Towards elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Ghana: An analysis of national programme data
Background: Despite global scale up of interventions for Preventing Mother to child HIV Transmissions (PMTCT), there still remain high pediatric HIV infections, which result from unequal access in resource-constrained settings. Sub-Saharan Africa alone contributes more than 90 % of global Mother-to-Child Transmission (MTCT) burden. As part of efforts to address this, African countries (including Ghana) […]
Exploring women’s childbirth experiences and perceptions of delivery care in peri-urban settings in Nairobi, Kenya
Background: Kenya continues to have a high maternal mortality rate that is showing slow progress in improving. Peri-urban settings in Kenya have been reported to exhibit higher rates of maternal death during labor and childbirth as compared to the general Kenyan population. Although research indicates that women in Kenya have increased access to facility-based birth […]
DRIVERS OF ANAEMIA REDUCTION AMONG WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE IN THE EASTERN AND UPPER WEST REGIONS OF GHANA: A SECONDARY DATA ANALYSIS OF THE GHANA DEMOGRAPHIC AND HEALTH SURVEYS
Anaemia among women of reproductive age (WRA) increases the risk of pregnancy-related morbidity, mortality, and poor pregnancy outcomes. Globally, there is growing interest to reduce anaemia among WRA. In Ghana, anaemia among WRA declined at the national level between 2008 (59%) and 2014 (42%). There were also important declines at the sub-national level. The Eastern […]
Spatial analysis of choice of place of delivery in nigeria
Objective: Access to quality healthcare during childbirth is a crucial factor for taming maternal and child mortality and morbidity. Increasing this access in developing countries depends on understanding the factors influencing maternal healthcare decision at a geographical location. This study analyzes spatial pattern in choice of place of delivery in Nigeria. Method: Data analyzed came […]
Innovative approaches to reducing financial barriers to obstetric care in low-income countries
Lack of access to quality care is the main obstacle to reducing maternal mortality in low-income countries, in many settings, women must pay out-of-pocket fees, resulting in delays, some of them fatal, and catastrophic expenditure that push households into poverty. Various innovative approaches have targeted the poor or exempted specific services, such as cesarean deliveries. […]
Liberalising Health-seeking Behaviour of the Johanne Marange Apostolic Sect in Manicaland, Zimbabwe
Religious rights as enshrined in the Zimbabwean constitution are sacrosanct, however, when church doctrine bars followers from seeking modern medical care, they start infringing on health rights especially of the ‘lesser beings’ the women and children who are members of these religious sects. The ‘lesser beings’ are bearing the brunt of high maternal and neonatal […]
Magnitude of maternal near misses and the role of delays in Ethiopia: A hospital based cross-sectional study
Objectives: This study was aimed to assess the magnitude of maternal near misses and the role of delays including other risk factors. A Hospital based cross sectional study was conducted at three referral hospitals of Amhara region on 572 mothers who came to obtain obstetrics care services from February 01 to July 30, 2018. Results: […]
Perceptions of policymakers in Nigeria toward unsafe abortion and maternal mortality
Context: In Nigeria, abortion is permitted only to save the life of awoman.Unsafe abortion is commonand is a major cause of maternal mortality, yet policymakers have done little to address the problem. Methods: In-depth interviewswere conducted in 2008 with 49 Nigerian politicians and officials to assess their awareness of unsafe abortion and its role in […]
Maternal education and diarrhea among children aged 0-24 months in Nigeria
Childhood diarrhea remains a problem in countries like Nigeria where access to potable water, good hygiene and sanitation are lacking. Maternal education is an important determinant of health status of under-five children. Very few studies have investigated the relationship between maternal education and diarrhea in children in Nigeria. Therefore, this study was implemented to fill […]
Maternity waiting areas–serving all women? Barriers and enablers of an equity-oriented maternal health intervention in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, maternal waiting areas (MWAs)–residential areas near health facilities where women can stay while waiting to give birth–are community-based, equity-oriented interventions to improve maternal outcomes among rural populations. In this qualitative study we sought to explore the barriers and enablers that Health Extension Workers (HEWs) encounter when engaging with communities about MWAs. We conducted […]
