The triple threat of pregnancy, HIV infection and malaria: Reported causes of maternal mortality in two nationwide health facility assessments in Mozambique, 2007 and 2012
Background: The paper’s primary purpose is to determine changes in magnitude and causes of institutional maternal mortality in Mozambique. We also describe shifts in the location of institutional deaths and changes in availability of prevention and treatment measures for malaria and HIV infection. Methods: Two national cross-sectional assessments of health facilities with childbirth services were […]
Continuum of maternal healthcare services utilisation and associated factors among women who gave birth in Siyadebirena Wayu district, Ethiopia: Community-based cross-sectional study
Objective This study aimed to analyse the prevalence and factors associated with continuum of maternal healthcare services among women who gave birth in Siyadebirena Wayu district, Central Ethiopia. Design Community-based cross-sectional study. Setting At eight Kebeles in Central Ethiopia. Participants The study was done on 614women aged 15–49 years using interviewer-administered structured questionnaire. Following proportional […]
Individual, household and contextual factors associated with skilled delivery care in Ethiopia: Evidence from Ethiopian demographic and health surveys
Despite evidence that social contexts are key determinants of health, research into factors associated with maternal health service utilization in Ethiopia has often focused on individual and household factors. The downside is that this underestimates the importance of taking contextual factors into account when planning appropriate interventions in promoting safe motherhood in the country. The […]
Attitudes and behaviours of maternal health care providers in interactions with clients: A systematic review
Background: High maternal mortality and morbidity persist, in large part due to inadequate access to timely and quality health care. Attitudes and behaviours of maternal health care providers (MHCPs) influence health care seeking and quality of care. Methods: Five electronic databases were searched for studies from January 1990 to December 2014. Included studies report on […]
Socioeconomic inequalities in access and use of skilled birth attendants during childbirth in Ghana: a decomposition analysis
Background: Equitable access to skilled birth attendance during delivery is vital for reducing global maternal deaths to 70 deaths per 100, 000 to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Although several initiatives have been implemented to reduce maternal mortality in Ghana, inequalities in access to skilled birth attendance during delivery still exist among […]
Predictors of skilled assistance seeking behavior to pregnancy complications among women at southwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional community based study Obstetrics
Background: In Ethiopia, about 20,000 women die each year from complications of pregnancy and child birth with many more maternal morbidities occurring for each maternal deaths. This makes Ethiopia one of the highest countries for maternal deaths in the developing world. This study attempted to assess women’s skilled assistance seeking behaviour for pregnancy complications among […]
Assessment of service readiness for maternity care in primary health centres in rural Nigeria: Implications for service improvement
Introduction: several scientific reports from studies across Nigeria revealed a higher incidence of maternal mortality in rural parts of the country as compared to the urban areas. Part of the reasons is the paucity of health care infrastructure and personnel. This study was designed as part of an intervention program with the goal to improve […]
Mobility for maternal health among women in hard-to-reach fishing communities on Lake Victoria, Uganda; a community-based cross-sectional survey
Background: Maternal mortality is still a challenge in Uganda, at 336 deaths per 100,000 live births, especially in rural hard to reach communities. Distance to a health facility influences maternal deaths. We explored women’s mobility for maternal health, distances travelled for antenatal care (ANC) and childbirth among hard-to-reach Lake Victoria islands fishing communities (FCs) of […]
Reflections on the unintended consequences of the promotion of institutional pregnancy and birth care in Burkina Faso
The policy of institutional delivery has been the cornerstone of actions aimed at monitoring and achieving MDG 5. Efforts to increase institutional births have been implemented world-wide within different cultural and health systems settings. This paper explores how communities in rural Burkina Faso perceive the promotion and delivery of facility pregnancy and birth care, and […]
The burden of disease on HIV-infected orphaned and non-orphaned children accessing primary health facilities in a rural district with poor resources in South Africa: A cross-sectional survey of primary caregivers of HIV-infected children aged 5-18 years
Background: Provider-initiated HIV testing and counseling (PITC) is offered as part of the normal standard of care to increase access to treatment for HIV-infected children. In practice, HIV diagnosis occurs in late childhood following recurrent and chronic infections. We investigated primary caregivers’ reported reasons for seeking HIV testing for children aged 5-18 years, determined the […]
