Risk factors and practices contributing to newborn sepsis in a rural district of Eastern Uganda, August 2013: A cross sectional study
Background: In Uganda, newborn deaths constituted over 38 % of all infant deaths in 2010. Despite different mitigation interventions over years, the newborn mortality rate is high at 27/1,000 and newborn sepsis contributes to 31 % of that mortality. Therefore, improved strategies that contribute to reduction of newborn sepsis need to be developed and implemented. […]
Relationship between agricultural biodiversity and dietary diversity of children aged 6-36 months in rural areas of northern Ghana
In this study, we investigated the relationship between agricultural biodiversity and dietary diversity of children and whether factors such as economic access may affect this relationship. This paper is based on data collected in a baseline cross-sectional survey in November 2013. The study population comprising 1200 mother-child pairs was selected using a two-stage cluster sampling. […]
Detecting tuberculosis in pregnant and postpartum women in Eswatini
Background: Tuberculosis diagnosis in pregnancy is complex because tuberculosis symptoms are often masked by physiological symptoms of pregnancy. Untreated tuberculosis in pregnant and postpartum women may lead to maternal morbidity and low birth weight. Tuberculosis in HIV-positive pregnant women increases the risk of maternal and infant mortality. Objective: This study aimed to determine tuberculosis prevalence […]
Integrating HIV, syphilis, malaria and anaemia point-of-care testing (POCT) for antenatal care at dispensaries in western Kenya: Discrete-event simulation modelling of operational impact
Background: Despite WHO advocating for an integrated approach to antenatal care (ANC), testing coverage for conditions other than HIV remains low and women are referred to distant laboratories for testing. Using point-of-care tests (POCTs) at peripheral dispensaries could improve access to testing and timely treatment. However, the effect of providing additional services on nurse workload […]
Iodine status of pregnant women living in urban Johannesburg, South Africa
Adequate intake of iodine is important during pregnancy because of its essential role in foetal growth and neurodevelopment. Data on iodine status of South African pregnant women are scarce, and the salt reduction policy implemented in 2016 may decrease iodine intake of South Africans. This cross-sectional study assessed the iodine status of pregnant women residing […]
Wealth inequalities in reproductive and child health preventive care in Mozambique: a decomposition analysis
Background: Assessing the gap between rich and poor is important to monitor inequalities in health. Identifying the contribution to that gap can help policymakers to develop interventions towards decreasing that difference. Objective: To quantify the wealth inequalities in health preventive measures (bed net use, vaccination, and contraceptive use) to determine the demographic and socioeconomic contribution […]
Determinants of anaemia prevalence in women of reproductive age in Nigeria: A cross-sectional study using secondary data from Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2018
Background: Anaemia disproportionately affects women of reproductive age in sub-Saharan Africa including Nigeria. Yet, community-based studies on the prevalence and determinants of anaemia among women of reproductive age are scarce in Nigeria. Design: A cross-sectional community-based survey using a nationally representative sample. Objectives: This study described anaemia prevalence and its associated factors among women of […]
Use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) by pregnant women I: Risk of small-for-gestational-age birth
INTRODUCTION The 2016 US Surgeon General’s Report suggests that the use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) is a fetal risk factor. However, no previous study has estimated their effect on adverse pregnancy outcomes. We assessed the prevalence of current ENDS use in pregnant women and explored the effect on birth weight and smallness-for-gestational-age (SGA), […]
Prioritizing Health Care Strategies to Reduce Childhood Mortality
Importance: Although child mortality trends have decreased worldwide, deaths among children younger than 5 years of age remain high and disproportionately circumscribed to sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. Tailored and innovative approaches are needed to increase access, coverage, and quality of child health care services to reduce mortality, but an understanding of health system deficiencies […]
How do health extension workers in Ethiopia allocate their time?
Background: Governments are increasingly reliant on community health workers to undertake health promotion and provide essential curative care. In 2003, the Government of Ethiopia launched the Health Extension Programme and introduced a new cadre, health extension workers (HEWs), to improve access to care in rural communities. In 2013, to inform the government’s plans for HEWs […]
