Independent and combined effects of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (Wash) and improved complementary feeding on early neurodevelopment among children born to hiv-negative mothers in rural zimbabwe: Sub study of a cluster-randomized trial
Background Globally, nearly 250 million children (43% of all children under 5 years of age) are at risk of compromised neurodevelopment due to poverty, stunting, and lack of stimulation. We tested the independent and combined effects of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and improved infant and young child feeding (IYCF) on early child development […]
Healthy Options: Study protocol and baseline characteristics for a cluster randomized controlled trial of group psychotherapy for perinatal women living with HIV and depression in Tanzania
Background: Perinatal women accessing prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) services are at an increased risk of depression; however, in Tanzania there is limited access to services provided by mental health professionals. This paper presents a protocol and baseline characteristics for a study evaluating a psychosocial support group intervention facilitated by lay community-based health […]
Malnutrition, enamel defects, and early childhood caries in preschool children in a sub-urban Nigeria population
Objectives The study tried to determine if malnutrition (underweight, stunting, wasting, overweight) and enamel defects (enamel hypoplasia, hypomineralized second molar, amelogenesis imperfecta, fluorosis) were associated with early childhood caries (ECC). The study also examined whether malnutrition was associated with the presence of enamel defects in 0-5-year-old children. Methods The study was a secondary analysis of […]
Pregnant women’s experiences of routine counselling and testing for HIV in Eastern Uganda: A qualitative study
Background: Routine HIV counselling and testing as part of antenatal care has been institutionalized in Uganda as an entry point for pregnant women into the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) programme. Understanding how women experience this mode of HIV testing is important to generate ideas on how to strengthen the PMTCT programme. We […]
Dietary patterns in Liberian refugees in Buduburam, Ghana
Previous research suggests that acculturation (i.e., exposure and assimilation to local culture) is associated with changes in dietary patterns among immigrants. This study investigates this association in a refugee population using time in refugee settlement as a proxy for acculturation. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among a systematic sample to (a) identify dietary patterns in […]
The factors affecting the level of women’s awareness of birth preparedness and complication readiness in the lake zone, tanzania: A cross-sectional study
Background: The concept of birth preparedness and complication readiness (BP/CR) has continued to generate interest in the last decade. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of published data regarding this subject in Tanzania and the Lake Zone in particular. This study aimed to determine the factors affecting the level of awareness of BP/CR among Tanzanian women […]
The effects of centering pregnancy on maternal and fetal outcomes in northern Nigeria; a prospective cohort analysis
Background: Maternal and infant mortality remains high in Nigeria primarily due to low use of skilled birth attendants. Huge disparities exist between southern and northen Nigeria on use of skilled birth attendants with south significantly higher than the north. We assessed the effect of centering pregnancy group (CPG) antenatal care on the uptake of antenatal […]
Leveraging smart glasses for telemedicine to improve primary healthcare services and referrals in a remote rural district, Kingandu, DRC, 2019–2020
Background: Telemedicine enables new forms of medical consultation and is expanding worldwide. Patients in sub-Saharan Africa could potentially benefit substantially from telemedicine. Objective: To improve primary healthcare services, especially referrals to the district hospital, for the population in three health centres in the rural district Kingandu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by […]
Antiretroviral treatment and prevention of peripartum and postnatal HIV transmission in West Africa: Evaluation of a two-tiered approach
Background: Highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) has only been recently recommended for HIV-infected pregnant women requiring treatment for their own health in resource-limited settings. However, there are few documented experiences from African countries. We evaluated the short-term (4 wk) and long-term (12 mo) effectiveness of a two-tiered strategy of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV […]
Spatial and multilevel analysis of unskilled birth attendance in Chad
Background: Unskilled birth attendance is a major public health concern in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Existing studies are hardly focused on the socio-demographic correlates and geospatial distribution of unskilled birth attendance in Chad (a country in SSA), although the country has consistently been identified as having one of the highest prevalence of maternal and neonatal deaths […]