The role of Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILCs) in improving community-level household wealth, financial preparedness for birth, and utilization of reproductive health services in rural Zambia: a secondary analysis

Background: Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILCs) are a type of informal microfinance mechanism widely adapted in Zambia. The benefits of SILCs paired with other interventions have been studied in many countries. However, limited studies have examined SILCs in the context of maternal health. This study examined the association between having access to SILCs and: […]

Food Crop Diversity, Women’s Income-Earning Activities, and Distance to Markets in Relation to Maternal Dietary Quality in Tanzania

Background: Women’s dietary diversity and quality are limited in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Nutrition-sensitive interventions that promote food crop diversity and women’s access to income could improve diets and address the double burden of malnutrition in LMICs. Objectives: We examined the associations among food crop diversity and women’s income-earning activities with women’s diet quality, […]

Inadequate programming, insufficient communication and non-compliance with the basic principles of maternal death audits in health districts in Burkina Faso: A qualitative study

Background: Implementation of quality maternal death audits requires good programming, good communication and compliance with core principles. Studies on compliance with core principles in the conduct of maternal death audits (MDAs) exist but were conducted in urban areas, at the 2nd or 3rd level of the healthcare system, in experimental situations, or in a context […]

Readiness of public health facilities to provide quality maternal and newborn care across the state of Bihar, India: A cross-sectional study of district hospitals and primary health centres

Introduction: Poor access to quality healthcare is one of the most important reasons of high maternal and neonatal mortality in India, particularly in poorer states like Bihar. India has implemented initiatives to promote institutional maternal deliveries. It is important to ensure that health facilities are adequately equipped and staffed to provide quality care for mothers […]

Tamil Nadu Pregnancy and Heart Disease Registry (TNPHDR): design and methodology

Background: Cardiac disease in pregnancy is a major contributor to maternal mortality in high, middle and low-income countries. Availability of data on outcomes of pregnancy in women with heart disease is important for planning resources to reduce maternal mortality. Prospective data on outcomes and risk predictors of mortality in pregnant women with heart disease (PWWHD) […]

Fathers’ involvement in perinatal healthcare in Australia: experiences and reflections of Ethiopian-Australian men and women

Background: Family-centred maternity care models include the expectation that fathers prepare for and attend the birth. In Australia over 20% of the population is from a culturally and linguistically diverse background. Public policies espouse culturally competent healthcare. Little is known about the experiences of perinatal health care of men from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) […]

Trend in female genital mutilation and its associated adverse birth outcomes: A 10-year retrospective birth registry study in Northern Tanzania

Background Approximately 200 million women and girls were reported to have undergone female genital mutilation worldwide in 2015.UNICEF’s data based on household survey estimates 15% of women from 15–49 years have undergone FGM from year 2004–2015. Despite this, reliable data on trend of prevalence of female genital mutilation and its associated birth outcomes have not […]

The Impact of a Large-Scale Social and Behavior Change Communication Intervention in the Lake Zone Region of Tanzania on Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Related to Stunting Prevention

Background: Large-scale social and behavioral change communication (SBCC) approaches can be beneficial to achieve improvements in knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP). Addressing Stunting in Tanzania Early (ASTUTE) included a significant SBCC component and targeted precursors to stunting including KAP related to maternal and child health, antenatal care, WASH, childhood development, and male involvement. METHODS: Baseline, […]

“The role of the man is to look for food”: Lessons from men’s involvement in maternal and child health programmes in rural Central Malawi

Many studies purport that in low-income countries, women are often responsible for producing, preparing and purchasing food. Consequently, policies related to food and nutrition overemphasise the role of women, underestimating the potential for cooperation and complementarity between men and women. This focus on women does not account for socially constructed expectations of women that undermine […]

Current evidence on basic emergency obstetric and newborn care services in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; a cross sectional study

Background: Emergency obstetric and neonatal care (EmONC) is a high impact priority intervention highly recommended for improving maternal and neonatal health outcomes. In 2008, Ethiopia conducted a national EmONC survey that revealed implementation gaps, mainly due to resource constraints and poor competence among providers. As part of an ongoing project, this paper examined progress in […]