Progress towards onchocerciasis elimination in côte d’ivoire: A geospatial modelling study
Background Côte d’Ivoire has had 45 years of intervention for onchocerciasis by vector control (from 1975 to 1991), ivermectin mass drug administration (MDA) (from 1992 to 1994) and community directed treatment with ivermectin (CDTi) from 1995 to the present. We modeled oncho-cerciasis endemicity during two time periods that correspond to the scale up of vector […]
Effect of a baby-friendly workplace support intervention on exclusive breastfeeding in Kenya
Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) during the first 6 months of life is crucial for optimizing child growth, development and survival, as well as the mother’s wellbeing. Mother’s employment may hinder optimal breastfeeding, especially in the first 6 months. We assessed the effectiveness of a baby-friendly workplace support intervention on EBF in Kenya. This pre-post intervention study […]
Household Contact Tracing With Intensified Tuberculosis and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Screening in South Africa: A Cluster-Randomized Trial
BACKGROUND: Household contact tracing for tuberculosis (TB) may facilitate diagnosis and access to TB preventive treatment (TPT). We investigated whether household contact tracing and intensive TB/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening would improve TB-free survival. METHODS: Household contacts of index TB patients in 2 South African provinces were randomized to home tracing and intensive HIV/TB screening […]
Study protocol: Incentives for increased access to comprehensive family planning for urban youth using a benefits card in Uganda. A quasi-experimental study
Background: The use of contraception is one of the most cost-effective public health interventions and has the potential to prevent about 30% of maternal and 10% of child deaths in developing countries. Voucher-based initiatives for family planning are an effective and viable means of increasing contraceptive use. In this paper, we present a protocol for […]
Designing mHealth for maternity services in primary health facilities in a low-income setting – Lessons from a partially successful implementation 08 Information and Computing Sciences 0806 Information Systems
Background: Increasing mobile phone ownership, functionality and access to mobile-broad band internet services has triggered growing interest to harness the potential of mobile phone technology to improve health services in low-income settings. The present project aimed at designing an mHealth system that assists midlevel health workers to provide better maternal health care services by automating […]
Treating village newcomers and travelers for trachoma: Results from ASANTE cluster randomized trial
Trial design Trachoma is targeted for global elimination. Infection rates with Chlamydia trachomatis are higher in new arrivals to a community and in travelers who leave for extended periods, suggesting they are sources of re-infection. This community-randomized, clinical trial was designed to determine if a surveillance program that targeted newcomers and travelers, identified weekly, would […]
Using participatory action research to improve immunization utilization in areas with pockets of unimmunized children in Nigeria
Background: In 2005, Nigeria adopted the Reaching Every Ward strategy to improve vaccination coverage for children 0–23 months of age. By 2015, Ogun state had full coverage (100%) in 12 of its 20 local government areas, but eight had pockets of unimmunized children, with the highest burden (37%) in Remo North. A participatory action research (PAR) […]
Taking stock: Protocol for evaluating a family planning supply chain intervention in Senegal
Background: In Senegal, only 12 % of women of reproductive age in union (WRAU) were using contraceptives and another 29 % had an unmet need for contraceptives in 2010-11. One potential barrier to accessing contraceptives is the lack of stock availability in health facilities where women seek them. Multiple supply chain interventions have been piloted […]
Evaluating the effectiveness of a combined approach to improve utilization of adolescent sexual reproductive health services in Kenya: A quasi-experimental design study protocol
Background: Access to and utilization of adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) services remains poor. ASRH services in Kenya are primarily offered in health facilities and include counselling, information, and services on family planning, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV and basic life skills. The Ministry of Education also provides age-appropriate sexual and reproductive health information […]
A mobile cesarean birth center as a solution to improve access to surgical birth in rural Ethiopia: a mixed methods research protocol
Background: As an evidence-based intervention to prevent maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality, cesarean birth at rates of under 2%, which is the case in rural Southwest Ethiopia, is an unacceptable public health problem and represents an important disparity in the use of this life-saving treatment compared to more developed regions. The objective of this […]
