Diarrheal disease is the second leading cause of disease in children less than 5 y of age. Poor water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions are the primary routes of exposure and infection. Sanitation and hygiene interventions are estimated to generate a 36% and 48% reduction in diarrheal risk in young children, respectively. Little is known […]
Study protocol of a cluster randomized controlled trial of strategies to increase antenatal iron and folic acid supplementation and malaria prophylaxis in rural south-central Côte d’Ivoire
Background: Coverage of antenatal iron and folic acid supplementation (IFAS) and intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp) remains low in many countries. Evidence on the most effective ways to increase both IFASIPTp is mixed overall, with only few studies directly identifying cost-effective ways to increase coverage of both interventions. The proposed study aims […]
Readiness of health facilities to provide emergency obstetric care in Papua New Guinea: Evidence from a cross-sectional survey
Objective To measure the readiness of health facilities in Papua New Guinea (PNG) to provide obstetric care and other maternal health services. Design Cross-sectional study involving random sample of health centres, district/rural hospitals (levels 3 and 4 facilities) and all upper-level hospitals operational at the time of survey. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data […]
Using Open-Access Data to Explore Relations between Urban Landscapes and Diarrhoeal Diseases in Côte d’Ivoire
Unlike water and sanitation infrastructures or socio-economic indicators, landscape features are seldomly considered as predictors of diarrhoea. In contexts of rapid urbanisation and changes in the physical environment, urban planners and public health managers could benefit from a deeper understanding of the relationship between landscape patterns and health outcomes. We conducted an ecological analysis based […]
Investigating the accessibility factors that influence antenatal care services utilisation in Mangwe district, Zimbabwe
Background: Maternal and infant mortality remains a huge public health problem in developing countries. One of the strategies to minimise the risks of both maternal and infant mortality is access to and utilisation of antenatal care (ANC) services. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the accessibility factors that influence the use of ANC services in […]
Is the National Health Insurance Scheme helping pregnant women in accessing health services? Analysis of the 2014 Ghana demographic and Health survey
Background: Increasing the use of healthcare is a significant step in improving health outcomes in both the short and long term. However, the degree of the relationship between utilization of health services and health outcomes is affected by the quality of the services rendered, the timeliness of treatment and follow-up care. In this study, we […]