Acceptability and perceived facilitators and barriers to the usability of biometric registration among infants and children in Manhiça district, Mozambique: A qualitative study
In low-and middle-income countries, many infants and children remain unregistered in both civil registration and healthcare records, limiting their access to essential rights-based services, including healthcare. A novel biometric registration prototype, applying a non-touch platform using smart phones and tablets to capture physical characteristics of infants and children for electronic registration, was tested in rural […]
Prevalence and associated factors of Tunga penetrans infestation among 5-14-year-olds in rural Ethiopia
Background Tunga penetrans, also known as sand flea, causes Tungiasis in humans and animals. Despite its notoriety as an entomological problem, however, the ectoparasite receives little consideration from public health professionals. It is against this background that this article aims to assess the prevalence of and factors associated with Tunga penetrans infestation among 5-14-year-olds in […]
Does a pay-for-performance health service model improve overall and rural–urban inequity in vaccination rates? A difference-in-differences analysis from the Gambia
Objective: To assess whether the implementation of a results-based financing (RBF) project in The Gambia resulted in (1) improved national vaccination coverage (2) higher coverage in intervention than non-intervention areas, and (3) improvement in rural–urban coverage inequality. Methods: The study used a difference-in-differences design, based on repeated cross-sectional data from The Gambian Demographic and Health […]
Vulnerability and agency across treatment-seeking journeys for acutely ill children: How family members navigate complex healthcare before, during and after hospitalisation in a rural Kenyan setting
Background: Child mortality rates during hospitalisation for acute illness and after discharge are unacceptably high in many under-resourced settings. Childhood vulnerability to recurrent illness, and death, is linked to their families’ situations and ability to make choices and act (their agency). We examined vulnerability and agency across treatment-seeking journeys for acutely ill children and considered […]
Does public service motivation matter in Moroccan public hospitals? A multiple embedded case study
Background: The motivation of health workers is a key concern of policy makers, practitioners and researchers. Public Service Motivation (PSM), defined as the altruistic desire to serve the common interest, to serve others and to help patients and their families regardless of financial or external rewards, has been shown to be key to the performance […]
Appropriateness and affordability of prescriptions to diabetic patients attending a tertiary hospital in Eastern Uganda: A retrospective cross-sectional study
Background Irrational prescription of drugs can lead to high cost of treatment thus limiting access to essential medicines. We assessed the affordability and appropriateness of prescriptions written for diabetic patients in Eastern Uganda. Methods We collected secondary data from the health management information system registers of patients who attended the outpatient medical clinic at Mbale […]
Pooled prevalence and associated factors of diarrhea among under-five years children in East Africa: A multilevel logistic regression analysis
Background Worldwide, diarrhea is the second most common cause of death and morbidity among under-five years’ children. In sub-saran Africa, access to water, sanitation, and hygiene are very scanty and the burden of diarrhea diseases is countless relative to the rest of the world. Prior studies conducted in East Africa vary in design, sample size, […]
Moving toward patient-centered care in Africa: A discrete choice experiment of preferences for delivery care among 3,003 Tanzanian women
Objective: In order to develop patient-centered care we need to know what patients want and how changing socio-demographic factors shape their preferences. Methods: We fielded a structured questionnaire that included a discrete choice experiment to investigate women’s preferences for place of delivery care in four rural districts of Pwani Region, Tanzania. The discrete choice experiment […]
Iron status of Kenyan pregnant women after adjusting for inflammation using brinda regression analysis and other correction methods
Serum ferritin concentration is the preferred biomarker to assess population iron status in the absence of inflammation. Interpretation of this biomarker is complicated in populations with a high burden of infection, however, because inflammation increases serum ferritin concentration independently of iron status. We aimed to compare estimates of iron status of Kenyan pregnant women, with […]
The association between travel time to health facilities and childhood vaccine coverage in rural Ethiopia. A community based cross sectional study
Background: Few studies have examined associations between access to health care and childhood vaccine coverage in remote communities that lack motorised transport. This study assessed whether travel time to health facilities was associated with childhood vaccine coverage in a remote area of Ethiopia. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using data from 775 children aged […]
