Magnitude and associated factors of disrespect and abusive care among laboring mothers at public health facilities in Borena District, South Wollo, Ethiopia

Background Recent studies have indicated that disrespectful/abusive/coercive service by skilled care providers in health facilities that results in actual or perceived poor quality of care is directly and indirectly associated with adverse maternal and newborn outcomes. According to the 2016 Ethiopian Demography and Health Survey, only 26% of births were attended by qualified clinicians, with […]

A qualitative study to explore dietary knowledge, beliefs, and practices among pregnant women in a rural health zone in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Background: A nutritious and healthy diet during pregnancy is essential for the health of both mother and baby. Inadequate dietary intake during pregnancy contributes to maternal malnutrition and can have lifelong effects on the health of the child. Maternal malnutrition is common in many low-income countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Kwango province, […]

Prevalence of Undernutrition and Associated Factors among Pregnant Women in a Public General Hospital, Tigray, Northern Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study Design

Background. Undernutrition is a global health problem, particularly in pregnant women. Despite the limited studies performed in different parts of Ethiopia, the information about the prevalence of undernutrition of pregnant women in the current study area is not documented. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of undernutrition and associated factors in pregnant women. […]

Users’ perspectives on the quality of family planning services in Mozambique: a case study

Introduction: user satisfaction assessment has been increasingly important in ensuring health care quality and guidance in the health sector. Africa is the region in the world with the lowest prevalence of contraception use. Universal access to family planning has one of the highest rates of benefits for cost among strategic options for development. Family planning […]

Assessment of Midwife Knowledge, Practice, and Associated Factors towards Active Management of the Third Stage of Labor at Governmental Health Institutions in Tigray Region, Northern Ethiopia, 2018

Introduction. Globally, postpartum hemorrhage is the most common cause of maternal mortality and morbidity, and it accounts for more than 25% of all maternal deaths. The majority of death due to postpartum hemorrhage is caused by uterine atony. Routine and correct usage of active management of the third stage of labor decreases the occurrence of […]

Providers adherence to essential contents of antenatal care services increases birth weight in Bahir Dar City Administration, north West Ethiopia: A prospective follow up study

Background: Low birth weight (LBW) is one of the most important factors affecting child morbidity and mortality worldwide. Antenatal care (ANC) is an opportunity for reaching pregnant women with a number of interventions that may be vital to their health and well-being of their infants. However, data on the link between ANC quality and LBW […]

Placental malaria is rare among zanzibari pregnant women who did not receive intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy

Zanzibar has transitioned from malaria control to the pre-elimination phase, and the continued need for intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy (IPTp) has been questioned. We conducted a prospective observational study to estimate placental malaria positivity rate among women who did not receive IPTp with sulfadoxinepyrimethamine. A convenience sample of pregnant women was enrolled from six […]

Social circumstances that drive early introduction of formula milk: An exploratory qualitative study in a peri-urban South African community

Breastfeeding is widely endorsed as the optimal strategy for feeding newborns and young infants, as well as improving child survival and achieving Millennium Development Goal 4. Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for the first 6 months of life is rarely practised in South Africa. Following the 2010 World Health Organization (WHO) infant feeding recommendations (EBF for HIV-positive […]

Prevalence and determinants of unintended childbirth in Ethiopia

Background: Ethiopia’s population policy specifically aims to reduce TFR from 7.7 to 4.0 and to increasecontraceptive use from 4.0% to 44.0% between 1990 and 2015. In 2011, the use of contraceptive methodsincreased seven-fold from 4.0% to 27%; and the TFR declined by 38% to 4.8. The use of modern contraceptives is,however, much higher in the […]

A socio-ecological exploration to identify factors influencing the COVID-19 vaccine decision-making process among pregnant and lactating women: Findings from Kenya

The vaccine decision-making process of pregnant and lactating women is complex. Regarding COVID-19, pregnant women are at increased risk for severe disease and poor health outcomes. While pregnant and lactating women were excluded from COVID-19 vaccine trials, available evidence suggests that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and protective during pregnancy. In this study, we used a […]