Effect on growth of exposure to maternal antiretroviral therapy in breastmilk versus extended infant nevirapine prophylaxis among HIV-exposed perinatally uninfected infants in the PROMISE randomized trial
Background Malnutrition is highly prevalent in HIV-exposed perinatally uninfected infants (HEUs) increasing the risk of morbidity and mortality throughout the life course. We set out to compare the effect of postnatal exposure to maternal antiretroviral therapy (mART) in breastmilk versus infant Nevirapine prophylaxis (iNVP) on somatic growth of HEUs in the randomized PROMISE trial. Methods […]
Community-facility linkage models and maternal and infant health outcomes in Malawi’s PMTCT/ART program: A cohort study
Background In sub-Saharan Africa, 3 community-facility linkage (CFL) models-Expert Clients, Community Health Workers (CHWs), and Mentor Mothers-have been widely implemented to support pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBFW) living with HIV and their infants to access and sustain care for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT), yet their comparative impact under real-world conditions is poorly […]
Determinants of accessing healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa: A mixed-effect analysis of recent Demographic and Health Surveys from 36 countries
Objective This study aimed to assess the determinants of accessing healthcare among reproductive-age women in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Design, setting and analysis Cross-sectional data were sourced from recent Demographic and Health Surveys in 36 SSA countries. We employed mixed-effect analysis to identify the determinants of accessing healthcare in SSA. OR and its 95% CI were […]
Factors affecting home delivery among women living in remote areas of rural zambia: A cross-sectional, mixed-methods analysis
Purpose: Access to skilled care and facilities with capacity to provide emergency obstetric and newborn care is critical to reducing maternal mortality. In rural areas of Zambia, 42% of women deliver at home, suggesting persistent challenges for women in seeking, reaching, and receiving quality maternity care. This study assessed the determinants of home delivery among […]
Estimating Child Mortality at the Sub-national Level in Papua New Guinea: Evidence From the Integrated Health and Demographic Surveillance System
Background: Child mortality is an important indication of an effective public health system. Data sources available for the estimation of child mortality in Papua New Guinea (PNG) are limited. Objective: The objective of this study was to provide child mortality estimates at the sub-national level in PNG using new data from the integrated Health and […]
In urban South Africa, 16 year old adolescents experience greater health equality than children
Despite the strongly established link between socio-economic status (SES) and health across most stages of the life-course, the evidence for a socio-economic gradient in adolescent health outcomes is less consistent. This paper examines associations between household, school, and neighbourhood SES measures with body composition outcomes in 16 year old South African Black urban adolescents from […]
Wealth-related inequalities in the coverage of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health interventions in 36 countries in the African region
Objective To investigate whether sub-Saharan African countries have succeeded in reducing wealth-related inequalities in the coverage of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health interventions. Methods We analysed survey data from 36 countries, grouped into Central, East, Southern and West Africa subregions, in which at least two surveys had been conducted since 1995. We calculated the […]
Challenges and facilitators to the provision of sexual, reproductive health and rights services in Ghana
Expanding access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services is one of the key targets of the Sustainable Development Goals. The extent to which sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) targets will be achieved largely depends on how well they are integrated within Universal Health Coverage (UHC) initiatives. This paper examines challenges and facilitators […]
Delivery practices and associated factors among mothers seeking child welfare services in selected health facilities in Nyandarua South District, Kenya
Background: A measure of the proportion of deliveries assisted by skilled attendants is one of the indicators of progress towards achieving Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5, which aims at improving maternal health. This study aimed at establishing delivery practices and associated factors among mothers seeking child welfare services at selected health facilities in Nyandarua South […]
Shame, guilt, and stress: Community perceptions of barriers to engaging in prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) programs in western Kenya
While global scale-up of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) services has been expansive, only half of HIV-infected pregnant women receive antiretroviral regimens for PMTCT in sub-Saharan Africa. To evaluate social factors influencing uptake of PMTCT in rural Kenya, we conducted a community-based, cross-sectional survey of mothers residing in the KEMRI/CDC Health and Demographic […]
