“Generally the young mom suffers much:” Socio-cultural influences of maternal capabilities and nutrition care in Uganda
Abstract: We conducted 40 in-depth interviews and eight focus groups among mothers and fathers (n = 91) of diverse ages in western Uganda to define the relevant domains of maternal capabilities and their relationship to infant and young child feeding practices. This study was directed by a developing theory of maternal capabilities that posits that the impact […]
A hospital-based birth defects surveillance system in Kampala, Uganda
Background: In 2010, the World Health Assembly passed a resolution calling upon countries to prevent birth defects where possible. Though birth defects surveillance programs are an important source of information to guide implementation and evaluation of preventive interventions, many countries that shoulder the largest burden of birth defects do not have surveillance programs. This paper […]
Implications of power imbalance in antenatal care seeking among pregnant adolescents in rural Tanzania: A qualitative study
Background Adolescent girls (10–19 years) are at increased risk of morbidity and mortality from pregnancy and childbirth complications, compared with older mothers. Low and middle-income countries, including Tanzania, bear the largest proportion of adolescent perinatal deaths. Few adolescent girls in Tanzania access antenatal care at health facilities, the reasons for which are poorly understood. Methods […]
Women’s knowledge towards neonatal danger signs and its associated factors in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Introduction: Reducing neonatal mortality is an essential part of the third Sustainable Development Goal, to end preventable child deaths. Neonatal danger signs are the most common cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity. In Ethiopia, most babies are born at home or are discharged from the health institutions in the first 24 h, as a result […]
The high burden of infant deaths in rural Burkina Faso: A prospective community-based cohort study
Background: Infant mortality rates (IMR) remain high in many sub-Saharan African countries, especially in rural settings where access to health services may be limited. Studies in such communities can provide relevant data on the burden of and risk factors for infant death. We measured IMR and explored risk factors for infant death in a cohort […]
Healthcare access and quality of birth care: Narratives of women living with obstetric fistula in rural Tanzania
Background: Increasing births with skilled attendants and increasing health facilities with Emergency Obstetric Care (EmOC) can reduce maternal mortality and are considered critical interventions for ensuring safe motherhood. Despite Tanzania’s policy to support women to give birth with the assistance of skilled personnel, some women do not access this care. This article uses women’s stories […]
Factors influencing women’s access to the maternity waiting home in rural Southwest Ethiopia: A qualitative exploration
Background: Maternity Waiting Homes (MWHs) have been advocated to improve the utilization of skilled birth attendants. Nevertheless, delivery attended by skilled personnel is low in Ethiopia and may indicate that the utilization of MWH is also low. The aim of this study is to explore the factors influencing women’s access to the MWHs in rural […]
Exploring Congolese refugees’ experiences with abortion care in Uganda: a multi-methods qualitative study
Uganda hosts 1.4 million refugees and conflict-affected people. Widely regarded as the best place in Africa to be a refugee, Uganda’s policies encourage self-sufficiency and local integration. However, abortion is legally restricted and recent studies suggest that displaced women and girls have persistent unmet sexual and reproductive health needs. In 2017, we conducted a multi-methods […]
Emergency transportation interventions for reducing adverse pregnancy outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review protocol
BACKGROUND: Transportation interventions seek to decrease delay in reaching a health facility for emergency obstetric care and are, thus, believed to contribute to reductions in such adverse pregnancy and childbirth outcomes as maternal deaths, stillbirths, and neonatal mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, there is limited empirical evidence to support this hypothesis. The […]
Cultural factors contributing to maternal mortality rate in rural villages of limpopo province, south africa
Introduction: The understanding of the link between cultural affairs and maternal health is critical to save the lives of women. The South African maternal mortality rate (MMR) target for 2015 was 38/100,000 live births. In 2017, South Africa had 1,222 maternal deaths. The purpose was to determine the perceived cultural factors contributing to MMR in […]
