Geographical Accessibility to District Hospitals/Medical Laboratories for Comprehensive Antenatal Point-of-Care Diagnostic Services in the Upper East Region, Ghana

Background: Access to referral healthcare facilities from primary healthcare (PHC) clinics for diagnostic services is critical for improving maternal health outcomes. We described the geographical distribution and accessibility to district hospitals/medical laboratories for comprehensive antenatal point-of-care (POC) diagnostic services in the Upper East region (UER), Ghana. Methods: We assembled detailed spatial data on 100 participated […]

Perspectives of key stakeholders regarding task shifting of care for HIV patients in Mozambique: A qualitative interview-based study with Ministry of Health leaders, clinicians, and donors

Background: Task shifting is a common strategy to deliver antiretroviral therapy (ART) in resource-limited settings and is safe and effective if implemented appropriately. Consensus among stakeholders is necessary to formulate clear national policies that maintain high-quality care. We sought to understand key stakeholders’ opinions regarding task shifting of HIV care in Mozambique and to characterize […]

Determinants of facility based–deliveries among urban slum dwellers of Kampala, Uganda

Background Delivery in health facilities is a proxy for skilled birth attendance, which is an important intervention to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality. We investigated the determinants of facility based deliveries among women in urban slums of Kampala city, Uganda. Methods A cross sectional study using quantitative methods was used. A total of 420 mothers […]

Impact on postpartum hemorrhage of prophylactic administration of oxytocin 10 IU via Uniject™ by peripheral health care providers at home births: Design of a community-based cluster-randomized trial

Background: Hemorrhage is the leading direct cause of maternal death globally. While oxytocin is the drug of choice for postpartum hemorrhage prevention, its use has generally been limited to health facilities. This trial assesses the effectiveness, safety, and feasibility of expanding the use of prophylactic intramuscular oxytocin to peripheral health care providers at home births […]

Spatial distribution and determinants of acute respiratory infection among under-five children in Ethiopia: Ethiopian demographic Health Survey 2016

Background Childhood acute respiratory infection remains the commonest global cause of morbidity and mortality among under-five children. In Ethiopia, it remains the highest burden of the health care system. The problem varies in space and time, and exploring its spatial distribution has supreme importance for monitoring and designing effective intervention programs. Methods A two stage […]

The dynamic relationship between cash transfers and child health: Can the child support grant in South Africa make a difference to child nutrition?

Objective Cash transfer programmes targeting children are considered an effective strategy for addressing child poverty and for improving child health outcomes in developing countries. In South Africa, the Child Support Grant (CSG) is the largest cash transfer programme targeting children from poor households. The present paper investigates the association of the duration of CSG receipt […]

Community-Based Improvements to Increase Identification of Pregnant Women and Promote Linkages to Antenatal and HIV Care in Mozambique

A Community Health System Strengthening model, which mobilizes communities by applying quality improvement, was used in 39 communities around 3 health centers in Gaza Province, Mozambique, to increase identification of pregnant women and support them to attend antenatal care (ANC). This article describes the process and results. Community group representatives formed a community improvement team […]

User-centered design: Developing the reli delivery system – a low-cost, non-electric, pneumatic infusion pump

Purpose: Infusion pumps are the preferred method for intravenous delivery of drugs and fluids, and an essential tool in health facilities. Their high cost, complexity and reliance on electricity pose serious challenges to wide-spread use, availability and access in low-and middle-income countries. PATH developed the RELI Delivery System (RELI), a low cost, non-electric infusion pump […]

Sowing the seeds of transformative practice to actualize women’s rights to respectful maternity care: Reflections from Kenya using the consolidated framework for implementation research

Background: Despite years of growing concern about poor provider attitudes and women experiencing mistreatment during facility based childbirth, there are limited interventions that specifically focus on addressing these issues. The Heshima project is an evidence-based participatory implementation research study conducted in 13 facilities in Kenya. It engaged a range of community, facility, and policy stakeholders […]

Prevalence and correlates of intimate partner violence, before and during pregnancy among attendees of maternal and child health services, Enugu, Nigeria: mixed method approach, January 2015

Introduction: Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is an under-reported public health problem. This study determined the prevalence of IPV and types of IPV, complications and factors associated with IPV among women accessing health services. Methods: we conducted a cross-sectional survey of 702 women accessing maternal and child health services in Enugu State, Nigeria using multi-stage sampling […]