Disparities in abortion experience and access to safe abortion services in Ghana: Evidence from a retrospective survey
In Ghana, abortion mortality constitutes 11% of maternal mortality. Empirical studies on possible disparities in abortion experience and access to safe abortion services are however lacking. Based on a retrospective survey of 1,370 women aged 15-49 years in two districts in Ghana, this paper examines disparities in women’s experiences of abortion and access to safe […]
The WHO global reference list of 100 core health indicators: The example of Sierra Leone
The global reference list of 100 core health indicators is a standard set of indicators published by the World Health Organization in 2015. We reviewed core health indicators in the public domain and in-country for Sierra Leone, the African continent and globally. Review objectives included assessing available sources, accessibility and feasibility of obtaining data and […]
The impact of targeted subsidies for facility-based delivery on access to care and equity Evidence from a population-based study in rural Burkina Faso
We conducted the first population-based impact assessment of a financing policy introduced in Burkina Faso in 2007 on women’s access to delivery services. The policy offers an 80 per cent subsidy for facility-based delivery. We collected information on delivery in five repeated cross-sectional surveys carried out from 2006 to 2010 on a representative sample of […]
Reproductive health for refugees by refugees in Guinea III: Maternal health
Background: Maternal mortality can be particularly high in conflict and chronic emergency settings, partly due to inaccessible maternal care. This paper examines associations of refugee-led health education, formal education, age, and parity on maternal knowledge, attitudes, and practices among reproductive-age women in refugee camps in Guinea. Methods. Data comes from a 1999 cross-sectional survey of […]
Unintended pregnancies and the use of maternal health services in southwestern Ethiopia
Background: The benefits of maternal health care to maternal and neonatal health outcomes have been well documented. Antenatal care attendance, institutional delivery and skilled attendance at delivery all help to improve maternal and neonatal health. However, use of maternal health services is still very low in developing countries with high maternal mortality including Ethiopia. This […]
Health and health-related indicators in slum, rural, and urban communities: A comparative analysis
Background: It is generally assumed that urban slum residents have worse health status when compared with other urban populations, but better health status than their rural counterparts. This belief/assumption is often because of their physical proximity and assumed better access to health care services in urban areas.However, a few recent studies have cast doubt on […]
The quality of free antenatal and delivery services in Northern Sierra Leone
Background: The number of maternal deaths in sub-Saharan Africa continues to be overwhelmingly high. In West Africa, Sierra Leone leads the list, with the highest maternal mortality ratio. In 2010, financial barriers were removed as an incentive for more women to use available antenatal, delivery and postnatal services. Few published studies have examined the quality […]
Maternal and perinatal outcomes among maternity waiting home users and non-users in rural Rwanda
Most maternal and perinatal deaths could be prevented through timely access to skilled birth attendants. Women should access appropriate obstetric care during pregnancy, labor, and puerperium. Maternity waiting homes (MWHs) permit access to emergency obstetric care when labor starts. This study compared maternal and perinatal outcomes among MWH users and nonusers through a retrospective cohort […]
Postemergency health services for refugee and host populations in Uganda, 1999-2002
Since 1990, Uganda has hosted an estimated 200 000 refugees in postemergency settlements interspersed within host communities. We investigated the extent to which obstetric needs were met in the refugee and host populations during 1999-2002. Between September and December, 2000, we retrospectively collected data from 1999 and 2000 on major obstetric interventions for absolute maternal […]
Non-uptake of facility-based maternity services in an inner-city community in Lagos, Nigeria: An observational study
Scaling-up of skilled attendants and facility-based services is necessary for improving maternal and child care in developing countries but their effectiveness is crucially influenced by the uptake of such services. This study set out to establish the pattern and uptake of maternity services and associated factors against the backdrop of rapid urbanization in Nigeria. A […]
