Factors affecting uptake of optimal doses of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine for intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy in six districts of Tanzania
Background: Intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy (IPTp) with optimal doses (two+) of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) protects pregnant women from malaria-related adverse outcomes. This study assesses the extent and predictors of uptake of optimal doses of IPTp-SP in six districts of Tanzania. Methods. The data come from a cross-sectional survey of random households conducted in six districts […]
Antenatal-care knowledge among women of reproductive age group in Ido Ekiti, Nigeria
BACKGROUND: Maternal mortality plagues much of the low- and low-middle-income countries. There were 303,000 maternal deaths in 2015, representing an overall global maternal mortality ratio of 216 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. 99% of all maternal deaths occur in developing countries. The knowledge of antenatal care is an important factor affecting maternal mortality rates. […]
Opportunities and challenges in implementing community based skilled birth attendance strategy in Kenya
Background: Availability of skilled care at birth remains a major problem in most developing countries. In an effort to increase access to skilled birth attendance, the Kenyan government implemented the community midwifery programme in 2005. The aim of this programme was to increase women’s access to skilled care during pregnancy, childbirth and post-partum within their […]
Progress in the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV in three regions of Tanzania: A retrospective analysis
Background: Mother to child transmission (MTCT) of HIV-1 remains an important problem in sub-Saharan Africa where most new pediatric HIV-1 infections occur. Early infant diagnosis of HIV-1 using dried blood spot (DBS) PCR among exposed infants provides an opportunity to assess current MTCT rates. Methods: We conducted a retrospective data analysis on mother-infant pairs from […]
Early postnatal care use by postpartum mothers in Mundri East County, South Sudan
Background: Globally, most maternal and newborn deaths are within the first week of delivery. Early postnatal-care (EPNC) visits between 2 and 7 days detects early morbidity and averts deaths. However, there is scarcity of information on use of EPNC in Mundri East County, South Sudan. This study investigated factors associated with EPNC use among postpartum […]
Association of Higher Educational Attainment on Antenatal Care Utilization Among Pregnant Women in East Africa Using Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) from 2010 to 2018: A Multilevel Analysis
Introduction: The use of antenatal care (ANC) plays a major role in minimizing maternal and child mortality through effective and appropriate screening, preventive, or treatment intervention. Even though almost all pregnancy-related mortalities are largely preventable through adequate use of ANC, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), particularly East African Countries, continues to share the largest share of global […]
Research priorities in maternal and neonatal health in Africa: Results using the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative method involving over 900 experts across the continent
Background: Africa will miss the maternal and neonatal health (MNH) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets if the current trajectory is followed. The African Academy of Sciences has formed an expert maternal and newborn health group to discuss actions to improve MNH SDG targets. The team, among other recommendations, chose to implement an MNH research prioritization […]
Malaria in pregnancy control and pregnancy outcomes: a decade’s overview using Ghana’s DHIMS II data
Background: Malaria in pregnancy control interventions have been implemented through antenatal care services for more than 2 decades in Ghana. The uptake of these interventions has seen steady improvement over the years. This has occurred within the context of decreasing global trends of malaria infection confirmed by decreasing malaria in pregnancy prevalence in Ghana. However, […]
Potential cost-effectiveness of prenatal distribution of misoprostol for prevention of postpartum hemorrhage in Uganda
Background: In settings where home birth rates are high, prenatal distribution of misoprostol has been advocated as a strategy to increase access to uterotonics during the third stage of labor to prevent postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). Our objective was to project the potential costeffectiveness of this strategy in Uganda from both governmental (the relevant payer) and […]
The role of Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILCs) in improving community-level household wealth, financial preparedness for birth, and utilization of reproductive health services in rural Zambia: a secondary analysis
Background: Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILCs) are a type of informal microfinance mechanism widely adapted in Zambia. The benefits of SILCs paired with other interventions have been studied in many countries. However, limited studies have examined SILCs in the context of maternal health. This study examined the association between having access to SILCs and: […]
