Preventing death following unsafe abortion: a case series from urban Uganda
BACKGROUND: Maternal deaths from unsafe abortion continue to occur globally, with particularly high rates in Sub-Saharan Africa where most abortions are classified as unsafe. Maternal death reviews are an effective part of cohesive strategies to prevent future deaths while abortion remains illegal. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to conduct maternal death reviews for all deaths occurring […]
Examining barriers to healthcare access and utilization of antenatal care services: evidence from demographic health surveys in sub-Saharan Africa
Background: Antenatal care utilization is one of the means for reducing the high maternal mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examined the association between barriers to healthcare access and implementation of the 2016 WHO antenatal care services model among pregnant women seeking antenatal care in selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: This study considered only […]
Evaluating continuum of maternal and newborn healthcare in Rwanda: evidence from the 2019–2020 Rwanda demographic health survey
Background: Access to a complete continuum of maternal and child health care has been recommended globally for better pregnancy outcomes. Hence this study determined the level (pooled prevalence) and predictors of successfully completing continuum of care (CoC) in Rwanda. Methods: We analyzed weighted secondary data from the 2019–2020 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS) that […]
Community perspectives of a 3-delays model intervention: A qualitative evaluation of saving mothers, giving life in Zambia
Background: Saving Mothers, Giving Life (SMGL), a health systems strengthening approach based on the 3-delays model, aimed to reduce maternal and perinatal mortality in 6 districts in Zambia between 2012 and 2017. By 2016, the maternal mortality ratio in SMGL-supported districts declined by 41% compared to its level at the beginning of SMGL-from 480 to […]
Men’s roles in care seeking for maternal and newborn health: A qualitative study applying the three delays model to male involvement in Morogoro Region, Tanzania
Background: Increasing the utilization of facility-based care for women and newborns in low-resource settings can reduce maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality. Men influence whether women and newborns receive care because they often control financial resources and household decisions. This influence can have negative effects if men misjudge or ignore danger signs or are unwilling […]
“I am alive; my baby is alive”: Understanding reasons for satisfaction and dissatisfaction with maternal health care services in the context of user fee removal policy in Nigeria
Background The main policy thrust in many sub-Saharan Africa countries’ aim at addressing maternal mortality is the elimination of the user fee for maternal healthcare services. While several studies have documented the effect of the user fee removal policy on the use of maternal health care services, the experiences of women seeking care in facilities […]
Where and why do we lose women from the continuum of care in maternal health? A mixed-methods study in Southern Benin
Objective: Continuum of care (CoC) in maternal health is built on evidence suggesting that the integration of effective interventions across pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period leads to better perinatal health outcomes. We explored gaps along the CoC in maternal health in Benin. Methods: A mixed-methods study triangulating results from a qualitative study in southern […]
Evaluating the accessibility and utility of HIV-related point-of-care diagnostics for maternal health in rural South Africa: A study protocol
Introduction: Poor healthcare access is a major barrier to receiving antenatal care and a cause of high maternal mortality in South Africa (SA). ‘Point-of-care’ (POC) diagnostics is a powerful emerging healthcare approach to improve healthcare access. This study focuses on evaluating the accessibility and utility of POC diagnostics for maternal health in rural SA primary […]
Reducing stillbirths in Ethiopia: Results of an intervention programme
Previous studies from South Ethiopia have shown that interventions that focus on intrapartum care substantially reduce maternal mortality and there is a need to operationalize health packages that could reduce stillbirths. The aim of this paper is to evaluate if a programme that aimed to improve maternal health, and mainly focusing on strengthening intrapartum care, […]
Maternal health challenges experienced by adolescents; could community score cards address them? A case study of Kibuku District– Uganda
Introduction: Approximately 34.8% of the Ugandan population is adolescents. The national teenage pregnancy rate is 25% and in Kibuku district, 17.6% of adolescents aged 12–19 years have begun child bearing. Adolescents mothers are vulnerable to many maternal health challenges including; stigma, unfriendly services and early marriages. The community score card (CSC) is a social accountability […]
