Aetiology of childhood pneumonia in a well vaccinated South African birth cohort: A nested case-control study of the Drakenstein Child Health Study
Background: Pneumonia is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in children globally. The cause of pneumonia after introduction of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) has not been well studied in low-income and middle-income countries, and most data are from cross-sectional studies of children admitted to hospital. We aimed to longitudinally investigate the incidence […]
Can reproductive health voucher programs improve quality of postnatal care? A quasi-experimental evaluation of Kenya ‘ s Safe Motherhood voucher scheme
This study tests the group-level causal relationship between the expansion of Kenya’s Safe Motherhood voucher program and changes in quality of postnatal care (PNC) provided at voucher-contracted facilities.We compare facilities accredited since program inception in 2006 (phase I) and facilities accredited since 2010-2011 (phase II) relative to comparable non-voucher facilities. PNC quality is assessed using […]
Effect of a maternal and newborn health system quality improvement project on the use of facilities for childbirth: a cluster-randomised study in rural Tanzania
Objectives: Reduction in maternal and newborn mortality requires that women deliver in high quality health facilities. However, many facilities provide sub-optimal quality of care, which may be a reason for less than universal facility utilisation. We assessed the impact of a quality improvement project on facility utilisation for childbirth. Methods: In this cluster-randomised experiment in […]
Knowledge of preconception care and associated factors among maternal health care providers working in urban public health institutions of Eastern Ethiopia
Background: Provision of preconception care is significantly affected by the health care provider’s knowledge of preconception care. In Ethiopia, preconception care is rare, if even available, as part of maternal health care services. Thus, this study aimed to determine the level of knowledge of preconception care and associated factors among health care providers working in […]
Misoprostol for the prevention of post-partum haemorrhage in Mozambique: An analysis of the interface between human rights, maternal health and development
Background: Mozambique has high maternal mortality which is compounded by limited human resources for health, weak access to health services, and poor development indicators. In 2011, the Mozambique Ministry of Health (MoH) approved the distribution of misoprostol for the prevention of post-partum haemorrhage (PPH) at home births where oxytocin is not available. Misoprostol can be […]
Rebuilding child health in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): evaluating the Asili social enterprise program
Background: The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has a long history of conflict and ongoing local instability; the eastern provinces, including South Kivu, have been especially affected. Health systems and livelihoods have been undermined, contributing to massive inequities in access to health services and high rates of internal displacement. Asili, an innovative social enterprise program, […]
Impact of Ethiopia’s productive safety net program on household food security and child nutrition: A marginal structural modeling approach
Safety nets are expanding in African countries as a policy instrument to alleviate poverty and food insecurity. Whether safety nets have improved household food security and child diet and nutrition in sub-Saharan Africa has not been well documented. This paper takes the case of Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) and provides evidence of the […]
Family planning use among women living with HIV: Knowing HIV positive status helps – Results from a national survey
Background: Women living with HIV continues to encounter unintended pregnancies with a concomitant risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection. Preventing unintended pregnancy among HIV-infected women is one of the strategies in the prevention of new HIV infections among children. The aim of this analysis was to assess the practice of family planning (FP) among […]
Magnitude and factors associated with institutional delivery service utilization among childbearing mothers in Cheha district, Gurage zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia: A community based cross sectional study
Background: Ethiopia is one of the six countries that contributes’ to more than 50 % of worldwide maternal deaths. While it is revealed that delivery attended by skilled provider at health facility reduced maternal deaths, more than half of all births in Ethiopia takes place at home. According to EDHS 2011 report nine women in […]
Predictors of contraceptive method mix in the cameroon development corporation plantation camps
Introduction: low socioeconomic status is a risk factor for maternal death and contraceptive use has been shown to reduce maternal deaths in those poor settings. Despite the tremendous benefits of contraceptives in the regulation of reproductive health indicators, its use in less developed countries continue to remain unacceptably low. The purpose of this study was […]
