Prevalence, progress, and social inequalities of home deliveries in Ghana from 2006 to 2018: insights from the multiple indicator cluster surveys
Background: Delivery in unsafe and unsupervised conditions is common in developing countries including Ghana. Over the years, the Government of Ghana has attempted to improve maternal and child healthcare services including the reduction of home deliveries through programs such as fee waiver for delivery in 2003, abolishment of delivery care cost in 2005, and the […]
Early infant feeding practices in three African countries: The PROMISE-EBF trial promoting exclusive breastfeeding by peer counsellors
Background: Immediate and exclusive initiation of breastfeeding after delivery has been associated with better neonatal survival and child health and are recommended by the WHO. We report its impact on early infant feeding practices from the PROMISE-EBF trial. Methods: PROMISE-EBF was a cluster randomised behaviour change intervention trial of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) promotion by peer […]
Health disparities across the counties of Kenya and implications for policy makers, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016
Background: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2016 provided comprehensive estimates of health loss globally. Decision makers in Kenya can use GBD subnational data to target health interventions and address county-level variation in the burden of disease. Methods: We used GBD 2016 estimates of life expectancy at birth, healthy life […]
The magnitude and associated factors of immediate postpartum anemia among women who gave birth in east Gojjam zone hospitals, northwest- Ethiopia, 2020
Background Globally around half a million maternal death occurred annually related to labor and delivery of which twenty percent is contributed by post-partum anemia. Postpartum anemia contributes about two percent of total maternal mortality in Ethiopia. Immediate postpartum anemia is a common public health problem in most parts of the globe, being frequent in low […]
Prevalence and risk factors of malaria and anaemia and the impact of preventive methods among pregnant women: A case study at the Akatsi South District in Ghana
Aim This study aimed to ascertain the prevalence and risk factors of malaria and anaemia as well as the impact of preventive methods among pregnant women at the Akatsi South District Hospital of Ghana. Subjects and methods A hospital based cross-sectional study using simple random sampling technique was conducted among 200 pregnant women receiving antenatal […]
Determinants of wasting among children aged 6-59 months in North-East Ethiopia: a community-based case-control study
Objective Childhood acute malnutrition, in the form of wasting defined by Weight-for-Height Z-Scores, is a major public health concern. It is one of the main reasons for the death of children in developing countries like Ethiopia. Accordingly, this study aimed to assess determinants of wasting among children aged 6-59 months in Meket district, North Wollo […]
Frequent refresher training on newborn resuscitation and potential impact on perinatal outcome over time in a rural Tanzanian hospital: An observational study
Objectives Globally, perinatal mortality remains high, especially in sub-Saharan countries, mainly because of inadequate obstetric and newborn care. Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) resuscitation training as part of a continuous quality improvement (CQI) programme may improve outcomes. The aim of this study was to describe observed changes in perinatal survival during a 6-year period, while adjusting […]
Perceptions and experiences of pregnant women about routine HIV testing and counselling in Ghimbi town, Ethiopia: A qualitative study
Background: Ethiopia has implemented routine HIV testing and counselling using a provider initiated HIV testing (‘opt-out’ approach) to achieve high coverage of testing and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. However, women’s perceptions and experiences with this approach have not been well studied. We conducted a qualitative study to explore pregnant women’s perceptions and experiences […]
Rationale, design and protocol of a cross-sectional study on pregnancy-related cardiovascular diseases in Tanzania (PRECARDT): Burden, characterisation and prognostic significance at delivery
Introduction The paucity of data describing cardiovascular disease (CVD) in pregnancy in many parts of Africa including Tanzania has given rise to challenges in proper management by the healthcare providers. This study is set out to (1) determine the prevalence of a range of CVDs during pregnancy in women attending antenatal clinics in Tanzania and […]
The care, stimulation and nutrition of children from 0-2 in Malawi—Perspectives from caregivers; “Who’s holding the baby?”
Introduction Universal access to quality early childhood development and care is a fundamental part of Sustainable Development Goal 4.2.1. Research from diverse settings, including that in low and middle income countries, now demonstrates the positive impact that interventions to promote play, stimulation, early communication and responsiveness can have, not just on child development, but on […]
