Assessing socioeconomic inequalities in the reduction of child stunting in sub-Saharan Africa
Aim: Health and nutrition in early childhood are essential for survival, growth and adult life outcomes. As such, a number of global and national interventions have been pursued to improve early childhood health and nutrition. However, child malnutrition is pervasive and endemic across the sub Saharan Africa. This paper therefore assesses the nature and trends […]
Induced abortion in Papua-New Guinea: Experience and opinions of health professionals
Background: Papua-New Guinea (PNG) has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world; complications due to unsafe abortion are an important cause. Abortion laws are restrictive, and safe, induced abortions are unavailable to the majority of women, while unsafe abortions are known to be practised throughout the country. The topic of abortion is […]
Pregnant women living in areas of endemic fluorosis in Senegal and low birthweight newborns: Case-control study
Background: In developing countries, maternal and neonatal mortality is high. Among the causes of death during the neonatal period, low birth weight is crucial. A dose of fluoride beyond 2. mg/L causes enamel damage, possibly affecting the fetus. The aim of this study was to search for an association between dental fluorosis in the mother […]
Postnatal Care Experiences and Barriers to Care Utilization for Home- and Facility-Delivered Newborns in Uganda and Zambia
Objectives The objective of this study was to examine experiences with, and barriers to, accessing postnatal care services, in the context of a maternal health initiative. Methods As part of a larger evaluation of an initiative to promote facility deliveries in 8 rural districts in Uganda and Zambia, 48 focus groups were held with recently-delivered […]
Contraceptive Implant Discontinuation in Huambo and Luanda, Angola: A Qualitative Exploration of Motives
Introduction The Government of Angola is engaged in ongoing efforts to increase access to contraceptives, in particular contraceptive implants (CIs). Discontinuation of CIs, however, has been identified as being a challenge to this work, hindering the improvement of contraceptive prevalence, and in turn, maternal and child health. The objective of this study was to understand […]
The incidence of abortion in Nigeria
CONTEXT: Because of Nigeria’s low contraceptive prevalence, a substantial number of women have unintended pregnancies, many of which are resolved through clandestine abortion, despite the country’s restrictive abortion law. Up-to-date estimates of abortion incidence are needed. METHODS: A widely used indirect methodology was used to estimate the incidence of abortion and unintended pregnancy in Nigeria […]
Impact of COVID-19 on utilization of maternal, newborn and child health services in Nigeria: Protocol for a country-level mixed-methods study
Background: Battling with COVID-19 and providing essential services along the continuum of care could be challenging. This study will evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on utilization of maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) services in Nigeria and explore the barriers being experienced by women and their families in getting access to MNCH services, as well […]
Disparities in pregnancy-related deaths: Spatial and Bayesian network analyses of maternal mortality ratio in 54 African countries
Background Maternal mortality remains a public health problem despite several global efforts. Globally, about 830 women die of pregnancy-related death per day, with more than two-third of these cases occurring in Africa. We examined the spatial distribution of maternal mortality in Africa and explored the influence of SDoH on the spatial distribution. Methods We used […]
Determinants of maternal healthcare utilisation among pregnant women in Southern Ethiopia: a multi-level analysis
Background: Despite efforts to make maternal health care services available in rural Ethiopia, utilisation status remains low. Therefore, this study aimed to assess maternal health care services’ status and determinants in rural Ethiopia. Methods: The study used quasi-experimental pre- and post-comparison baseline data. A pretested, semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. A multilevel, […]
Theory-driven process evaluation of the SHINE trial using a program impact pathway approach
Two reasons for the lack of success of programs or interventions are poor alignment of interventions with the causes of the problem targeted by the intervention, leading to poor efficacy (theory failure), and failure to implement interventions as designed (program failure). These failures are important for both public health programs and randomized trials. In the […]
