Traditional birth attendants (TBAs) as potential agents in promoting male involvement in maternity preparedness: Insights from a rural community in Uganda
Background: Since the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, male involvement in reproductive health issues has been advocated as a means to improve maternal and child health outcomes, but to date, health providers have failed to achieve successful male involvement in pregnancy care especially in rural and remote areas where majority of the underserved […]
Exploring spatial variations and factors associated with skilled birth attendant delivery in Ethiopia: Geographically weighted regression and multilevel analysis
Background: Skilled birth attendant (SBA) delivery is vital for the health of mothers and newborns, as most maternal and newborn deaths occur at the time of childbirth or immediately after birth. This problem becomes worsen in Ethiopia in which only 28% of women give birth with the help of SBA. Therefore, this study aimed to […]
Paediatric hospitalisations due to COVID-19 during the first SARS-CoV-2 omicron (B.1.1.529) variant wave in South Africa: a multicentre observational study
Background: South Africa reported a notable increase in COVID-19 cases from mid-November, 2021, onwards, starting in Tshwane District, which coincided with the rapid community spread of the SARS-CoV-2 omicron (B.1.1.529) variant. This increased infection rate coincided with a rapid increase in paediatric COVID-19-associated admissions to hospital (hereafter referred to as hospitalisations). Methods: The Tshwane Maternal-Child […]
Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic response on intrapartum care, stillbirth, and neonatal mortality outcomes in Nepal: a prospective observational study
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic response is affecting maternal and neonatal health services all over the world. We aimed to assess the number of institutional births, their outcomes (institutional stillbirth and neonatal mortality rate), and quality of intrapartum care before and during the national COVID-19 lockdown in Nepal. Methods: In this prospective observational study, we collected […]
HIV-1 and HIV-2 prevalence, risk factors and birth outcomes among pregnant women in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau: a retrospective cross-sectional hospital study
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa. Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) has proven an effective strategy to end paediatric infections and ensure HIV-infected mothers access treatment. Based on cross-sectional data collected from June 2008 to May 2013, we assessed changes in HIV prevalence, risk […]
Maternal and child supplementation with lipid-based nutrient supplements, but not child supplementation alone, decreases self-reported household food insecurity in some settings
Background: It is unknown whether self-reported measures of household food insecurity change in response to foodbased nutrient supplementation. Objective: We assessed the impacts of providing lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNSs) to women during pregnancy and postpartum and/or to their children on self-reported household food insecurity in Malawi [DOSE and DYAD trial in Malawi (DYAD-M)], Ghana [DYAD […]
Cost of installing and operating an electronic clinical decision support system for maternal health care: Case of Tanzania rural primary health centres
Background: Poor quality of care is among the causes of high maternal and newborn disease burden in Tanzania. Potential reason for poor quality of care is the existence of a “know-do gap” where by health workers do not perform to the best of their knowledge. An electronic clinical decision support system (CDSS) for maternal health […]
Cost-effectiveness of intermittent preventive treatment with dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine for malaria during pregnancy: an analysis using efficacy results from Uganda and Kenya, and pooled data
Background: Prevention of malaria infection during pregnancy in HIV-negative women currently relies on the use of long-lasting insecticidal nets together with intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy with sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP). Increasing sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine resistance in Africa threatens current prevention of malaria during pregnancy. Thus, a replacement for IPTp-SP is urgently needed, especially for locations with high sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine […]
Barriers in the delivery of emergency obstetric and neonatal care in post-conflict Africa: Qualitative case studies of Burundi and Northern Uganda
Objectives Maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity rates are particularly grim in conflict, postconflict and other crisis settings, a situation partly blamed on non-availability and/or poor quality of emergency obstetric and neonatal care (EmONC) services. The aim of this study was to explore the barriers to effective delivery of EmONC services in post-conflict Burundi and […]
“We come as friends”: Approaches to social accountability by health committees in Northern Malawi
Background: In Malawi, as in many low-and middle-income countries, health facility committees (HFCs) are involved in the governance of health services. Little is known about the approaches they use and the challenges they face. This study explores how HFCs monitor the quality of health services and how they demand accountability of health workers for their […]
