Women’s perceptions about abortion in their communities: Perspectives from western Kenya
Unsafe abortion in Kenya is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. In October 2012, we sought to understand the methods married women aged 24-49 and young, unmarried women aged ≤ 20 used to induce abortion, the providers they utilized and the social, economic and cultural norms that influenced women’s access to safe abortion […]
Delays in accessing antenatal care services in a developing nation tertiary health center
Background: Delay in seeking medical care is common and constitutes a major unresolved public health problem. It could contribute immensely to maternal mortality, especially in developing countries, where access and availability of functional health-care facility have remained a challenge. Objective: This study aimed at identifying the forms of delays encountered by pregnant women seeking antenatal […]
Sepsis: Primary indication for peripartum hysterectomies in a South African setting
Background. Peripartum hysterectomies are lifesaving procedures but definitions vary. Indications are variable and dependant on resources and geographical factors. Objectives. To evaluate the incidence, aetiology and complications associated with peripartum hysterectomies in a tertiary hospital in South Africa. Methods. A retrospective audit at an academic referral centre over a 5-year period from February 2009 to […]
Using routine information system data to assess maternal and perinatal care services in Mali and Senegal (QUARITE trial)
Background: In sub-Saharan Africa, problems of access to relevant and high-quality facility-based statistics hinder the assessment of safe motherhood programs. The objective of this study was to assess the quality of data collected in referral hospitals in Mali and Senegal after the routine information system (RIS) was strengthened. Methods: This was a multicenter observational study […]
Maternal mortality decline in Zimbabwe, 2007/2008 to 2018/2019: findings from mortality surveys using civil registration, vital statistics and health system data
Background Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.1 target is to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio (MMR) to less than 70 maternal deaths per 100 000 live births by 2030. In the Ending Preventable Maternal Mortality strategy, a supplementary target was added, that no country has an MMR above 140 by 2030. We conducted two cross-sectional […]
Antenatal care satisfaction in a developing country: A cross-sectional study from Nigeria
Background: Utilization of Antenatal Care (ANC) is very low in Nigeria. Self-reported patient satisfaction may be useful to identify provider- and facility-specific factors that can be improved to increase ANC satisfaction and utilization. Methods: Exit interview data collected from ANC users and facility assessment survey data from 534 systematically selected facilities in four northern Nigerian […]
Implementation of a community transport strategy to reduce delays in seeking obstetric care in rural Mozambique
Introduction: Delays due to long distances to health facilities, poor road infrastructure, and lack of affordable transport options contribute to the burden of maternal deaths in Mozambique. This study aimed to assess the implementation and uptake of an innovative community-based transport program to improve access to emergency obstetric care in southern Mozambique. Methods: From April […]
Methods to measure potential spatial access to delivery care in low- and middle-income countries: A case study in rural Ghana
Background: Access to skilled attendance at childbirth is crucial to reduce maternal and newborn mortality. Several different measures of geographic access are used concurrently in public health research, with the assumption that sophisticated methods are generally better. Most of the evidence for this assumption comes from methodological comparisons in high-income countries. We compare different measures […]
Examining the implementation of the Linda Mama free maternity program in Kenya
Background: In 2013, Kenya introduced a free maternity policy in all public healthcare facilities. In 2016, the Ministry of Health shifted responsibility for the program, now called Linda Mama, to the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) and expanded access beyond public sector. This study aimed to examine the implementation of the Linda Mama program. Methods: […]
Prevalence and associated factors of common childhood illnesses in sub-Saharan Africa from 2010 to 2020: A cross-sectional study
Objective This study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of common childhood illnesses in sub-Saharan Africa. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Sub-Saharan Africa. Participants Under-5 children. Primary outcome Common childhood illnesses. Methods Secondary data analysis was conducted using data from recent Demographic and Health Survey datasets from 33 sub-Saharan African countries. We used the Kids […]
