The cost-effectiveness of a program to reduce intrapartum and neonatal mortality in a referral hospital in Ghana
Objective To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a program intended to reduce intrapartum and neonatal mortality in Accra, Ghana. Design Quasi-experimental, time-sequence intervention, retrospective cost-effectiveness analysis. Methods A program integrating leadership development, clinical skills and quality improvement training was piloted at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital from 2013 to 2016. The number of intrapartum and neonatal […]
The care, stimulation and nutrition of children from 0-2 in Malawi—Perspectives from caregivers; “Who’s holding the baby?”
Introduction Universal access to quality early childhood development and care is a fundamental part of Sustainable Development Goal 4.2.1. Research from diverse settings, including that in low and middle income countries, now demonstrates the positive impact that interventions to promote play, stimulation, early communication and responsiveness can have, not just on child development, but on […]
Returning home to die or leaving home to seek health care? Location of death of urban and rural residents in Burkina Faso and Senegal
Background: In sub-Saharan Africa, the literature on end of life is limited and focuses on place of death as an indicator of access and utilization of health-care resources. Little is known about population mobility at the end of life. Objective: To document the magnitude, motivations and associated factors of short-term mobility before death among adults […]
The differential impacts of PEPFAR transition on private for-profit, private not-for-profit and publicly owned health facilities in Uganda
While transition of donor programs to national control is increasingly common, there is a lack of evidence about the consequences of transition for private health care providers. In 2015, President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) identified 734 facilities in Uganda for transition from PEPFAR support, including 137 private not-for-profits (PNFP) and 140 private for-profits […]
Cardiovascular disease risk profile and management among people 40 years of age and above in Bo, Sierra Leone: A cross-sectional study
Introduction Access to care for cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVDRFs) in low- and middle-income countries is limited. We aimed to describe the need and access to care for people with CVDRF and the preparedness of the health system to treat these in Bo, Sierra Leone. Methods Data from a 2018 household survey conducted in Bo, […]
Geographical variations of the associations between health interventions and all-cause under-five mortality in Uganda
Background: To reduce the under-five mortality (U5M), fine-gained spatial assessment of the effects of health interventions is critical because national averages can obscure important sub-national disparities. In turn, sub-national estimates can guide control programmes for spatial targeting. The purpose of our study is to quantify associations of interventions with U5M rate at national and sub-national […]
Modelling geographical accessibility to support disaster response and rehabilitation of a healthcare system: An impact analysis of Cyclones Idai and Kenneth in Mozambique
Objectives Modelling and assessing the loss of geographical accessibility is key to support disaster response and rehabilitation of the healthcare system. The aim of this study was therefore to estimate postdisaster travel times to functional health facilities and analyse losses in accessibility coverage after Cyclones Idai and Kenneth in Mozambique in 2019. Setting We modelled […]
Mobile nudges and financial incentives to improve coverage of timely neonatal vaccination in rural areas (GEVaP trial): A 3-armed cluster randomized controlled trial in Northern Ghana
Background Despite progress in vaccination coverage, timeliness of childhood vaccination remains a challenge in many settings. We aimed to assess if mobile phone-based reminders and incentives to health workers and caregivers could increase timely neonatal vaccination in a rural, low-resource setting. Methods We conducted an open-label cluster randomized controlled 1:1:1 trial with three arms in […]
Impact of using eHealth tools to extend health services to rural areas of Nigeria: Protocol for a mixed-method, non-randomised cluster trial
Introduction eHealth solutions that use internet and related technologies to deliver and enhance health services and information are emerging as novel approaches to support healthcare delivery in sub-Saharan Africa. Using digital technology in this way can support cost-effectiveness of care delivery and extend the reach of services to remote locations. Despite the burgeoning literature on […]
Population Health Metrics Research Consortium gold standard verbal autopsy validation study: Design, implementation, and development of analysis datasets
Background: Verbal autopsy methods are critically important for evaluating the leading causes of death in populations without adequate vital registration systems. With a myriad of analytical and data collection approaches, it is essential to create a high quality validation dataset from different populations to evaluate comparative method performance and make recommendations for future verbal autopsy […]