Emergency obstetric care as the priority intervention to reduce maternal mortality in Uganda
Purpose: We conducted a survey to determine availability of emergency obstetric care (EmOC) to provide baseline data for monitoring provision of obstetric care services in Uganda. Methods: The survey, covering 54 districts and 553 health facilities, assessed availability of EmOC signal functions. Following this, performance improvement process was implemented in 20 district hospitals to scale-up […]
Discrepancies between national maternal mortality data and international estimates: The experience of Papua New Guinea
Over the past 30 years maternal mortality estimates for Papua New Guinea have varied widely. There is no mandatory vital registration in PNG, and 85% of the population live in rural areas with limited or no access to health services. Demographic Health Survey data for PNG estimates the maternal mortality ratio to be 370 deaths […]
Mothers’ education and childhood mortality in Ghana
The significant extent to which maternal education affects child health has been advanced in several sociodemographic-medical literature, but not much has been done in analysing the spatial dimension of the problem; and also using graphic and linear regression models of representation. In Ghana, very little has been done to relate the two variables and offer […]
Maternal near-miss and death incidences – Frequencies, causes and the referral chain in Somaliland: A pilot study using the WHO near-miss approach
Background Somaliland is a self-declared country with a population of 3.5 million. Most of its population reside in rural areas. The objective of this pilot near-miss study was to monitor the frequency and causes of maternal near-miss and deaths and the referral chain for women to access Skilled Birth Attendants (SBA). Method: A facility-based study […]
Barriers to acceptance of post-partum family planning among women in Montserrado County, Liberia
Background: Maternal mortality in Liberia is one of the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. Post-partum family planning (PPFP) can reduce the risk of maternal mortality by preventing unwanted and closely spaced pregnancies. Yet, the uptake of PPFP is low in Liberia. Objective: We investigated the barriers to acceptance of PPFP use among women in Montserrado County, […]
Geographic information system-based evaluation of spatial accessibility to maternal health facilities in Siaya County, Kenya
Maternal mortality is a major problem in middle-income and low-income countries, and the availability and accessibility of healthcare facilities offering safe delivery is important in averting maternal deaths. Siaya County, in Kenya, has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country—far more than the national average. This study aimed to evaluate geographic access […]
ICTs and maternal healthcare utilization. Evidence from Ghana
Purpose – Traditionally, the role of technology on health services has been argued from the supply side. The purpose of this paper is to use a demand side perspective to examine the effect of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on the use of maternal health services in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach – Study used data from the […]
Access to skilled attendant at birth and the coverage of the third dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine across 14 West African countries – An equity analysis
Background: Universal Health Coverage (UHC) remains a critical public health goal that continues to elude many countries of the global south. As countries strive for its attainment, it is important to track progress in various subregions of the world to understand current levels and mechanisms of progress for shared learning. Our aim was to compare […]
Predictors of maternal and newborn health service utilization across the continuum of care in Ethiopia: A multilevel analysis
Background The continuum of care for maternal and newborn health is a systematic approach for delivery of an integrated effective package of life-saving interventions throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum as well as across levels of service delivery to women and newborns. Nonetheless, in low-income countries, coverage of these interventions across the life cycle continuum is […]
Persistence of the inverse care law in maternal health service utilization: An examination of antenatal care and hospital delivery in ghana
The gap in maternal health outcomes, access and utilization between the haves and have-nots continues to be a challenge globally despite improvements over the past decade. Though Ghana has experienced steady gains in maternal health access and utilization over the years, maternal out-comes, on the other hand, remain poor. In this regard, it is essential […]