Spoiled breast milk and bad water; Local understandings of diarrhea causes and prevention in rural Sierra Leone
Abstract. Background: Globally, diarrhea remains a leading killer of young children. In Sierra Leone, one in seven children die before their fifth birthday and diarrhea is a leading cause. Studies that emphasize the demand-side of health interventions – how caregivers understand causation and prevention of diarrhea – have been neglected in research and programming. Methods. […]
Between the city and the farm: Food environments in artisanal mining communities in Upper Guinea
Objective: Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is a widespread livelihood in low- and middle-income countries; however, many in ASM communities face high levels of poverty and malnutrition. The food environments in ASM communities have non-agricultural rural characteristics that differ from those in urban and agricultural rural areas examined in much existing food environment literature. Design: […]
Factors associated with the use of mosquito bed nets: Results from two cross-sectional household surveys in Zambézia Province, Mozambique
Background: Malaria remains a major threat to some 3.2 billion persons globally. Malaria contributes heavily to the overall disease burden in Mozambique and is considered endemic. A cornerstone of Mozambique’s vector control strategy has been to strive for universal coverage of insecticide-treated nets (ITN). Methods: The study is a population-based cross-sectional survey of female heads-of-household […]
Understanding the factors affecting the humanitarian health and nutrition response for women and children in Somalia since 2000: A case study
Background: Somalia has been ravaged by more than two decades of armed conflict causing immense damage to the country’s infrastructure and mass displacement and suffering among its people. An influx of humanitarian actors has sought to provide basic services, including health services for women and children, throughout the conflict. This study aimed to better understand […]
Community social capital on the timing of sexual debut and teen birth in Nicaragua: A multilevel approach
Background: Community attributes have been gradually recognized as critical determinants shaping sexual behaviors in young population; nevertheless, most of the published studies were conducted in high income countries. The study aims to examine the association between community social capital with the time to sexual onset and to first birth in Central America. Methods: Building upon […]
Demographic characteristics of women that use traditional birth attendants in Bongo District, Ghana
INTRODUCTION Over the last decade, the government of Ghana has implemented several interventions aimed at increasing access to skilled birth-care services from trained professionals. Despite these efforts, there is a wide gap between antenatal care attendance and skilled delivery attendance, particularly in rural areas. Evidence shows that many women in rural and deprived communities in […]
Introducing payment for performance in the health sector of Tanzania- the policy process
Background: Prompted by the need to achieve progress in health outcomes, payment for performance (P4P) schemes are becoming popular policy options in the health systems in many low income countries. This paper describes the policy process behind the introduction of a payment for performance scheme in the health sector of Tanzania illuminating in particular the […]
Experiences and Perceptions of Telephone-delivery of the Common Elements Treatment Approach for Mental Health Needs Among Young People in Zambia During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Background: Mental and behavioral health needs are immense in low-to-middle income countries (LMIC), particularly for adolescents and young adults (AYA). However, access to mental health services is limited in LMIC due to barriers such as distance to a health care site, low number of providers, and other structural and logistical challenges. During the COVID-19 pandemic, […]
Determinants of incomplete childhood immunization among children aged 12–23 months in Dabat district, Northwest Ethiopia: Unmatched case- control study
Background Despite the effort to increase access to routine immunization, majority of children in low-resource countries including Ethiopia are still either unvaccinated or under-vaccinated. In Ethiopia for the past four decades, the completion rate of routine childhood immunization remains low particularly in a rural area. In this study setting, evidence regarding the socioeconomic, maternal continuum […]
Creating a Global Legal and Policy Database and Document Repository: Challenges and Lessons Learned From the World Health Organization Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Policy Survey
The World Health Organization (WHO) has collected information on policies on sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (SRMNCAH) over many years. Creating a global survey that works for every country context is a well-recognized challenge. A comprehensive SRMNCAH policy survey was conducted by WHO from August 2018 through May 2019. WHO regional and […]
