Optimizing task-sharing in abortion care in Ghana: Stakeholder perspectives
Ghana has made progress in expanding providers in abortion care but access to the service is still a challenge. We explored stakeholder perspectives on task-sharing in abortion care and the opportunities that exist to optimize this strategy in Ghana. We purposively sampled 12 representatives of agencies that played a key role in expanding abortion care […]
Outcomes of HIV-exposed children in Western Kenya: Efficacy of prevention of mother to child transmission in a resource-constrained setting
Objectives: To compare rates of mother to child transmission of HIV and infant survival in women-infant dyads receiving different interventions in a prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (pMTCT) program in western Kenya. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study using prospectively collected data stored in an electronic medical record system. Setting: Eighteen HIV clinics in western Kenya. […]
Comparative prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among pregnant women accessing free maternal care in a tertiary hospital in Ghana
Hepatitis B virus infection is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa, and accounts for a significant proportion of morbidities and mortalities in Ghana. Infection with HBV during pregnancy can result in life-threatening complications to both mother and child. To improve their quality of life, the free maternal care was introduced to grant pregnant women cost-free access to […]
Postnatal care services in rural Zambia: a qualitative exploration of user, provider, and community perspectives on quality of care
Background: Postnatal care (PNC) is an important set of services offered to the mother and her newborn baby immediately after birth for the first six weeks to prevent maternal and neonatal complications and death. This qualitative study explored user and provider perspectives on quality of PNC services in the selected health facilities within the context […]
Women’s perceptions of iron deficiency and anemia prevention and control in eight developing countries
The World Health Organization estimates that 58% of pregnant women in developing countries are anemic. In spite of the fact that most ministries of health in developing countries have policies to provide pregnant women with iron in a supplement form, maternal anemia prevalence has not declined significantly where large-scale programs have been evaluated. During the […]
The association of water carriage, water supply and sanitation usage with maternal and child health. A combined analysis of 49 Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys from 41 countries
Background: Millions of people carry water home from off-plot sources each day and lack improved sanitation. Research on the health outcomes associated with water fetching is limited, and with usage of improved sanitation is inconclusive. Objectives: To analyse the association of water fetching, unimproved water supplies, and usage of improved sanitation facilities with indicators of […]
Embrace intervention to improve the continuum of care in maternal and newborn health in Ghana: The Re-Aim framework-based evaluation
Background Improving maternal and newborn health remains one of the most critical public health challenges, particularly in low- and lower-middle-income countries. To overcome this challenge, interventions to improve the continuum of care based on real-world settings need to be provided. The Ghana Ensure Mothers and Babies Regular Access to Care (Embrace) Implementation Research Team conducted […]
National optimisation of accessibility to emergency obstetrical and neonatal care in Togo: A geospatial analysis
Objectives Improving access to emergency obstetrical and neonatal care (EmONC) is a key strategy for reducing maternal and neonatal mortality. Access is shaped by several factors, including service availability and geographical accessibility. In 2013, the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Togo used service availability and other criteria to designate particular facilities as EmONC facilities, facilitating […]
The quality of antenatal care in rural Tanzania: what is behind the number of visits?
Background: Antenatal care (ANC) provides an important opportunity for pregnant women with a wide range of interventions and is considered as an important basic component of reproductive health care.Methods: In 2008, severe maternal morbidity audit was established at Saint Francis Designated District Hospital (SFDDH), in Kilombero district in Tanzania, to ascertain substandard care and implement […]
The dop system of alcohol distribution is dead, but it’s legacy lives on
Objective: Determine the prevalence of Dop, a system of labor payment via alcoholic beverages, in a South African province, and its influence on maternal drinking and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Methods: Data from studies of FASD epidemiology were analyzed. Results: Forty-two percent to 67% of mothers reported drinking. In 1999, 5% of women reported […]
