Quality of caesarean delivery: A cross-sectional study in 12 hospitals in Benin
Background Caesarean section (CS) is a major obstetric intervention, widely recognized as an effective means to reduce maternal and perinatal mortality, when appropriately performed. CS numbers and rates are regularly published but quality is rarely taken into account. This study aims to describe the quality of caesarean delivery in selected hospitals in Benin. Methods A […]
Measurement approaches in continuum of care for maternal health: A critical interpretive synthesis of evidence from LMICs and its implications for the South African context
Background: Global strategies recommend a continuum of care for maternal health to improve outcomes and access to care in low and middle income countries (LMICs). South Africa has already set priority interventions along the continuum of care for maternal health, and mandated their implementation at the district health level. However, the approach for monitoring access […]
Multilevel analysis of factors associated with assistance during delivery in rural Nigeria: Implications for reducing rural-urban inequity in skilled care at delivery
Background: Studies have observed rural-urban inequity in the use of skilled delivery in Nigeria. A number of studies have explicitly examined associated factors of assistance during delivery in rural areas. However, the studies so far conducted in rural Nigeria have investigated mainly individual-level characteristics with near exclusion of community-level characteristics. Also, most of the studies […]
Determinants of failure to access care in mothers referred to HIV treatment programs in Nairobi, Kenya
Background. As prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) programs and HIV treatment programs rapidly expand in parallel, it is important to determine factors that influence the transition of HIV-infected women from maternal to continuing care. Design. This study aimed to determine rates and co-factors of accessing HIV care by HIV-infected women exiting maternal care. […]
Factors associated with maternal utilization of health facilities for delivery in Ethiopia
Background: As a signatory of the Millennium Development Goals, Ethiopia has made significant achievements towards meeting the maternal mortality related goals since 1990. Despite that, the country is still experiencing unacceptably high maternal mortality rates, and challenges to improving the coverage and utilisation of health facility delivery services which represent a key strategy to combat […]
Review of health and non-health sector indicators for monitoring service provision along the continuum of care for maternal health
Objective: This study uses health and non-health sector data sources to select and assess available indicators for service provision along the continuum of care for maternal health at subnational levels in South Africa. It applies the adequacy approach established in another study to assess the multi-dimensionality of available indicators. Using adequacy and the process of […]
Community perspectives on the determinants of maternal health in rural southern Mozambique: a qualitative study
Background: Mozambique has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. The main influences on maternal health encompass social, economic, political, environmental and cultural determinants of health. To effectively address maternal mortality in the post-2015 agenda, interventions need to consider the determinants of health so that their delivery is not limited to […]
Challenges in accessing maternal and child health services during COVID-19 and the potential role of social networking technologies
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic causes new challenges to women and their babies who still need to access postnatal care amidst the crisis. The novel application of social network technologies (SNTs) could potentially enhance access to healthcare during this difficult time. Objectives: This study describes the challenges experienced in accessing maternal and child health services by […]
Trends and causes of socioeconomic inequalities in maternal healthcare in Ghana, 2003–2014
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess the trends of socioeconomic-related inequalities in maternal healthcare utilization in Ghana between 2003 and 2014 and examine the causes of inequalities in maternal healthcare utilization in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach: Data are drawn from three rounds of the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey collected in 2003, 2008 and […]
Effect of health systems strengthening in influencing maternal and neonatal health outcomes in Bungoma County, Kenya
Introduction: maternal and neonatal health status indicators have steadily improved over time in Kenya. Significant challenges remain, including persistent inequities between population subgroups, and a health system that delivers variable quality care and inconsistent access to care. This paper highlights results of an ex-post evaluation to assess the impact of maternal and health systems strengthening […]
