Determinants of postnatal care utilization in sub-Saharan Africa: a meta and multilevel analysis of data from 36 sub-Saharan countries
Introduction: Globally, over 65% of maternal deaths occur during the first 42 days of postpartum while the same proportion of neonatal deaths occur during the first 7 days of life. In sab- Saharan Africa, 4.7 million mothers, newborns, and children die on annual basis. As to our knowledge, there is no study on postnatal care […]
Health indicators and human development in the Arab region
Background: The present paper deals with the relationship between health indicators and human development in the Arab region. Beyond descriptive analysis showing geographic similarities and disparities inter countries, the main purpose is to point out health deficiencies and to propose pragmatic strategies susceptible to improve health conditions and consequently enhance human development in the Arab […]
A Cross-Cultural Analysis of the COVID-19 Pandemic’s Impact on Antenatal Healthcare-Seeking Behaviors in Ghana and the United States
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic impacted healthcare systems worldwide. In this study, we conducted qualitative interviews with pregnant women in Ghana and the United States (US) to understand their antenatal care (ANC) experience. Adapting to the virtual nature of the pandemic, social media platforms Facebook and WhatsApp were used to recruit, consent, enroll, and interview women. […]
Maternal behavioural determinants and livestock ownership are associated with animal source food consumption among young children during fasting in rural Ethiopia
Religious fasting often involves abstention from animal source foods (ASFs). Although children are exempt, their diets are influenced by the widespread fasting practices. This study investigated the factors influencing ASF consumption among young children during the Lent fasting period in western Amhara, Ethiopia. We used baseline survey data from households with children 6–23 months of age […]
Uterine Tonus Assessment by Midwives versus Patient self-assessment in the active management of the third stage of labor (UTAMP): Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Background: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide and accounts for one third of maternal deaths in low-income and middle-income countries. PPH can be prevented by active management of the third stage of labor (AMTSL), a series of steps recommended by the World Health Organization to be performed by skilled birth […]
A longitudinal analysis of the completeness of maternal HIV testing, including repeat testing in Cape Town, South Africa
Introduction: The virtual elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV cannot be achieved without complete maternal HIV testing. The World Health Organization recommends that women in high HIV prevalent settings repeat HIV testing in the third trimester, and at delivery or directly thereafter. The Western Cape Province (South Africa) prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) guidelines recommend […]
Mobilizing communities to improve maternal health: Results of an intervention in rural Zambia
Objective: To determine whether a complex community intervention in rural Zambia improved understanding of maternal health and increased use of maternal health-care services. Methods: The intervention took place in six rural districts selected by the Zambian Ministry of Health. It involved community discussions on safe pregnancy and delivery led by trained volunteers and the provision […]
Effect of a novel vital sign device on maternal mortality and morbidity in low-resource settings: a pragmatic, stepped-wedge, cluster-randomised controlled trial
Background: In 2015, an estimated 303 000 women died in pregnancy and childbirth. Obstetric haemorrhage, sepsis, and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy account for more than 50% of maternal deaths worldwide. There are effective treatments for these pregnancy complications, but they require early detection by measurement of vital signs and timely administration to save lives. The […]
Geographical accessibility of emergency neonatal care services in Ethiopia: analysis using the 2016 Ethiopian Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care Survey
Introduction Access to emergency neonatal health services has not been explored widely in the Ethiopian context. Accessibility to health services is a function of the distribution and location of services, including distance, travel time, cost and convenience. Measuring the physical accessibility of health services contributes to understanding the performance of health systems, thereby enabling evidence-based […]
The cost-effectiveness of using results-based financing to reduce maternal and perinatal mortality in Malawi
Introduction Results-based financing (RBF) is being promoted to increase coverage and quality of maternal and perinatal healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries. Evidence on the cost-effectiveness of RBF is limited. We assessed the cost-effectiveness within the context of an RBF intervention, including performance-based financing and conditional cash transfers, in rural Malawi. Methods We used a […]
