The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare access and utilisation in South Sudan: a cross-sectional mixed methods study
Background: Indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on communities in fragile and conflict-affected settings may be severe due to reduced access and use of healthcare, as happened during the 2015 Ebola Virus Disease outbreak. Achieving a balance between short-term emergency response and addressing long-term health needs is particularly challenging in fragile and conflict-affected settings such […]
Physical activity and exercise during pregnancy in Africa: a review of the literature
Background: Pregnancy is an important phase in a woman’s life, with health status at this stage affecting both the woman and her child’s life. Global evidence suggests that many women engage in low levels of physical activity (PA) and exercise during pregnancy despite its beneficial effects. This is particularly the case in Africa. Methods: This […]
‘People have started to deliver in the facility these days’: A qualitative exploration of factors affecting facility delivery in Ethiopia
Objectives To understand the recent rise in facility deliveries in Ethiopia. Design A qualitative study. Setting Four rural communities in two regions of Ethiopia. Participants 12 narrative, 12 in-depth interviews and four focus group discussions with recently delivered women; and four focus group discussions with each of grandmothers, fathers and community health workers. Results We […]
Average Time Spent in Referral Process and its Determinants Among Clients of Maternal and Child Health Service in 2 Districts of Jimma Zone, Ethiopia
Background: The time spent between referring and receiving health facilities is an important determinant of the outcome of the referred patients/clients especially among women in low-income countries due to poor access to early and appropriate referrals. Thus, the aim of this study is to assess the average time spent between referring and service utilization at […]
Maternal mental health priorities, help-seeking behaviors, and resources in post-conflict settings: A qualitative study in eastern Uganda
Background: Limited knowledge exists to inform the selection and introduction of locally relevant, feasible, and effective mental health interventions in diverse socio-cultural contexts and health systems. We examined stakeholders’ perspectives on mental health-related priorities, help-seeking behaviors, and existing resources to guide the development of a maternal mental health component for integration into non-specialized care in […]
Traditional birth attendants (TBAs) as potential agents in promoting male involvement in maternity preparedness: Insights from a rural community in Uganda
Background: Since the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, male involvement in reproductive health issues has been advocated as a means to improve maternal and child health outcomes, but to date, health providers have failed to achieve successful male involvement in pregnancy care especially in rural and remote areas where majority of the underserved […]
Time-critical conditions: Assessment of burden and access to care using verbal autopsy in Agincourt, South Africa
Background Time-critical conditions (TCC) are estimated to cause substantial mortality in low and middle-income countries. However, quantification of deaths and identification of contributing factors to those deaths are challenging in settings with poor health records. Aim To use verbal autopsy (VA) data from the Agincourt health and sociodemographic surveillance system in rural South Africa to […]
Community views on short birth interval in Northern Uganda: a participatory grounded theory
Background: Short birth interval is associated with adverse perinatal, maternal, and infant outcomes, although evidence on actionable factors underlying short birth interval remains limited. We explored women and community views on short birth intervals to inform potential solutions to promote a culturally safe child spacing in Northern Uganda. Methods: Gendered fuzzy cognitive mapping sessions (n […]
A qualitative study of women’s network social support and facility delivery in rural Ghana
Similar to many sub-Saharan African countries, maternal mortality in Ghana ranks among the highest (39 th ) globally. Prior research has demonstrated the impact of social network characteristics on health facility delivery in sub-Saharan Africa. However, in-depth examination of the function of all members in a woman’s network, in providing various types of support for […]
Case review of perinatal deaths at hospitals in Kigali, Rwanda: Perinatal audit with application of a three-delays analysis
Background: Perinatal audit and the three-delays model are increasingly being employed to analyse barriers to perinatal health, at both community and facility level. Using these approaches, our aim was to assess factors that could contribute to perinatal mortality and potentially avoidable deaths at Rwandan hospitals. Methods: Perinatal audits were carried out at two main urban […]
