Qualitative assessment of community health workers’ perspective on their motivation in community-based primary health care in rural Malawi
Background: Community Health Workers (CHWs) have a positive impact on the provision of community-based primary health care through screening, treatment, referral, psychosocial support, and accompaniment. With a broad scope of work, CHW programs must balance the breadth and depth of tasks to maintain CHW motivation for high-quality care delivery. Few studies have described the CHW […]
Low immunization coverage in Wonago district, southern Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study
Introduction Immunization is a cost-effective intervention that prevented more than 5 million deaths worldwide from 2010 to 2015. Despite increased vaccination coverage over the past four decades in many African countries, including Ethiopia, universal coverage has not yet been reached. Only 39% of children aged 12–23 months received full vaccinations in Ethiopia, according to the […]
The Burden of Undernutrition and Its Associated Factors Among Children Below 5 Years of Age in Bambao Region, Comoros
Background: Undernutrition remains a major public health problem in low- and middle-income countries and Comoros is no exception. This study aimed to examine the prevalence and identify the risk factors of undernutrition among children under-five years in Bambao region, Comoros. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Bambao region among 837 under-five years and their […]
Impact of monovalent rotavirus vaccine on diarrhoea-associated post-neonatal infant mortality in rural communities in Malawi: a population-based birth cohort study
Background: Rotavirus is a major contributor to child mortality. The effect of rotavirus vaccine on diarrhoea mortality has been estimated in middle-income but not low-income settings, where mortality is high and vaccine effectiveness in reducing admissions to hospital is lower. Empirical population-based mortality studies have not been done in any setting. Malawi introduced monovalent rotavirus […]
Food security reduces multiple HIV infection risks for high-vulnerability adolescent mothers and non-mothers in South Africa: a cross-sectional study
Introduction: Adolescent girls and young women, including adolescent mothers, in Southern Africa have high HIV seroconversion and transmission. We need to know which risks drive HIV infections, and what can reduce these risks. Methods: We interviewed 1712 adolescent girls and young women (11–23 years), including 1024 adolescent mothers who had conceived before age 20 and […]
Tuberculin skin test conversion and primary progressive tuberculosis disease in the first 5 years of life: a birth cohort study from Cape Town, South Africa
Background Tuberculosis is a leading cause of global childhood mortality. However, the epidemiology and burden of tuberculosis in infancy is not well understood. We aimed to investigate tuberculin skin test conversion and tuberculosis in the Drakenstein Child Health study, a South African birth cohort in a community in which tuberculosis incidence is hyperendemic. Methods In […]
Anthropometric failures and its associated factors among preschool-aged children in a rural community in southwest Ethiopia
Background In 2019, 144 million under-five-year-old children were stunted, and 47 million were wasted globally. In Ethiopia, approximately 350,000 children are estimated to die each year. Preschool aged children need focused attention because this age group not only has special needs, but also forms the platform for growth and development of all children. Under nutrition […]
“We have been working overnight without sleeping”: Traditional birth attendants’ practices and perceptions of post-partum care services in rural Tanzania
Background: In many low-income countries, formal post-partum care utilization is much lower than that of skilled delivery and antenatal care. While Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) might play a role in post-partum care, research exploring their attitudes and practices during this period is scarce. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore TBAs’ practices and […]
Prevalence of sexual coercion and its association with unwanted pregnancies among young pregnant females in Kampala, Uganda: A facility based cross-sectional study
Background: Sexual coercion is associated with sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies with consequential unsafe abortions and increased maternal morbidity and mortality. Current literature focuses mainly on its risk factors but less on its resultant deleterious health effects. We conducted a study to determine the prevalence of sexual coercion and its association with unwanted pregnancies […]
Epidemiology and RAPD-PCR typing of thermophilic campylobacters from children under five years and chickens in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania
Background: Campylobacter species are gram negative and flagellated bacteria under the genus Campylobacter, family Campylobacteriaceae. These pathogens cause zoonotic infections among human and animal populations. This study was undertaken between December 2006 and May 2007 to determine prevalence, risk factors and genetic diversity of thermophilic Campylobacter isolates from children less than 5 years and chickens […]
