Traditional Practitioners and Nurses’ Perspectives on Traditional Medicine Utilisation During Antenatal Care in Matabeleland South Province, Zimbabwe
Background: Traditional Health System has been reported to be the most accessible, affordable, and acceptable in resource-poor settings, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is utilised for different health needs, including pregnancy management. This study sought to explore traditional and Nurses’ perspectives on traditional medicine utilisation during antenatal care in Bulilima District, Plumtree, Zimbabwe. Methods: A […]
Birth location preferences of mothers and fathers in rural Ghana: Implications for pregnancy, labor and birth outcomes
Background: Maternal deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa are largely preventable with health facility delivery assisted by skilled birth attendants. Examining associations of birth location preferences on pregnant women’s experiences is important to understanding delays in care seeking in the event of complications. We explored the influence of birth location preference on women’s pregnancy, labor and birth […]
Effect of a theory-based nutrition education intervention during pregnancy through male partner involvement on newborns’ birth weights in Southwest Ethiopia. A three-arm community based Quasi-Experimental study
Background Low birth weight is one of the most serious public health issues affecting newborns, with estimates ranging from 15% to 20% of all births worldwide. According to the Ethiopian demographic health survey report, the prevalence of Low Birth Weight rose from 11% in 2011 to 13% in 2016. The high proportion of birth weight […]
Determinants of maternal health services utilization in urban settings of the Democratic Republic of Congo – A Case study of Lubumbashi City
Background: The use of maternal health services, known as an indirect indicator of perinatal death, is still unknown in Lubumbashi. The present study was therefore undertaken in order to determine the factors that influence the use of mother and child healthcare services in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.Methods: This was transversal study of women […]
The prevalence of abnormal Doppler’s of the umbilical artery in a low-risk pregnant population in South Africa
Background: The assessment of fetal blood flow using Doppler waveform can be used to identify placental insufficiency, and hence is a tool to identify fetuses at risk of stillbirth due to fetal growth restriction (FGR). In South Africa the largest category of perinatal deaths is ‘unexplained intrauterine death’. The majority of the mothers are clinically […]
Household relationships and healthcare seeking behaviour for common childhood illnesses in sub-Saharan Africa: A cross-national mixed effects analysis
Background: Intra-household dynamics play crucial roles in utilisation of healthcare services for children. We investigated the influence of household relationships on healthcare seeking behaviour for common childhood illnesses in four sub-Sahara African regions. Methods: Data on 247,061 under-five children were extracted from recent Demographic and Health Surveys conducted between 2012 and 2016 in 25 countries. […]
Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal and perinatal health service utilisation and outcomes in Mozambique: an interrupted time series analysis
Objectives To measure the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal and perinatal health services and outcomes in Mozambique. Design This is an observational study analysing routine service delivery data using interrupted time series analysis. We used 43 months of district-level panel data with April 2020 as the point of interruption, adjusting for seasonality and […]
Burden, timing and causes of maternal and neonatal deaths and stillbirths in sub- Saharan Africa and South Asia: Protocol for a prospective cohort study
Objectives The AMANHI mortality study aims to use harmonized methods, across eleven sites in eight countries in South Asia and sub- Saharan Africa, to estimate the burden, timing and causes of maternal, fetal and neonatal deaths. It will generate data to help advance the science of cause of death (COD) assignment in developing country settings. […]
Impact evaluation of a maternal and neonatal health training intervention in private Ugandan facilities
Global and country-specific targets for reductions in maternal and neonatal mortality in low-resource settings will not be achieved without improvements in the quality of care for optimal facility-based obstetric and newborn care. This global call includes the private sector, which is increasingly serving low-resource pregnant women. The primary aim of this study was to estimate […]
Sociocultural practices and beliefs during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum among indigenous pastoralist women of reproductive age in Manyara, Tanzania: a descriptive qualitative study
BACKGROUND: Despite interventions improving maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality, progress has been sluggish, especially in hard-to-reach indigenous communities. Sociocultural beliefs in these communities more often influence the adoption of particular behaviors throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. Therefore, this study identified sociocultural beliefs and practices during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum among indigenous pastoralist women of […]
