Utilization of preconception care and associated factors among reproductive age group women in Debre Birhan town, North Shewa, Ethiopia
Background: Preconception care refers to things women can do before and between pregnancies to increase the chance of having a healthy baby and being a healthy mother. Unfortunately, millions of women in the world do not have access to pre-pregnancy, pregnancy health services and childbirth with suitable quality. Therefore, addressing this significant gap and coming […]
Factors associated with timely antenatal care booking among pregnant women in remote area of bule hora district, Southern Ethiopia
Background: Antenatal care (ANC) is one of the most cost-effective and crucial compo-nents of maternal health care services. In developing countries where access to care, empowerment, and decision making power of women is low, ANC service is vital. The time at which first ANC visit was done has the utmost importance to ensure optimal health […]
An Analysis of Pregnancy-Related Mortality in the KEMRI/CDC Health and Demographic Surveillance System in Western Kenya
Background:Pregnancy-related (PR) deaths are often a result of direct obstetric complications occurring at childbirth.Methods and Findings:To estimate the burden of and characterize risk factors for PR mortality, we evaluated deaths that occurred between 2003 and 2008 among women of childbearing age (15 to 49 years) using Health and Demographic Surveillance System data in rural western […]
Variation in competent and respectful delivery care in Kenya and Malawi: a retrospective analysis of national facility surveys
Objective: Although substantial progress has been made in increasing access to care during childbirth, reductions in maternal and neonatal mortality have been slower. Poor-quality care may be to blame. In this study, we measure the quality of labour and delivery services in Kenya and Malawi using data from observations of deliveries and explore factors associated […]
Prevalence and correlates of anemia among children aged 6-23 months in Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia
Background Anemia, the world’s most common micro-nutrient deficiency disorder, can affect a person at any time and at all stages of life. Though all members of the community may face the problem, children aged 6-23 months are particularly at higher risk. If left untreated, it adversely affects the health, cognitive development, school achievement, and work […]
Four delays of child mortality in Rwanda: A mixed methods analysis of verbal social autopsies
Objectives We sought to understand healthcare-seeking patterns and delays in obtaining effective treatment for rural Rwandan children aged 1-5 years by analysing verbal and social autopsies (VSA). Factors in the home, related to transport and to quality of care in the formal health sector (FHS) were thought to contribute to delays. Design We collected quantitative […]
Health management information system (HMIS) data verification: A case study in four districts in Rwanda
Introduction Reliable Health Management and Information System (HMIS) data can be used with minimal cost to identify areas for improvement and to measure impact of healthcare delivery. However, variable HMIS data quality in low- and middle-income countries limits its value in monitoring, evaluation and research. We aimed to review the quality of Rwandan HMIS data […]
Quality of maternity care and its determinants along the continuum in Kenya: A structural equation modeling analysis
Background: Improving access to delivery services does not guarantee access to quality obstetric care and better survival, and therefore, concerns for quality of maternal and newborn care in low-and middle-income countries have been raised. Our study explored characteristics associated with the quality of initial assessment, intrapartum, and immediate postpartum and newborn care, and further assessed […]
Progression of the epidemiological transition in a rural South African setting: findings from population surveillance in Agincourt, 1993-2013
Background: Virtually all low- and middle-income countries are undergoing an epidemiological transition whose progression is more varied than experienced in high-income countries. Observed changes in mortality and disease patterns reveal that the transition in most low- and middle-income countries is characterized by reversals, partial changes and the simultaneous occurrence of different types of diseases of […]
User fee exemption policies in Mali: Sustainability jeopardized by the malfunctioning of the health system
In Mali, where rates of attendance at healthcare facilities remain far below what is needed, three user fee exemption policies were instituted to promote access to care. These related to HIV/AIDS treatment, as of 2004, caesarean sections, since 2005, and treatment of malaria in children under five and pregnant women, since 2007. Our qualitative study […]
