Longitudinal patterns of the relation between anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder among postpartum women with and without maternal morbidities in Northwest Ethiopia: a cross-lagged autoregressive structural equation modelling
Background: The postpartum period is a time where mothers can undergo significant changes that increase vulnerability for depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. However, the direct and indirect factors of depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and their direction of relationships following childbirth is not well investigated in Ethiopia. The aim of this […]
Factors associated with risk of developmental delay in preschool children in a setting with high rates of malnutrition: A cross-sectional analysis of data from the IHOPE study, Madagascar
Background: 50% of Malagasy children have moderate to severe stunting. In 2016, a new 10 year National Nutrition Action Plan (PNAN III) was initiated to help address stunting and developmental delay. We report factors associated with risk of developmental delay in 3 and 4 year olds in the rural district of Ifanadiana in southeastern Madagascar […]
Determinants and causes of neonatal mortality in jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia: A multilevel analysis of prospective follow up study
Background: Ethiopia is among the countries with the highest neonatal mortality with the rate of 37 deaths per 1000 live births. In spite of many efforts by the government and other partners, non-significant decline has been achieved in the last 15 years. Thus, identifying the determinants and causes are very crucial for policy and program […]
Who benefits from increased service utilisation? Examining the distributional effects of payment for performance in Tanzania
Background: Payment for performance (P4P) strategies, which provide financial incentives to health workers and/or facilities for reaching pre-defined performance targets, can improve healthcare utilisation and quality. P4P may also reduce inequalities in healthcare use and access by enhancing universal access to care, for example, through reducing the financial barriers to accessing care. However, P4P may […]
Economic consequences of caesarean section delivery: evidence from a household survey in Tanzania
Background: Caesarean section (C-section) delivery is an important indicator of access to life-saving essential obstetric care. Yet, there is limited understanding of the costs of utilising C-section delivery care in sub-Saharan Africa. Thus, we estimated the direct and indirect patient cost of accessing C-section in Tanzania. Methods: Cross-sectional survey data of 2012 was used, which […]
Factors associated with non-attendance at scheduled infant follow-up visits in an observational cohort of HIV-exposed infants in South Africa, 2012-2014
BACKGROUND: Since 2001 the South African guidelines to improve child health and prevent vertical HIV transmission recommended frequent infant follow-up with HIV testing at 18 months postpartum. We sought to understand non-attendance at scheduled follow-up study visits up to 18 months, and for the 18-month infant HIV test amongst a nationally representative sample of HIV exposed uninfected […]
Magnitude and Factors Associated with Late Initiation of Antenatal Care Booking on First Visit Among Women in Rural Parts of Ethiopia
Background: Early antenatal care visits enhance early detection and treatment of pregnancy problems, resulting in optimal delivery management. This study aimed to assess the late initiation of antenatal care visits among pregnant women in rural parts of Ethiopia. Methods: A 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey provided the data for this study and a population-based […]
Virological response and resistances over 12 months among HIV-infected children less than two years receiving first-line lopinavir/ritonavir-based antiretroviral therapy in Cote D’Ivoire and Burkina Faso: The MONOD ANRS 12206 cohort
Introduction: Lopinavir/ritonavir-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) is recommended for all HIV-infected children less than three years. However, little is known about its field implementation and effectiveness inWest Africa. We assessed the 12-month response to lopinavir/ritonavir-based antiretroviral therapy in a cohort of West African children treated before the age of two years. Methods: HIV-1-infected, ART-naive except for […]
Cesarean Section Rates and Indications in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Multi-Country Study from Medecins sans Frontieres
Objectives: The World Health Organization considers Cesarean section rates of 5-15% to be the optimal range for targeted provision of this life saving intervention. However, access to safe Cesarean section in resource-limited settings is much lower, estimated at 1-2% reported in sub-Saharan Africa. This study reports Cesarean sections rates and indications in Democratic Republic of […]
Association between mass media use and maternal healthcare service utilisation in malawi
Introduction: Using data from Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (2015–16), in the present study, we aimed to assess the role of exposure to family planning information through various mass media on the utilization of maternal healthcare services. Methods: The sample population included 13,217 women aged 15–49 years with a history of at least one childbirth. […]
