Women’s perceptions of iron deficiency and anemia prevention and control in eight developing countries
The World Health Organization estimates that 58% of pregnant women in developing countries are anemic. In spite of the fact that most ministries of health in developing countries have policies to provide pregnant women with iron in a supplement form, maternal anemia prevalence has not declined significantly where large-scale programs have been evaluated. During the […]
The association of water carriage, water supply and sanitation usage with maternal and child health. A combined analysis of 49 Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys from 41 countries
Background: Millions of people carry water home from off-plot sources each day and lack improved sanitation. Research on the health outcomes associated with water fetching is limited, and with usage of improved sanitation is inconclusive. Objectives: To analyse the association of water fetching, unimproved water supplies, and usage of improved sanitation facilities with indicators of […]
Embrace intervention to improve the continuum of care in maternal and newborn health in Ghana: The Re-Aim framework-based evaluation
Background Improving maternal and newborn health remains one of the most critical public health challenges, particularly in low- and lower-middle-income countries. To overcome this challenge, interventions to improve the continuum of care based on real-world settings need to be provided. The Ghana Ensure Mothers and Babies Regular Access to Care (Embrace) Implementation Research Team conducted […]
National optimisation of accessibility to emergency obstetrical and neonatal care in Togo: A geospatial analysis
Objectives Improving access to emergency obstetrical and neonatal care (EmONC) is a key strategy for reducing maternal and neonatal mortality. Access is shaped by several factors, including service availability and geographical accessibility. In 2013, the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Togo used service availability and other criteria to designate particular facilities as EmONC facilities, facilitating […]
The quality of antenatal care in rural Tanzania: what is behind the number of visits?
Background: Antenatal care (ANC) provides an important opportunity for pregnant women with a wide range of interventions and is considered as an important basic component of reproductive health care.Methods: In 2008, severe maternal morbidity audit was established at Saint Francis Designated District Hospital (SFDDH), in Kilombero district in Tanzania, to ascertain substandard care and implement […]
The dop system of alcohol distribution is dead, but it’s legacy lives on
Objective: Determine the prevalence of Dop, a system of labor payment via alcoholic beverages, in a South African province, and its influence on maternal drinking and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Methods: Data from studies of FASD epidemiology were analyzed. Results: Forty-two percent to 67% of mothers reported drinking. In 1999, 5% of women reported […]
Maternal death review and surveillance: The case of Central Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria
Background: Despite the adoption of Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) by Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health to track and rectify the causes of maternal mortality, very limited documentation exists on experiences with the method and its outcomes at institutional and policy levels. Objective: The objective of this study was to identify through […]
Patterns and causes of hospital maternal mortality in Tanzania: A 10-year retrospective analysis
Background Maternal mortality is among the most important public health concerns in Sub-Saharan Africa. There is limited data on hospital-based maternal mortality in Tanzania. The objective of this study was to determine the causes and maternal mortality trends in public hospitals of Tanzania from 2006–2015. Methods and findings This retrospective study was conducted between July […]
Women’s perceptions of antenatal, delivery, and postpartum services in rural Tanzania
Background: Maternal health care provision remains a major challenge in developing countries. There is agreement that the provision of quality clinical services is essential if high rates of maternal death are to be reduced. However, despite efforts to improve access to these services, a high number of women in Tanzania do not access them. The […]
Predictors of Maternal Near Miss in Public Hospitals of West Shoa Zone, Central Ethiopia: A Case-Control Study
Background: Maternal mortality reduction remains a priority to ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for mothers and newborns in the new sustainable development goals agenda. There is no evidence-based study done regarding maternal complications and near-miss in the study area. Objectives: This study assessed the predictors of maternal near-miss in public hospitals of West Shoa […]
