Assessing Very Early Infant Diagnosis Turnaround Times: Findings from a Birth Testing Pilot in Lesotho
Very early infant diagnosis (VEID) (testing within two weeks of life), combined with rapid treatment initiation, could reduce early infant mortality. Our study evaluated turnaround time (TAT) to receipt of infants’ HIV test results and ART initiation if HIV-infected, with and without birth testing availability. Data from facility records and national databases were collected for […]
Equity of inpatient health care in rural Tanzania: A population- and facility-based survey
Objective. To explore the equity of utilization of inpatient health care at rural Tanzanian health centers through the use of a short wealth questionnaire. Methods. Patients admitted to four rural health centers in the Kigoma Region of Tanzania from May 2008 to May 2009 were surveyed about their illness, asset ownership and demographics. Principal component […]
Perceptions of usage and unintended consequences of provision of ready-to-use therapeutic food for management of severe acute child malnutrition. A qualitative study in Southern Ethiopia
Background: Severe acute child malnutrition (SAM) is associated with high risk of mortality. To increase programme effectiveness in management of SAM, community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) programme that treats SAM using ready-to-use-therapeutic foods (RUTF) has been scaled-up and integrated into existing government health systems. The study aimed to examine caregivers’ and health workers perceptions […]
Prevalence of Undernutrition and Associated Factors among Lactating Mothers of Angecha District, Kembata Tembaro Zone, Southern Ethiopia
Background. Major reasons for malnutrition, particularly among those who live in low- and middle-income countries, are physiological vulnerability and inadequate intake. The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of undernutrition and associated factors among lactating mothers of Angecha District, Southern Ethiopia. Methods. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among randomly selected lactating […]
Antibiotic Use and Stewardship Indicators in the First- and Second-Level Hospitals in Zambia: Findings and Implications for the Future
Introduction: There are increasing concerns with growing rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across Africa, including in Zambia, enhanced by inappropriate utilization of antibiotics across the sectors. There is a need in hospitals to document current prescribing patterns via point prevalence surveys (PPS) alongside recognized indicators to improve future use. The findings can subsequently be used […]
Malnutrition in infants aged under 6 months attending community health centres: A cross sectional survey
A poor understanding of malnutrition burden is a common reason for not prioritizing the care of small and nutritionally at-risk infants aged under-six months (infants u6m). We aimed to estimate the anthropometric deficit prevalence in infants u6m attending health centres, using the Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF), and to assess the overlap of different […]
Health systems’ preparedness to provide post-abortion care: assessment of health facilities in Burkina Faso, Kenya and Nigeria
Background: In many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, access to abortion is legally restricted, which partly contributes to high incidence of unsafe abortion. This may result in unsafe abortion-related complications that demand long hospital stays, treatment and attendance by skilled health providers. There is however, limited knowledge on the capacity of public health facilities to deliver […]
Group antenatal care versus standard antenatal care and effect on mean gestational age at birth in Rwanda: Protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial
Background: Group antenatal care has demonstrated promise as a service delivery model that may result in improved outcomes compared to standard antenatal care in socio-demographic populations at disparately high risk for poor perinatal outcomes. Intrigued by results from the United States showing lower preterm birth rates among high-risk women who participate in group antenatal care, […]
Children with moderate acute malnutrition with no access to supplementary feeding programmes experience high rates of deterioration and no improvement: Results from a prospective cohort study in rural Ethiopia
Background Children with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) have an increased risk of mortality, infections and impaired physical and cognitive development compared to well-nourished children. In parts of Ethiopia not considered chronically food insecure there are no supplementary feeding programmes (SFPs) for treating MAM. The short-term outcomes of children who have MAM in such areas are […]
Associations between women’s empowerment and children’s health status in Ethiopia
Although women’s empowerment has gained attention over the last two decades, our understanding of the associations between different dimensions of women’s empowerment and different children’s health outcomes is limited. This study aims to measure the extent of women’s empowerment and to examine its associations with the children’s health status in Ethiopia. Data were obtained from […]
