Juridification of maternal deaths in Ethiopia: A study of the Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) system
Juridification of maternal health care is on the rise globally, but little is known about its manifestations in resource constrained settings in sub-Saharan Africa. The Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) system is implemented in Ethiopia to record and review all maternal and perinatal deaths, but underreporting of deaths remains a major implementation […]
Barriers and facilitators of maternal health care services use among pastoralist women in Ethiopia: Systems thinking perspective
We explored the barriers and facilitators of maternal health care service use among women in the pastoralist region of Ethiopia. We used a mixed methods design—focus group discussions, key informant interviews, review of the literature and Participatory Ethnographic Evaluation Research (PEER) methods followed by a household survey among randomly chosen pastoralist women of reproductive age […]
Complicating causality: patient and professional perspectives on obstetric fistula in Nigeria
Obstetric fistula, a preventable maternal morbidity characterised by chronic bladder and/or bowel incontinence, is widespread in Nigeria. This qualitative, multi-site study examined the competing narratives on obstetric fistula causality in Nigeria. Research methods were participant observation and in-depth interviews with 86 fistula patients and 43 healthcare professionals. The study found that both patient and professional […]
The Amagugu Intervention: A Conceptual Framework for Increasing HIV Disclosure and Parent-Led Communication about Health among HIV-Infected Parents with HIV-Uninfected Primary School-Aged Children
Advances in access to HIV prevention and treatment have reduced vertical transmission of HIV, with most children born to HIV-infected parents being HIV-uninfected themselves. A major challenge that HIV-infected parents face is disclosure of their HIV status to their predominantly HIV-uninfected children. Their children enter middle childhood and early adolescence facing many challenges associated with […]
Caste in Muslim Pakistan: a structural determinant of inequities in the uptake of maternal health services
The failure to reduce maternal mortality rates in high-burden countries has led to calls for a greater understanding of structural determinants of inequities in access to maternal health services. Caste is a socially constructed identity that imposes structural disadvantages on subordinate groups. Although a South Asian construct, the existence of caste as a structural social […]
Infant co-sleeping patterns and maternal sleep quality among Hadza hunter-gatherers
Objective: Despite widespread interest in maternal–infant co-sleeping, few quantified data on sleep patterns outside of the cultural west exist. Here, we provide the first report on co-sleeping behavior and maternal sleep quality among habitually co-sleeping hunter-gatherers. Design: Data were collected among the Hadza of Tanzania who live in domiciles constructed of grass huts with no […]
Kinship in Practice: Spatial Distribution of Children’s Kin Networks
The examination of co-residential household arrangements has been a mainstay in demographic analysis, based on the assumption that those with whom one lives are the most important influences in one’s life. In contrast, we know far less about the spaces not shared but none the less crucially important in the lives of children. In this […]
Liberalising Health-seeking Behaviour of the Johanne Marange Apostolic Sect in Manicaland, Zimbabwe
Religious rights as enshrined in the Zimbabwean constitution are sacrosanct, however, when church doctrine bars followers from seeking modern medical care, they start infringing on health rights especially of the ‘lesser beings’ the women and children who are members of these religious sects. The ‘lesser beings’ are bearing the brunt of high maternal and neonatal […]
When things fall apart: local responses to the reintroduction of user-fees for maternal health services in rural Malawi
Despite the strong global focus on improving maternal health during past decades, there is still a long way to go to ensure equitable access to services and quality of care for women and girls around the world. To understand widely acknowledged inequities and policy-to-practice gaps in maternal health, we must critically analyse the workings of […]
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 […]
