Social determinants of antenatal care service use in ethiopia: Changes over a 15-year span
Background: Improving maternal health in Ethiopia is a major public health challenge. International studies indicate that it is possible to improve maternal health outcomes through action on the Social Determinants of Health (SDH). This study aimed to explore the SDH that influence the antenatal care (ANC) utilization in Ethiopia over time. Methods: The study used […]
Uptake of skilled maternal healthcare in ethiopia: A positive deviance approach
Risk factor approaches are often used when implementing programs aimed at enforcing advantageous health care behaviors. A less frequently‐used strategy is to identify and capitalize on those who, despite risk factors, exhibit positive behaviors. The aim of our study was to identify positive deviant (PD) mothers for the uptake of skilled maternal services and to […]
Stakeholder perspectives on antenatal depression and the potential for psychological intervention in rural Ethiopia: A qualitative study
Background: Psychological interventions for antenatal depression are an integral part of evidence-based care but need to be contextualised for respective sociocultural settings. In this study, we aimed to understand women and healthcare workers’ (HCWs) perspectives of antenatal depression, their treatment preferences and potential acceptability and feasibility of psychological interventions in the rural Ethiopian context. Methods: […]
Magnitude, trends and determinants of skilled delivery from Kilite-Awlaelo Health Demographic Surveillance System, Northern Ethiopia, 2009-2017
Background The fundamental approach to improve maternal and neonatal health is increasing skilled delivery rate. Women giving birth at health institutions can prevent maternal and neonatal deaths by getting skilled birth attendance. In Ethiopia, despite a significant decrease in maternal mortality over the past decade, still a significant number of women give birth at home. […]
How Ethiopia achieved Millennium Development Goal 4 through multisectoral interventions: a Countdown to 2015 case study
Background 3 years before the 2015 deadline, Ethiopia achieved Millennium Development Goal 4. The under-5 mortality decreased 69%, from 205 deaths per 1000 livebirths in 1990 to 64 deaths per 1000 livebirths in 2013. To understand the underlying factors that contributed to the success in achieving MDG4, Ethiopia was selected as a Countdown to 2015 […]
Determinants of adverse birth outcome in Sub-Saharan Africa: analysis of recent demographic and health surveys
Background: More than 75% of neonatal deaths occurred in the first weeks of life as a result of adverse birth outcomes. Low birth weight, preterm births are associated with a variety of acute and long-term complications. In Sub-Saharan Africa, there is insufficient evidence of adverse birth outcomes. Hence, this study aimed to determine the pooled […]
Trends and determinants of complementary feeding practices in Tanzania, 2004-2016
Background: Following the successful implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) strategy in Tanzania, improvements in child health indicators were observed. However, it remains unclear whether complementary feeding practices have improved given the renewed global agenda on child nutrition. This study investigated trends and socioeconomic and health service factors of complementary feeding practices in Tanzania […]
Advancing the health of women and newborns: Predictors of patient satisfaction among women attending antenatal and maternity care in rural Rwanda
Objective: Identify predictors of patient satisfaction with antenatal care (ANC) and maternity services in rural Rwanda. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Twenty-six health facilities in Southern Kayonza (SK) and Kirehe districts. Participants: Sample of women ? 16 years old receiving antenatal and delivery care between November and December 2013. Intervention: Survey of patient satisfaction with antenatal and […]
Determinants of contraceptive use among sexually active unmarried adolescent girls and young women aged 15-24 years in Ghana: A nationally representative cross-sectional study
Objective There is a decline in contraceptive use among sexually active unmarried young women in Ghana. This study assessed the prevalence of contraceptive knowledge and use, and the determinant of contraceptive use among sexually active unmarried young women in Ghana. Design This was a nationally representative cross-sectional survey, using data from the 2017 Ghana Maternal […]
Inpatient care of small and sick newborns: A multi-country analysis of health system bottlenecks and potential solutions
Background: Preterm birth is the leading cause of child death worldwide. Small and sick newborns require timely, high-quality inpatient care to survive. This includes provision of warmth, feeding support, safe oxygen therapy and effective phototherapy with prevention and treatment of infections. Inpatient care for newborns requires dedicated ward space, staffed by health workers with specialist […]
