Why some women who attend focused antenatal care fail to deliver in health facilities: A qualitative study of women’s perspectives from slums of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Objective The purpose of this study was to explore why some women who attend focused antenatal care (FANC) fail to deliver in health facilities from slums of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Setting Public health facilities (three health centres and one district hospital). Study design A qualitative exploratory and descriptive research design was used. Study participants Study […]
Adding content to contacts: Measurement of high quality contacts for maternal and newborn health in Ethiopia, North East Nigeria, and Uttar Pradesh, India
Families in high mortality settings need regular contact with high quality services, but existing population-based measurements of contacts do not reflect quality. To address this, in 2012, we designed linked household and frontline worker surveys for Gombe State, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Uttar Pradesh, India. Using reported frequency and content of contacts, we present a method […]
The Impact of an mHealth Voice Message Service (mMitra) on Infant Care Knowledge, and Practices Among Low-Income Women in India: Findings from a Pseudo-Randomized Controlled Trial
Objectives mHealth interventions for MNCH have been shown to improve uptake of antenatal and neonatal services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, little systematic analysis is available about their impact on infant health outcomes, such as reducing low birth weight or malnutrition among children under the age of five. The objective of this study […]
Prenatal hepatitis B screening and associated factors in a high prevalence district of Lira, northern Uganda: A community based cross sectional study
Background: Chronic hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection affects 80-100 million people in sub-Saharan Africa and accounts for an estimated 650,000 deaths annually. The prevalence of active hepatitis B virus infection among women aged 15-64 in mid-Northern Uganda is about 5%. Lira district is among the high prevalence areas where government embarked on mass HBV screening […]
Health providers’ perceptions of clinical trials: Lessons from Ghana, Kenya and Burkina Faso
Background: Clinical trials conducted in Africa often require substantial investments to support trial centres and public health facilities. Trial resources could potentially generate benefits for routine health service delivery but may have unintended consequences. Strengthening ethical practice requires understanding the potential effects of trial inputs on the perceptions and practices of routine health care providers. […]
Towards elimination of mother‐to‐child transmission of HIV in Rwanda: a nested case‐control study of risk factors for transmission
Background: Mother-to-child HIV transmission (MTCT) has substantially declined since the scale-up of prevention programs around the world, including Rwanda. To achieve full elimination of MTCT, it is important to understand the risk factors associated with residual HIV transmission, defined as MTCT at the population-level that still occurs despite universal access to PMTCT. Methods: We performed […]
How different incentives influence reported motivation and perceptions of performance in Ghanaian community-based health planning and services zones
Background:: Maternal mortality is still a burden worldwide, and Ghana’s maternal and child mortalities are still high. Incentive schemes have been effective in improving health workers’ performance thereby reducing maternal and child deaths. The efficiency of public health services in most developing countries has been linked to the provision of incentives. Thus, financial packages for […]
What elements of the work environment are most responsible for health worker dissatisfaction in rural primary care clinics in Tanzania?
Background: In countries with high maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality, reliable access to quality healthcare in rural areas is essential to save lives. Health workers who are satisfied with their jobs are more likely to remain in rural posts. Understanding what factors influence health workers’ satisfaction can help determine where resources should be focused. […]
Low birth weight in a sub-urban area of Cameroon: An analysis of the clinical cut-off, incidence, predictors and complications
Background: The World Health Organisation recommends that each country adopts its own cut-off value of low birth weight (LBW) for clinical use. The aims of this study were to establish a clinical cut-off point for LBW and to determine its incidence, predictors and complications in a sub-urban area’s hospital of Cameroon. Methods: We conducted a […]
Barriers to formal health care seeking during pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal period: A qualitative study in Siaya County in rural Kenya
Background: There is broad agreement that antenatal care (ANC) interventions, skilled attendance at birth and management of complications arising after delivery are key strategies that can tackle the high burden of maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. In Kenya, utilisation rate of these services has remained low despite a government policy on free maternal care. The […]
