Promoting universal financial protection: Contracting faith-based health facilities to expand access – lessons learned from Malawi
Background: Public-private collaborations are increasingly being utilized to universalize health care. In Malawi, the Ministry of Health contracts selected health facilities owned by the main faith-based provider, the Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM), to deliver care at no fee to the most vulnerable and underserved populations in the country through Service Level Agreements (SLAs). […]
Birth preparedness and complication readiness among women of reproductive age in Kenya and Tanzania: a community-based cross-sectional survey
Background: Delayed health-seeking continues to contribute to preventable maternal and neonatal deaths in low resource countries. Some of the strategies to avoid the delay include early preparation for the birth and detection of danger signs. We aimed to assess the level of practice and factors associated with birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPCR) in Kenya […]
Maternal HIV is associated with reduced growth in the first year of life among infants in the Eastern region of Ghana: The research to improve infant nutrition and growth (RIING) project
Children of HIV-infected mothers experience poor growth, but not much is understood about the extent to which such children are affected. The Research to Improve Infant Nutrition and Growth (RIING) Project used a longitudinal study design to investigate the association between maternal HIV status and growth among Ghanaian infants in the first year of life. […]
Prevalence and factors associated with underutilization of antenatal care services in Nigeria: A comparative study of rural and urban residences based on the 2013 Nigeria demographic and health survey
Introduction Antenatal care (ANC) is a major public health intervention aimed at ensuring safe pregnancy outcomes. In Nigeria, the recommended minimum of four times ANC attendance is underutilized. This study investigates the prevalence and factors associated with underutilization of ANC services with a focus on the differences between rural and urban residences in Nigeria. Methods […]
“They must understand we are people”: Pregnancy and maternity service use among signing Deaf women in Cape Town
Background Women with disabilities are at disproportionate risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes, however, there is limited information on their pregnancy histories. This mixed-methods study focuses on signing Deaf women whose access to health care may be compromised by language barriers related to their disability. Objective To describe and compare the pregnancy outcomes and maternity service […]
Spatial inequalities in skilled attendance at birth in Ghana: a multilevel analysis integrating health facility databases with household survey data
Objective: This study aimed at using survey data to predict skilled attendance at birth (SBA) across Ghana from healthcare quality and health facility accessibility. Methods: Through a cross-sectional, observational study, we used a random intercept mixed effects multilevel logistic modelling approach to estimate the odds of having SBA and then applied model estimates to spatial […]
Knowledge of modern contraceptives and their use among rural women of childbearing age in Rivers State Nigeria
Background: The use of modern contraceptive (MC) is a cost-effective public health measure for reducing maternal deaths due to unintended and high-risk pregnancies. In Nigeria, efforts have been made by government and nongovernmental organizations toward improving access to family planning services. The impact of this effort among rural women in Rivers State, Nigeria, however, is […]
Factors associated with prelacteal feeding practices in a rural Northern nigerian setting
Introduction: Prelacteal feeding practice contravenes the recommendation of World Health Organisation that breastfeeding be initiated within an hour of childbirth. Consequently, the health, social, emotional and economic benefits of optimal breastfeeding are limited. Therefore, to break this vicious cycle of prelacteal feeding and suboptimal breastfeeding, factors associated with the practice must be identified. Objective: To […]
Changes in surgical volume, workforce, and productivity in Sierra Leone between 2012 and 2017
Background: The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery recommends a minimum of 20 surgical specialists and 5,000 annual operations per 100,000 population by 2030. In 2012, Sierra Leone was far from reaching these targets. This study aimed to assess the changes in surgical activity, surgical workforce, and surgical productivity between 2012 and 2017. Methods: A nationwide, […]
Maternal health care services utilisation in the context of ‘Abiye’ (safe motherhood) programme in Ondo State, Nigeria
Background: The Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) of 2008 show that Ondo State had the worst maternal outcomes in the South Western region of Nigeria. To address this problem, the “Abiye” (safe motherhood) programme – which included community engagement, health system strengthening and user fee removal – was implemented by the state government. We […]
