Experiences with and expectations of maternity waiting homes in Luapula Province, Zambia: A mixed-methods, cross-sectional study with women, community groups and stakeholders

Background: Luapula Province has the highest maternal mortality and one of the lowest facility-based births in Zambia. The distance to facilities limits facility-based births for women in rural areas. In 2013, the government incorporated maternity homes into the health system at the community level to increase facility-based births and reduce maternal mortality. To examine the […]

Concordance of Mother-Child (6-23 Months) Dietary Diversity and Its Associated Factors in Kucha District, Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Meeting minimum standards of dietary quality in mothers and children is a challenge in many developing countries including Ethiopia. Emerging evidence suggests that maternal and child dietary diversity is associated, but little is known about the associated factors of concordance of mother-child dietary diversity in Ethiopia and none is documented in the study area. This […]

Food insecurity and its predictors among lactating mothers in North Shoa Zone, Central Ethiopia: A community based cross-sectional study

Objective To assess the prevalence of food insecurity (FI) and its predictors among lactating mothers in Ataye District, North Shoa Zone, Central Ethiopia. Design A community-based cross-sectional study design was used. Setting Two urban and four rural randomly selected kebeles of the Ataye District in Ethiopia. Participants Out of 635 participants, 612 lactating mothers aged […]

Cohort profile: The Hlabisa pregnancy cohort, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Purpose The Hlabisa pregnancy cohort was established to evaluate the effectiveness of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) guideline revisions. The objectives of the Hlabisa pregnancy cohort are to: (1) provide cohort-level information on maternal health up to 6 weeks postpartum in a high HIV prevalence setting; and to (2) evaluate aspects of PMTCT care that […]

Study protocol: Realist evaluation of effectiveness and sustainability of a community health workers programme in improving maternal and child health in Nigeria

Background: Achievement of improved maternal and child health (MCH) outcomes continues to be an issue of international priority, particularly for sub-Saharan African countries such as Nigeria. Evidence suggests that the use of Community Health Workers (CHWs) can be effective in broadening access to, and coverage of, health services and improving MCH outcomes in such countries. […]

Determinants of use of supervised delivery care under Ghana’s fee exemption policy for maternal healthcare: The case of the Central Region

Background: Improving access to supervised and emergency obstetric care resources through fee reduction/exemption maternity care initiatives has been touted as one major strategy to avoiding preventable maternal deaths. Evaluations on the effect of Ghana’s fee exemption policy for maternal healthcare have largely focused on how it has influenced health outcomes and patterns of use of […]

Effects of combined decision-support and performance-based incentives on reported client satisfaction with maternal health services in primary facilities: A quasi-experimental study in the Upper East Region of Ghana

Background Computerized decision-support systems (CDSS) and performance-based incentives (PBIs) have potential to contribute to client satisfaction with health services. However, rigorous evidence is lacking on the effectiveness of these strategies in lower-income countries such as Ghana. This study aimed to determine the effect of a combined CDSS-PBI intervention on client satisfaction with maternal health services […]

Perceived causes of adverse pregnancy outcomes and remedies adopted by Kalenjin women in rural Kenya

Background: There have been few studies about the basis on which women in developing regions evaluate and choose traditional rather than western maternal care. This qualitative study explores the socio-cultural perceptions of complications associated with pregnancy and childbirth and how these perceptions influence maternal health and care-seeking behaviours in Kenya. Methods: Kalenjin women (n = […]

Use of traditional and complementary medicine for maternal health and wellbeing by African migrant women in Australia: a mixed method study

BACKGROUND: Traditional medicine serves as a form of primary health care for more than 80% of African populations. Currently, there is no research documenting if and how African migrant communities engage with their traditional health practices and beliefs after they resettle in Western countries. The aim of this study was to examine African migrant women’s […]

‘What men don’t know can hurt women’s health’: a qualitative study of the barriers to and opportunities for men’s involvement in maternal healthcare in Ghana

Background: The importance of men’s involvement in facilitating women’s access to skilled maternal healthcare in patriarchal societies such as Ghana is increasingly being recognised. However, few studies have been conducted to examine men’s involvement in issues of maternal healthcare, the barriers to men’s involvement, and how best to actively involve men. The purpose of this […]