The global maternal sepsis study and awareness campaign (GLOSS): Study protocol
Background: Maternal sepsis is the underlying cause of 11% of all maternal deaths and a significant contributor to many deaths attributed to other underlying conditions. The effective prevention, early identification and adequate management of maternal and neonatal infections and sepsis can contribute to reducing the burden of infection as an underlying and contributing cause of […]
The social context of children’s nutritional status in rural South Africa
Aim: To investigate the relationship between children’s nutritional status and a series of measures capturing both the current status and the lifetime history of their connection with adult caregivers in the Agincourt sub-district of rural South Africa. Methods: Using data on a sample of 202 children from a recent ethnographic study of children’s social connections […]
Brazilian network for the surveillance of maternal potentially life threatening morbidity and maternal near-miss and a multidimensional evaluation of their long term consequences
Background. It has been suggested that the study of women who survive life-threatening complications related to pregnancy (maternal near-miss cases) may represent a practical alternative to surveillance of maternal morbidity/mortality since the number of cases is higher and the woman herself is able to provide information on the difficulties she faced and the long-term repercussions […]
Women’s perceptions of antenatal, delivery, and postpartum services in rural Tanzania
Background: Maternal health care provision remains a major challenge in developing countries. There is agreement that the provision of quality clinical services is essential if high rates of maternal death are to be reduced. However, despite efforts to improve access to these services, a high number of women in Tanzania do not access them. The […]
Design and implementation of a health systems strengthening approach to improve health and nutrition of pregnant women and newborns in Ethiopia, Kenya, Niger, and Senegal
Maternal and neonatal mortality are unacceptably high in developing countries. Essential nutrition interventions contribute to reducing this mortality burden, although nutrition is poorly integrated into health systems. Universal health coverage is an essential prerequisite to decreasing mortality indices. However, provision and utilization of nutrition and health services for pregnant women and their newborns are poor […]
Working lives of maternity healthcare workers in Malawi: an ethnography to identify ways to improve care
BACKGROUND: Maternal mortality in East Africa is high with a maternal mortality rate of 428 per 100,000 live births. Malawi, whilst comparing favourably to East Africa as a whole, continues to have a high maternal mortality rate (349 per 100,000 live births) despite it being reduced by 53% since 2000. To make further improvements in […]
Barriers to uptake of antenatal maternal screening tests in Senegal
Background Evidence exists that selective antenatal maternal screening tests contribute to the reduction of maternal morbidity and mortality. However, data are lacking on coverage with the complete set of recommended tests. The study aimed to identify barriers to uptake of the complete set of tests recommended by the Ministry of Health in Senegal. Methods Data […]
Where and why do we lose women from the continuum of care in maternal health? A mixed-methods study in Southern Benin
Objective: Continuum of care (CoC) in maternal health is built on evidence suggesting that the integration of effective interventions across pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period leads to better perinatal health outcomes. We explored gaps along the CoC in maternal health in Benin. Methods: A mixed-methods study triangulating results from a qualitative study in southern […]
Lived experiences of frontline healthcare providers offering maternal and newborn services amidst the novel corona virus disease 19 pandemic in Uganda: A qualitative study
Background The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many health systems in low resource settings to their knees. The pandemic has had crippling effects on the already strained health systems in provision of maternal and newborn healthcare. With the travel restrictions, social distancing associated with the containment of theCOVID-19 pandemic, healthcare providers could be faced with challenges […]
Factors associated with the knowledge of obstetric danger signs, and perceptions of the need for obstetric care amongst married young women in northern Nigeria
Background: Married adolescents contribute to poor maternal health indicators in many lowand middle-income countries, where restrictive social norms hinder access to, and utilisation of maternal health services. Addressing these barriers is key to improving health outcomes of young mothers and their children. Aim: This study assessed married young women’s knowledge of obstetric danger signs and […]
