The impact of young maternal age at birth on neonatal mortality: Evidence from 45 low and middle income countries
Objectives This study explores the impact of early motherhood on neonatal mortality, and how this differs between countries and regions. It assesses whether the risk of neonatal mortality is greater for younger adolescent mothers compared with mothers in later adolescence, and explores if differences reflect confounding socio-economic and health care utilisation factors. It also examines […]
Estimating mother-to-child HIV transmission rates in Cameroon in 2011: A computer simulation approach
Background: Despite the progress in the Prevention of the Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT), the paediatric HIV epidemic remains worrying in Cameroon. HIV prevalence rate for the population of pregnant women was 7.6 % in 2010 in Cameroon. The extent of the paediatric HIV epidemic is needed to inform policymakers. We developed a stochastic simulation […]
Can community health officer-midwives effectively integrate skilled birth attendance in the community-based health planning and services program in rural Ghana?
Background: The burden of maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa is very high. In Ghana maternal mortality ratio was 380 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2013. Skilled birth attendance has been shown to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity, yet in 2010 only 68 percent of mothers in Ghana gave birth with the assistance of skilled […]
Crude childhood vaccination coverage in West Africa: Trends and predictors of completeness [version 1; Referees: 1 approved, 3 approved with reservations]
Background: Africa has the lowest childhood vaccination coverage worldwide. If the full benefits of childhood vaccination programmes are to be enjoyed in sub-Saharan Africa, all countries need to improve on vaccine delivery to achieve and sustain high coverage. In this paper, we review trends in vaccination coverage, dropouts between vaccine doses and explored the country-specific […]
The use of facilities for labor and delivery: The views of women in rural Uganda
The aim of the paper is to explore factors associated with home or hospital delivery in rural Uganda. Qualitative interviews with recently-delivered women in rural Uganda and statistical analysis of data from the 2011 Ugandan Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) to assess the association between socio-demographic and cultural factors and delivery location in multivariable regression […]
New paradigm old thinking: The case for emergency obstetric care in the prevention of maternal mortality in Nigeria
Background: The continuing burden of maternal mortality, especially in developing countries has prompted a shift in paradigm from the traditional risk assessment approach to the provision of access to emergency obstetric care services for all women who are pregnant. This study assessed the knowledge of maternity unit operatives at the primary and secondary levels of […]
Journey to facility birth in Zanzibar: A questionnaire-based cohort study of patients’ perspectives on preparedness, access and quality of care
Introduction Tackling substandard maternity care in health facilities requires engaging women’s perspectives in strategies to improve outcomes. This study aims to provide insights in the perspectives of women with severe maternal morbidity on preparedness, access and quality of care in Zanzibar’s referral hospital. Methods In a prospective cohort from April 2017 to December 2018, we […]
Geographic access to emergency obstetric services: A model incorporating patient bypassing using data from Mozambique
Introduction Targeted approaches to further reduce maternal mortality require thorough understanding of the geographic barriers that women face when seeking care. Common measures of geographic access do not account for the time needed to reach services, despite substantial evidence that links proximity with greater use of facility services. Further, methods for measuring access often ignore […]
The epidemiology of undernutrition and its determinants in children under five years in Ghana
Background Understanding the burden and contextual risk factors is critical for developing appropriate interventions to control undernutrition. Methods This study used data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey to estimate the prevalence of underweight, stunting, and wasting. Single multiple logistic regressions were used to identify the factors associated with underweight, wasting and stunting. […]
Dietary diversity and related factors among lactating women visiting public health facilities in Aksum town, Tigray, Northern Ethiopia
Background: Dietary diversity is a proxy indicator of maternal nutrient adequacy. However, little is documented on dietary diversity among lactating mothers. Therefore, this study assessed diet diversity and associated factors among lactating mothers visiting public health facilities in Aksum town, Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. Methods: An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted on 346 randomly selected […]
