Innate Lymphoid Cell Activation and Sustained Depletion in Blood and Tissue of Children Infected with HIV from Birth Despite Antiretroviral Therapy
Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are important for response to infection and for immune development in early life. HIV infection in adults depletes circulating ILCs, but the impact on children infected from birth remains unknown. We study vertically HIV-infected children from birth to adulthood and find severe and persistent depletion of all circulating ILCs that, unlike […]
Community health volunteers challenges and preferred income generating activities for sustainability: a qualitative case study of rural Kilifi, Kenya
BACKGROUND: There is a global emphasis on engaging community health volunteers (CHVs) in low- to middle-income countries (LMICs) to reach to the vast underserved populations that live in rural areas. Retention of CHVs in most countries has however been difficult and turnover in many settings has been reported to be high with profound negative effects […]
Influence of travel time and distance to the hospital of care on stillbirths: A retrospective facility-based cross-sectional study in Lagos, Nigeria
Introduction Access to emergency obstetric care can lead to a 45%-75% reduction in stillbirths. However, before a pregnant woman can access this care, she needs to travel to a health facility. Our objective in this study was to assess the influence of distance and travel time to the actual hospital of care on stillbirth. Methods […]
Does public service motivation matter in Moroccan public hospitals? A multiple embedded case study
Background: The motivation of health workers is a key concern of policy makers, practitioners and researchers. Public Service Motivation (PSM), defined as the altruistic desire to serve the common interest, to serve others and to help patients and their families regardless of financial or external rewards, has been shown to be key to the performance […]
Access and barriers to measures targeted to prevent malaria in pregnancy in rural Kenya
Objectives: To evaluate barriers preventing pregnant women from using insecticide-treated nets (ITN) and intermittent presumptive treatment (IPT) with sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) 5 years after the launch of the national malaria strategy promoting these measures in Kenya. Methods: All women aged 15-49 years were interviewed during a community survey in four districts between December 2006 and January […]
Collective reflections on the first cycle of a collaborative learning platform to strengthen rural primary healthcare in Mpumalanga, South Africa
Background: Frontline managers and health service providers are constrained in many contexts from responding to community priorities due to organizational cultures focused on centrally defined outputs and targets. This paper presents an evaluation of the Verbal Autopsy with Participatory Action Research (VAPAR) programme—a collaborative learning platform embedded in the local health system in Mpumalanga, South […]
Companionship during facility-based childbirth: Results from a mixed-methods study with recently delivered women and providers in Kenya
Background: Research suggests that birth companionship, and in particular, continuous support during labor and delivery, can improve women’s childbirth experience and birth outcomes. Yet, little is known about the extent to which birth companionship is practiced, as well as women and providers’ perceptions of it in low-resource settings. This study aimed to assess the prevalence […]
Experiences of homeless women on maternity health service utilization and associated challenge in Aksum town, Northern Ethiopia
Background: Homeless women are a highly vulnerable group for risks of pregnancy and childbirth-related complications. They may also face multiple challenges to access and utilize maternity healthcare services. This study was aimed to explore the experience of homeless women on maternity healthcare service utilization and associated challenges in Aksum Town, Northern Ethiopia. Methods: An exploratory […]
Factors associated with catastrophic health expenditure in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review
Objective A non-negligible proportion of sub-Saharan African (SSA) households experience catastrophic costs accessing healthcare. This study aimed to systematically review the existing evidence to identify factors associated with catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) incidence in the region. Methods We searched PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, CNKI, Africa Journal Online, SciELO, PsycINFO, and Web of Science, and supplemented these […]
Barriers and facilitators in the provision of post-abortion care at district level in central Uganda – A qualitative study focusing on task sharing between physicians and midwives
Background: Abortion is restricted in Uganda, and poor access to contraceptive methods result in unwanted pregnancies. This leaves women no other choice than unsafe abortion, thus placing a great burden on the Ugandan health system and making unsafe abortion one of the major contributors to maternal mortality and morbidity in Uganda. The existing sexual and […]
