Assessment of Inequalities in Coverage of Essential Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health Interventions in Kenya

Importance: Previous work has underscored subnational inequalities that could impede additional health gains in Kenya. Objective: To provide a comprehensive assessment of the burden, distribution, and change in inequalities in reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (RMNCAH) interventions in Kenya from 2003 to 2014. Design, Setting, and Participants: This population-based cross-sectional study used data […]

Associations between gestational anthropometry, maternal HIV, and fetal and early infancy growth in a prospective rural/semi-rural Tanzanian cohort, 2012-13

Background: Healthcare access and resources differ considerably between urban and rural settings making cross-setting generalizations difficult. In resource-restricted rural/semi-rural environments, identification of feasible screening tools is a priority. The objective of this study was to evaluate gestational anthropometry in relation to birth and infant growth in a rural/semi-rural Tanzanian prospective cohort of mothers and their […]

Willingness to pay for small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements for women and children: Evidence from Ghana and Malawi

Small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) are designed to enrich maternal and child diets with the objective of preventing undernutrition during the first 1,000 days. Scaling up the delivery of supplements such as SQ-LNS hinges on understanding private demand and creatively leveraging policy-relevant factors that might influence demand. We used longitudinal stated willingness-to-pay (WTP) data from contingent […]

Uncovering spatial variation in maternal healthcare service use at subnational level in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia

Background: Analysis of disaggregated national data suggest uneven access to essential maternal healthcare services within countries. This is of concern as it hinders equitable progress in health outcomes. Mounting an effective response requires identification of subnational areas that may be lagging behind. This paper aims to explore spatial variation in maternal healthcare service use at […]

Social vulnerability, parity and food insecurity in urban South African young women: the healthy life trajectories initiative (HeLTI) study

Social vulnerability indices (SVI) can predict communities’ vulnerability and resilience to public health threats such as drought, food insecurity or infectious diseases. Parity has yet to be investigated as an indicator of social vulnerability in young women. We adapted an SVI score, previously used by the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC), and calculated SVI […]

Regional and residential disparities in knowledge of abortion legality and availability of facility-based abortion services in Ethiopia

Objectives: To generate regional, residential, and nationally representative estimates of knowledge of abortion legality and availability among women of reproductive age in Ethiopia, and examine how knowledge varies across regions and by urban/rural residence. Study Design: Our study draws on data from a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey implemented in 2019 in each of Ethiopia’s regional […]

Risk factors for perinatal transmission of HIV among women attending prevention of mother-to-child transmission clinics in Northwest Nigeria

Despite the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT), some HIV-infected women in PMTCT care are at risk of transmitting HIV to their babies. Using a 1:1 unmatched case–control study design, we assessed the risk factors for perinatal transmission among women who received ART for PMTCT in Sokoto […]

The prevalence and predictors of HIV infection among children of mothers who missed prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV interventions in Makurdi, Nigeria

Introduction: In Nigeria, gaps between uptakes of Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) interventions by HIV-infected women continue to exist with its consequent increase in perinatal HIV epidemic. This study aims to determine the predictors and HIV infection rates among infants and children of mothers of PMTCT Gaps in a major Nigerian […]

Provision of Respectful Maternity Care During Labor and Delivery and Associated Factors Among Postnatal Mothers at Jimma University Medical Center, Jimma, South West Ethiopia, 2021

BACKGROUND: The provision of respectful maternity care is an approach to caregiving with the goal of creating an enabling environment at all levels to improve women’s access to safe motherhood and reproductive health services. It should be noted that maternal cares need to be provided with full respect to the client and all around her. […]

From the shadows to light. Perceptions of women and healthcare providers of post-abortion care in Burkina Faso

Despite political commitments to address maternal deaths due to abortion, women and girls in Burkina Faso still face impediments to accessing post-abortion care (PAC) services, including stigma, high costs, and negative patient-provider relationships. Based on a three-year ethnographic study in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (2011–2014), this paper provides an in-depth examination of the experiences and perceptions […]