Socio-economic and demographic determinants of female genital mutilation in sub-Saharan Africa: analysis of data from demographic and health surveys
Background: Owing to the severe repercussions associated with female genital mutilation (FGM) and its illicit status in many countries, the WHO, human rights organisations and governments of most sub-Saharan African countries have garnered concerted efforts to end the practice. This study examined the socioeconomic and demographic factors associated with FGM among women and their daughters in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). […]
Improving the quality of antenatal care using mobile health in madagascar: Five-year cross-sectional study
Background: Despite many efforts, maternal mortality remains a major burden in most developing countries. Mobile health (mHealth) has the potential to improve access to obstetric care through apps that help patients and providers. Objective: This study aimed to use mHealth to provide antenatal care (ANC) to 1446 pregnant women in a rural area in Madagascar […]
Mother’s nutrition-related knowledge and child nutrition outcomes: Empirical evidence from Nigeria
Background Nutrition outcomes among young children in Nigeria are among the worse globally. Mother’s limited knowledge about food choices, feeding, and health care seeking practices contributes significantly to negative nutrition outcomes for children in most developing countries. Much less is known about the relationship between mother’s nutrition-related knowledge and child nutritional outcomes in rural Nigeria. […]
The role and attributes of social networks in the provision of support to women after stillbirth: experiences from Uganda
Introduction: Communities exert stigma on mothers after stillbirth despite their potential to offer social support to the grieving family. Maternal healthcare-seeking behaviors are socially reinforced rendering a social network approach vital in understanding support dynamics which when utilized can improve community response to mothers experiencing stillbirth. However, the form and direction of social support for […]
The Health Extension Program and its association with change in utilization of selected maternal health services in tigray region, Ethiopia: A segmented linear regression analysis
Background: In 2003, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health established the Health Extension Program (HEP), with the goal of improving access to health care and health promotion activities in rural areas of the country. This paper aims to assess the association of the HEP with improved utilization of maternal health services in Northern Ethiopia using institution-based […]
Early childhood anemia in a birth cohort in coastal Kenya: Links to infection and nutrition
Anemia is known to impact a child’s growth and development, but not all anemias are caused by iron deficiency, and theCDCandWHOhave emphasized investigating other contributors to anemia. This cross-sectional substudy of a 2012-2016 maternal-child cohort in coastal Kenya evaluated 244 children and found 185 (76%) to have been anemic on at least one time point […]
Power dynamics as a determinant of access and utilization of nutrition services by pregnant and lactating adolescent girls in Trans-Mara East Sub-County, Narok County, Kenya
Background: During pregnancy or lactating, adequate nutrition for adolescents becomes critical to reduce risks for both child and maternal-related morbidity and mortality. Power dynamics play a massive role in health outcomes. The main objective of this study was to examine the power dynamics in the families and communities and their impact on the pregnant and […]
Factors hindering health care delivery in nomadic communities: a cross-sectional study in Timbuktu, Mali
Background: In Mali, nomadic populations are spread over one third of the territory. Their lifestyle, characterized by constant mobility, excludes them from, or at best places them at the edge of, health delivery services. This study aimed to describe nomadic populations’ characteristics, determine their perception on the current health services, and identify issues associated with […]
Equity in newborn care, evidence from national surveys in low- and middle-income countries
Background: High coverage of care is essential to improving newborn survival; however, gaps exist in access to timely and appropriate newborn care between and within countries. In high mortality burden settings, health inequities due to social and economic factors may also impact on newborn outcomes. This study aimed to examine equity in co-coverage of newborn care interventions […]
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Option B+ for HIV Prevention and Treatment of Mothers and Children in Malawi
Background: The Ministry of Health in Malawi is implementing a pragmatic and innovative approach for the management of all HIV-infected pregnant women, termed Option B+, which consists of providing life-long antiretroviral treatment, regardless of their CD4 count or clinical stage. Our objective was to determine if Option B+ represents a cost-effective option. Methods: A decision […]