Implementation and effectiveness of free health insurance for the poor pregnant women in Tanzania: A mixed methods evaluation
Demand side financing strategies have been a popular means of increasing coverage and availability of effective maternal and child health services in low and middle income countries (LMIC). However, most research to date has focused on the effects of demand side financing on the use and costs of care with less attention being paid to […]
Heterogeneity in health seeking behaviour for treatment, prevention and urgent care in four districts in western Kenya
Objectives: The impact of effective, life-saving health interventions is limited by access to and use of health services. Health seeking behaviour is likely to vary geographically and by type of health concern. However, little is known about the extent of this heterogeneity. Study design: A representative cluster-randomized sample of households in four districts in western […]
Maternal Combination Antiretroviral Therapy Is Associated with Improved Retention of HIV-Exposed Infants in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
Background: Programs to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission are plagued by loss to follow-up (LTFU) of HIV-exposed infants. We assessed if providing combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) to HIV-infected mothers was associated with reduced LTFU of their HIV-exposed infants in Kinshasa, DR Congo. Methods: We constructed a cohort of mother-infant pairs using routinely collected clinical data. Maternal […]
Factors associated with skilled attendance at delivery in Uganda: Results from a national health facility survey
Uganda has high maternal mortality ratio of 435/100,000 live births. In order to address this, Uganda has developed a strategy and has prioritized skilled attendance at delivery as a key intervention. Methods: A survey covering 54 districts and 553 health facilities was conducted to determine availability and access to essential maternity care and health system […]
Home birth attendants in low income countries: who are they and what do they do?
Background: Nearly half the world’s babies are born at home. We sought to evaluate the training, knowledge, skills, and access to medical equipment and testing for home birth attendants across 7 international sites.Methods: Face-to-face interviews were done by trained interviewers to assess level of training, knowledge and practices regarding care during the antenatal, intrapartum and […]
Prevalence of maternal near miss and community-based risk factors in Central Uganda
Objective To examine the prevalence of maternal near-miss (MNM) and its associated risk factors in a community setting in Central Uganda. Methods A cross-sectional research design employing multi-stage sampling collected data from women aged 15–49 years in Rakai, Uganda, who had been pregnant in the 3 years preceding the survey, conducted between August 10 and December […]
Co-coverage of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health interventions shows wide inequalities and is associated with child nutritional outcomes in Ethiopia (2005–2019)
The health system is the primary vehicle for the delivery of nutrition-specific interventions that aim to reduce maternal and child malnutrition. The integration of nutrition interventions into existing health interventions is promising, but to ensure that no one is left behind requires that access to essential health services is equitably distributed. This study aims to […]
Barriers to obstetric care among maternal near-misses
Background. There are several factors in the healthcare system that may influence a woman’s ability to access appropriate obstetric care. Objective. To determine the delays/barriers in providing obstetric care to women who classified as a maternal near-miss. Methods. This was a descriptive observational study at Steve Biko Academic Hospital, a tertiary referral hospital in Pretoria, […]
Reduced maternal mortality in Tunisia and voluntary commitment to gender-related concerns
Objective: To estimate the number and causes of maternal deaths in Tunisia from 1999 to 2007, and compare the results with the last report (1993-1994). Methods: Data on all deaths of women of reproductive age in the public (1999-2007) and private (2006 only) health sectors were collected and assessed for whether the death was due […]
Maternal health and HIV
The HIV/AIDS epidemic is one of the major factors affecting women’s health, with 20 million women living with HIV and more than two million pregnancies in HIV-positive women each year. Most HIV infections in women are in resource-constrained settings where the risk of maternal morbidity and mortality is also unacceptably high, and where most of […]
