Adherence to prenatal iron-folic acid supplementation in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC): A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Daily iron-folic acid supplementation reduces anemia and various adverse obstetric outcomes such as preterm delivery, low birthweight, hemorrhage, and perinatal and maternal morbidity and mortality. However, its supplementation has not been successful that attributed to several determinants including poor adherence. Therefore, we aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis on the prevalence and […]

Attendance at antenatal clinics in inner-city Johannesburg, South Africa and its associations with birth outcomes: Analysis of data from birth registers at three facilities

Background: Antenatal care (ANC) clinics serve as key gateways to screening and treatment interventions that improve pregnancy outcomes, and are especially important for HIV-infected women. By disaggregating data on access to ANC, we aimed to identify variation in ANC attendance by level of care and across vulnerable groups in inner-city Johannesburg, and document the impact […]

Improving emergency obstetric referral systems in low and middle income countries: A qualitative study in a tertiary health facility in Ghana

Background: Timely access to emergency obstetric care is crucial in preventing mortalities associated with pregnancy and childbirth. The referral of patients from lower levels of care to higher levels has been identified as an integral component of the health care delivery system in Ghana. To this effect, in 2012, the National Referral Policy and Guidelines […]

Text messaging for maternal and infant retention in prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission services: A pragmatic steppedwedge cluster-randomized trial in Kenya

Background: Timely diagnosis of infant HIV infection is essential for antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation. In a randomized controlled trial, we found the Texting Improves Testing (TextIT) intervention (a theory-based text messaging system) to be efficacious for improving infant HIV testing rates and maternal retention in prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) programs. Using an implementation […]

Prevalence, predictors of low birth weight and its association with maternal iron status using serum ferritin concentration in rural Eastern Ethiopia: a prospective cohort study

Introduction: Low birth weight (LBW) is one of the major predictors of perinatal survival, infant morbidity, and mortality, as well as the risk of developmental disabilities and illnesses in future lives. The effect of the nutritional status of pregnant women on birth outcomes is becoming a common research agenda, but evidence on the level of […]

Decomposing socio-economic inequalities in antenatal care utilisation in 12 Southern African Development Community countries

Although many countries are making progress towards achieving the global sustainable development goals, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) lags behind. SSA bears a relatively higher burden of maternal morbidity and mortality than other regions despite existing cost-effective interventions. This paper assesses antenatal care (ANC) service utilisation among women in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, one […]

‘People have started to deliver in the facility these days’: A qualitative exploration of factors affecting facility delivery in Ethiopia

Objectives To understand the recent rise in facility deliveries in Ethiopia. Design A qualitative study. Setting Four rural communities in two regions of Ethiopia. Participants 12 narrative, 12 in-depth interviews and four focus group discussions with recently delivered women; and four focus group discussions with each of grandmothers, fathers and community health workers. Results We […]

Adequacy of antenatal care services utilisation and its effect on anaemia in pregnancy

Anaemia in pregnancy remains a critical public health concern in many countries including Ghana and it poses severe consequences in the short to long-term for women and their unborn babies. Although antenatal care (ANC) is largely provided for pregnant women, the extent its utilisation protects against anaemia in pregnancy remains largely understudied. The study assessed […]

A Short Message Service (SMS) increases postpartum care-seeking behavior and uptake of family planning of mothers in peri-urban public facilities in Kenya

Background It is estimated that one third of maternal deaths in Kenya in 2014 could have been prevented by more timely care-seeking. Mobile health interventions are increasingly being recognized as tools for the delivery of health education and promotion. Many maternal deaths occur in the first few weeks after delivery and mothers who are given […]

Implementation fidelity of nutritional counselling, iron and folic acid supplementation guidelines and associated challenges in rural Uasin Gishu County Kenya

Background: Implementation fidelity which is defined as the degree to which programmes are implemented as intended is one of the factors that affect programme outcome, thus requiring careful examination. This study aims to acquire insight into the degree to which nutritional counselling and Iron and Folic Acid supplementation (IFAs) policy guidelines during pregnancy have been […]