Scaling-up access to antiretroviral therapy for children: A cohort study evaluating care and treatment at mobile and hospital-affiliated HIV clinics in rural Zambia
Background: Travel time and distance are barriers to care for HIV-infected children in rural sub-Saharan Africa. Decentralization of care is one strategy to scale-up access to antiretroviral therapy (ART), but few programs have been evaluated. We compared outcomes for children receiving care in mobile and hospital-affiliated HIV clinics in rural Zambia. Methods: Outcomes were measured […]
Effects of lipid-based nutrient supplements and infant and young child feeding counseling with or without improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) on anemia and micronutrient status: Results from 2 cluster-randomized trials in Kenya and Bangladesh
Background Anemia in young children is a global health problem. Risk factors include poor nutrient intake and poor water quality, sanitation, or hygiene. Objective We evaluated the effects of water quality, sanitation, handwashing, and nutrition interventions on micronutrient status and anemia among children in rural Kenya and Bangladesh. Design We nested substudies within 2 cluster-randomized […]
Tranexamic acid for the prevention of postpartum bleeding in women with anaemia: Study protocol for an international, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Background: Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is responsible for about 100,000 maternal deaths every year, most of which occur in low- and middle-income countries. Tranexamic acid (TXA) reduces bleeding by inhibiting the enzymatic breakdown of fibrin blood clots. TXA decreases blood loss in surgery and reduces death due to bleeding after trauma. When given within 3 h […]
Responding to policy makers’ evaluation needs: Combining experimental and quasi-experimental approaches to estimate the impact of performance based financing in Burkina Faso
Background: The last two decades have seen a growing recognition of the need to expand the impact evaluation toolbox from an exclusive focus on randomized controlled trials to including quasi-experimental approaches. This appears to be particularly relevant when evaluation complex health interventions embedded in real-life settings often characterized by multiple research interests, limited researcher control, […]
TSH Mediated the Effect of Iodized Salt on Child Cognition in a Randomized Clinical Trial
Objectives: This study examines the hormonal mediators of the effect of iodized salt in pregnancy on child cognition. Methods: Sixty districts across 6 zones in the Amhara region of Ethiopia were randomly allocated to a control or intervention arm of early market access to iodized salt. Twenty-two villages per arm were randomly selected for this […]
The impact of a multi-level maternal health programme on facility delivery and capacity for emergency obstetric care in Zambia
In 2012, Saving Mothers, Giving Life (SMGL), a multi-level health systems initiative, launched in Kalomo District, Zambia, to address persistent challenges in reducing maternal mortality. We assessed the impact of the programme from 2012 to 2013 using a quasi-experimental study with both household- and health facility-level data collected before and after implementation in both intervention […]
Effectiveness of a training intervention in increasing the use of misoprostol in postabortion care in Malawi: A quasi-experimental study
Objectives The study was conducted to determine effectiveness of a training intervention in increasing use of misoprostol in management of incomplete abortions. Design A quasi-experimental study with training intervention on use of misoprostol in treatment of incomplete abortion. Setting Five secondary-level public hospitals in Malawi, one in urban and four in semiurban settings. Three intervention […]
Exposure to family planning messages and contraceptive use among women of reproductive age in sub-Saharan Africa: a cross-sectional program impact evaluation study
Many women of reproductive age in sub Saharan Africa are not utilizing any contraceptive method which is contributing to the high burden of maternal mortality. This study determined the prevalence, trends, and the impact of exposure to family planning messages (FPM) on contraceptive use (CU) among women of reproductive age in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We […]
Multivariate decomposition of trends, inequalities and predictors of skilled birth attendants utilisation in Nigeria (1990-2018): a cross-sectional analysis of change drivers
Objectives Literature has assessed skilled birth attendants (SBAs) utilisation, but little is known about what contributes to the changes in SBA use. Multivariate decomposition analysis was thus applied in this study to examine; levels, trends, inequalities and drivers of changes in SBA utilisation. Design and setting A cross-sectional analysis of five-waves of NDHS-data (1990, 2003, […]
Effectiveness of interventions to reduce household air pollution from solid biomass fuels and improve maternal and child health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review protocol
Background: A variety of public health interventions have been undertaken in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to prevent morbidity and mortality associated with household air pollution (HAP) due to cooking, heating and lighting with solid biomass fuels. Pregnant women and children under five are particularly vulnerable to the effects of HAP, due to biological susceptibility […]
