Postnatal infection surveillance by telephone in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: An observational cohort study
Introduction Maternal and newborn infections are important causes of mortality but morbidity data from low- and middle-income countries is limited. We used telephone surveillance to estimate infection incidence and risk factors in women and newborns following hospital childbirth in Dar es Salaam. Methods We recruited postnatal women from two tertiary hospitals and conducted telephone interviews […]
Towards achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 3: multilevel analyses of demographic and health survey data on health insurance coverage and maternal healthcare utilisation in sub-Saharan Africa
BACKGROUND: Improving maternal health and achieving universal health coverage (UHC) are important expectations in the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda. While health insurance has been shown as effective in the utilisation of maternal healthcare, there is a paucity of literature on this relationship in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We examined the relationship between health insurance […]
Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy: A new delivery system and its effect on maternal health and pregnancy outcomes in Uganda
Objective: To assess whether traditional birth attendants, drug-shop vendors, community reproductive-health workers, or adolescent peer mobilizers could administer intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp) for malaria with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine to pregnant women. Methods: A non-randomized community trial was implemented in 21 community clusters (intervention) and four clusters where health units provided routine IPTp (control). The primary outcome measures […]
Evaluation of the Direct Health Facility Financing Program in Improving Maternal Health Services in Pangani District, Tanzania
Background: Maternal morbidity and mortality remain significant public health concerns globally, with Tanzania reporting 398 deaths per 100,000 live births annually. While national level data provide some insights into the issue, a focus on sub-national levels is required because of differences in contexts such as rural-urban disparities in maternal mortality. This study examined Direct Health […]
Participating in a Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Intervention Is Not Associated with Less Maternal Time for Care in a Rural Ghanaian District
Background: Nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA) interventions may increase farm-related work for mothers, with consequences for child nutrition. The Nutrition Links (NL) intervention provided mothers with poultry, gardening inputs, technical support, and education to improve livelihoods and child nutrition outcomes in rural Ghana. Objectives: Our objective was to compare time allocated to child care by a cross-section […]
Maternal and Perinatal Outcomes by Mode of Delivery in Senegal and Mali: A Cross-Sectional Epidemiological Survey
Objective: In the context of rapid changes regarding practices related to delivery in Africa, we assessed maternal and perinatal adverse outcomes associated with the mode of delivery in 41 referral hospitals of Mali and Senegal. Study Design: Cross-sectional survey nested in a randomised cluster trial (1/10/2007-1/10/2008). The associations between intended mode of delivery and (i) […]
Mismatched ambition, execution and outcomes: Implementing maternal death surveillance and response system in Mtwara region, Tanzania
Background Since 2015, Tanzania has been implementing the Maternal Death Surveillance and Response (MDSR) system. The system employs interactions of health providers and managers to identify, notify and review maternal deaths and recommend strategies for preventing further deaths. We aimed to analyse perceptions and experiences of health providers and managers in implementing the MDSR system. […]
What price a welcome? Understanding structure agency in the delivery of respectful midwifery care in Uganda
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of research on mothers and midwives’ understanding of the concept of respectful care in the Ugandan public health settings. It focusses on one aspect of respect; namely communication that is perhaps least resource-dependent. The research found endemic levels of disrespect and tries to […]
Self-medication practices of pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in northern ghana: An analytical cross-sectional study
In Ghana, despite the dangers that self-medication poses to maternal and fetal health, there has been limited examination of self-medication among pregnant women. This study examines the practice of self-medication among pregnant women in Wa Municipality, Ghana. An analytical cross-sectional survey of 367 pregnant women was conducted in three health facilities. The prevalence of self-medication […]
Ugandan opinion-leaders’ knowledge and perceptions of unsafe abortion
While laws in Uganda surrounding abortion remain contradictory, a frequent interpretation of the law is that abortion is only allowed to save the woman’s life. Nevertheless abortion occurs frequently under unsafe conditions at a rate of 54 abortions per 1000 women of reproductive age annually, taking a large toll on women’s health. There are an […]
