Association between wash-related behaviors and knowledge with childhood diarrhea in Tanzania
Background: Diarrhea remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children in Tanzania. The purpose of this study was to explore associations between diarrheal disease and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) related behaviors and determine care-seeking predictors for diarrheal disease. Methods: Data from 9996 female primary caregivers were collected as part of a larger […]
Maternal near-miss surveillance, Namibia
Objective To analyse and improve the Namibian maternity care system by implementing maternal near-miss surveillance during 1 October 2018 and 31 March 2019, and identifying the challenges and benefits of such data collection. Methods From the results of an initial feasibility study, we adapted the World Health Organization’s criteria defining a maternal near miss to […]
Patients’ perspectives of acceptability of ART, TB and maternal health services in a subdistrict of Johannesburg, South Africa
Background: The field of acceptability of health services is emerging and growing in coherence. But there are gaps, including relatively little integration of elements of acceptability. This study attempted to analyse collectively three elements of acceptability namely: patient-provider, patient-service organisation and patient-community interactions. Methods: Mixed methods were used to analyse secondary data collected as part […]
Improving maternal care through a state-wide health insurance program: A cost and cost-effectiveness study in rural Nigeria
Background While the Nigerian government has made progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, further investments are needed to achieve the targets of post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals, including Universal Health Coverage. Economic evaluations of innovative interventions can help inform investment decisions in resource-constrained settings. We aim to assess the cost and cost-effectiveness of maternal care provided […]
Delays in emergency obstetric referrals in Addis Ababa hospitals in Ethiopia: a facility-based, cross-sectional study
OBJECTIVE: To assess where the delays occur in the referral chain of most maternal health outcomes in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, based on the three-delay model. DESIGN: The study was a facility-based, cross-sectional study. SETTING: Two public and tertiary hospitals in Addis Ababa. PARTICIPANTS: All pregnant women who were referred only for labour and delivery services […]
Pastoralism and antenatal care service utilization in Dubti District, Afar, Ethiopia, 2015: A cross-sectional study
Health service utilization among pastoralists in Ethiopia is not well documented. Available data are very few and institution-based. Health services are particularly inadequate and poorly equipped, being scarce, inaccessible, and inappropriate to the pastoralist way of life. Effective antenatal care (ANC) use has been shown to influence women’s use of maternal health services, probably the […]
Prenatal care in the city of Marrakech
The data reported here come from a survey conducted in 2008, in direct interviews, according to a standard questionnaire, of 1712 women visiting 15 health centers in Marrakech. We selected 1202 women who gave birth during the past five years to examine the impact of socioeconomic and biodemographic determinants on access to prenatal care in […]
Twelve month follow-up of a contraceptive implant outreach service in rural Papua New Guinea
Background: Poor access to contraception contributes to persistently high maternal mortality rates in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Since 2012 contraceptive implants have been provided to women in rural areas of PNG through outreach services but follow-up data in these communities on continuation and acceptability is lacking. Objective: To gain insight into women’s experience with contraceptive […]
The HIV epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic: A double tragedy for sub-Saharan African women
After four decades of the HIV epidemic, women from sub-Saharan Africa remain at a differentially high risk of acquisition. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) statistics show that the majority of HIV infections occur in this population and region. Evidence from previous humanitarian crises demonstrated adverse maternal consequences as a result […]
Factors associated with the knowledge of obstetric danger signs, and perceptions of the need for obstetric care amongst married young women in northern Nigeria
Background: Married adolescents contribute to poor maternal health indicators in many lowand middle-income countries, where restrictive social norms hinder access to, and utilisation of maternal health services. Addressing these barriers is key to improving health outcomes of young mothers and their children. Aim: This study assessed married young women’s knowledge of obstetric danger signs and […]
