Assessment of policy makers’ individual and organizational capacity to acquire, assess, adapt and apply research evidence for maternal and child health policy making in Nigeria: A cross-sectional quantitative survey

Background: Throughout the world, there is increasing awareness and acknowledgement of the value of research evidence in the development of effective health policy and in quality health care practice and administration. Among the major challenges associated with the lack of uptake of research evidence into policy and practice in Nigeria is the capacity constraints of […]

Intention to use maternal health services and associated factors among women who gave birth at home in rural Sehala Seyemit district: a community-based cross-sectional study

Background: Low maternal healthcare service utilization contributes to poor maternal and newborn health outcomes in rural Ethiopia. ‘Motivational factors influence women’s intention to perform a specific health behavior, and the intention of subsequent home delivery and related risks that may contribute to women’s death is less known. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the intention […]

Effects of an mHealth voice message service (mMitra) on maternal health knowledge and practices of low-income women in India: Findings from a pseudo-randomized controlled trial

Background: Mobile Health (mHealth) is becoming an important tool to improve health outcomes in maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH). Studies of mHealth interventions, have demonstrated their effectiveness in improving uptake of recommended maternal services such as antenatal visits. However, evidence of impact on maternal health outcomes is still limited. Methods: A pseudo-randomized controlled trial […]

Acute malnutrition and its contributing factors among children under-five years in rural kebeles of Shashemene Oromia, Ethiopia

Introduction: Globally, more than 52 million under-five years old were wasted; One-third of these children live in Africa. Ethiopia is the seventh country among the ten top countries in which acute malnutrition (AM) is concentrated and currently 10% of under-five children are wasted. Even though Ethiopia has implemented a variety of nutritional interventions, acute malnutrition […]

Perspectives of policymakers and health providers on barriers and facilitators to skilled pregnancy care: findings from a qualitative study in rural Nigeria

Background: The uptake of skilled pregnancy care in rural areas of Nigeria remains a challenge amid the various strategies aimed at improving access to skilled care. The low use of skilled health care during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum indicates that Nigerian women are paying a heavy price as seen in the country’s very high maternal […]

Implementing demand side targeting mechanisms for maternal and child health-experiences from national health insurance fund program in Rungwe District, Tanzania

Background: Low and middle income countries have adopted targeting mechanisms as a means of increasing program efficiency in reaching marginalized people in the community given the available resources. Design of targeting mechanisms has been changing over time and it is important to understand implementers’ experience with such targeting mechanisms since such mechanisms impact equity in […]

Early changes in intervention coverage and mortality rates following the implementation of an integrated health system intervention in Madagascar

Introduction The Sustainable Development Goals framed an unprecedented commitment to achieve global convergence in child and maternal mortality rates through 2030. To meet those targets, essential health services must be scaled via integration with strengthened health systems. This is especially urgent in Madagascar, the country with the lowest level of financing for health in the […]

The role of a decision-support smartphone application in enhancing community health volunteers’ effectiveness to improve maternal and newborn outcomes in Nairobi, Kenya: Quasi-experimental research protocol

Introduction Improving maternal and newborn survival remains major aspirations for many countries in the Global South. Slum settlements, a result of rapid urbanisation in many developing countries including Kenya, exhibit high levels of maternal and neonatal mortality. There are limited referral mechanisms for sick neonates and their mothers from the community to healthcare facilities with […]

Household food access and child malnutrition: Results from the eight-country MAL-ED study

Background: Stunting results from decreased food intake, poor diet quality, and a high burden of early childhood infections, and contributes to significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although food insecurity is an important determinant of child nutrition, including stunting, development of universal measures has been challenging due to cumbersome nutritional questionnaires and concerns about lack of […]

Engaging Communities in Commodity Stock Monitoring Using Telecommunication Technology in Primary Health Care Facilities in Rural Nigeria

Background: With several efforts being made by key stakeholders to bridge the gap between beneficiaries and their having full access to free supplies, frequent stock-out, pilfering, collection of user fees for health commodities, and poor community engagement continue to plague the delivery of health services at the primary health care (PHC) level in rural Nigeria. […]