Listening to the community: Using formative research to strengthen maternity waiting homes in Zambia
Background The WHO recommends maternity waiting homes (MWH) as one intervention to improve maternal and newborn health. However, persistent structural, cultural and financial barriers in their design and implementation have resulted in mixed success in both their uptake and utilization. Guidance is needed on how to design a MWH intervention that is acceptable and sustainable. […]
Breastfeeding education and support to improve early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding practices and infant growth: A cluster randomized controlled trial from a rural ethiopian setting
Although peer-led education and support may improve breastfeeding practices, there is a paucity of evidence on the effectiveness of such interventions in the Ethiopian context. We designed a cluster-randomized trial to evaluate the efficacy of a breastfeeding education and support intervention (BFESI) on infant growth, early initiation (EI), and exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) practices. We randomly […]
Survival and health of children who are HIV-exposed uninfected: study protocol for the CHERISH (Children HIV-Exposed Uninfected – Research to Inform Survival and Health) dynamic, prospective, maternal-child cohort study
INTRODUCTION: CHERISH is designed to establish a long-term sustainable system for measurement of in utero and postnatal exposures and outcomes in children who are HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) and HIV-unexposed to compare survival, hospitalisation, growth and neurodevelopment in the Western Cape, South Africa. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: During 2022-2025, the CHERISH dynamic cohort is prospectively enrolling pregnant […]
Exploring underutilization of skilled maternal healthcare in rural Edo, Nigeria: A qualitative study
Introduction Existing studies have acknowledged the underutilization of skilled maternal healthcare services among women in rural Nigeria. Consequently, women in rural areas face a disproportionate risk of poor health outcomes including maternal morbidity and mortality. Addressing the challenge of non-use of skilled maternal healthcare in rural areas necessitates the involvement of multi-stakeholders across different sectors […]
Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine for intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in HIV-infected pregnant women: Protocol of a multicentre, two-arm, randomised, placebo-controlled, superiority clinical trial (MAMAH project)
Introduction Malaria infection during pregnancy is an important driver of maternal and neonatal health especially among HIV-infected women. Intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) with sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine is recommended for malaria prevention in HIV-uninfected women, but it is contraindicated in those HIV-infected on cotrimoxazole prophylaxis (CTXp) due to potential adverse effects. Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHA-PPQ) has been shown […]
Determinants of postnatal checkup for newborns in Ethiopia: Further analysis of 2016 Ethiopia demographic and health survey
Background: The absence of suitable care during the postpartum period might result in substantial ill-health and even the demise of newborns. So, identifying and intervening thus factors increase postnatal newborn care utilization thereby reducing neonatal mortality. Therefore, this study aimed to ascertain the determinants of the postnatal checkup of a newborn in Ethiopia. Method: A […]
Maternal and newborn health priority setting partnership in rural Uganda in association with the James Lind Alliance: A study protocol
Background: Maternal and newborn deaths and ill health are relatively common in low income countries, but can adequately be addressed through locally, collaboratively designed, and responsive research. This has the potential to enable the affected women, their families and health workers themselves to explore ‘why maternal and newborn adverse outcomes continue to occur. The objectives […]
Predictors of acute undernutrition among children aged 6 to 36 months in east rural Ethiopia: A community based nested case – control study
Background: Child undernutrition is one of the major public health problems in the developing countries having a devastating effect on the lives of many children under five years of age. However, its causes are multitude and not uniformly understood enough across the various parts of the world and that a thorough understanding of these causes […]
Perinatal mental health care in a rural African district, Uganda: A qualitative study of barriers, facilitators and needs
Background: Perinatal mental illness is a common and important public health problem, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study aims to explore the barriers and facilitators, as well as perceptions about the feasibility and acceptability of plans to deliver perinatal mental health care in primary care settings in a low income, rural district […]
Availability of comprehensive emergency obstetric and neonatal care in developing regions in Ethiopia: lessons learned from the USAID transform health activity
Background: In collaboration with its partners, the Ethiopian government has been implementing standard Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care Services (CEmONC) since 2010. However, limited studies documented the lessons learned from such programs on the availability of CEmONC signal functions. This study investigated the availability of CEmONC signal functions and described lessons learned from Transform Health […]
