Examining inequality of opportunity in the use of maternal and reproductive health interventions in Sierra Leone
Background: Poor countries, such as Sierra Leone, often have poor health outcomes, whereby the majority of the population cannot access lifesaving health services. Access to, and use of, maternal and reproductive health services is crucial for human development, especially in developing regions. However, inequality remains a persistent problem for many developing countries. Moreover, we have […]
Unmet need for essential obstetric services in a rural district in northern Ghana: Complications of unsafe abortions remain a major cause of mortality
Aim: The aim of this study was to review 4 years of hospital data on antenatal services, deliveries and maternal deaths as the baseline evaluation for a programme to improve care. Methods: Descriptive analyses were made of data extracted from the monthly returns charts and clinical notes on all maternal deaths from January 2001 to […]
Gendered dimensions of accountability to address health workforce shortages in northern nigeria
Northern Nigeria has some of the worst health indices in sub‑Saharan Africa. Poor health outcomes are the result of multiple factors, including the lack of front-line health workers in rural and hardto- reach areas. In 2012, funded by UK aid and DFID, the Women for Health programme was created to address the issue of gendered […]
Determinants of access to health care among women in East African countries: A multilevel analysis of recent demographic and health surveys from 2008 to 2017
Background: Access to essential health care is one of the major factors associated with maternal mortality. In developing countries, improving women’s access to health care has significantly reduced maternal death. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the determinants of access to health care among women in East African countries based on 2008 to 2017 Demographic […]
Timing and utilization of antenatal care services in Liberia: Understanding the pre-Ebola epidemic context
In Liberia, 75% of those who died from 2014 Ebola epidemic were women and the effects of this gruelling epidemic were more severely felt by pregnant women. This immediately raised fears about the long-term impacts of the epidemic on maternal and child health. As part of a larger study, this paper uses Andersen’s behavioural model […]
Applying a Client-centered Approach to Maternal and Neonatal Networks of Care: Case Studies from Urban and Rural Nigeria
In Nigeria, two maternal and neonatal health Networks of Care (NOC) focus on extending the reach and quality of routine and emergency maternal and neonatal health services tailored to the different contexts. This paper uses the four domains of the NOC framework—Agreements and Enabling Environment, Operational Standards, Quality, Efficiency and Responsibility, and Learning and Adaptation—to […]
Institutional delivery in Ethiopia: Alternative options for improvement
Maternal mortality is a critical healthcare system quality indicator and is measured by the number of maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births. Despite huge achievements towards reducing maternal mortality, the prevalence of maternal death remains unacceptably high in developing countries including Ethiopia. A recent study in Ethiopia reported a maternal mortality ratio of 857/100,000 […]
Are Indigenous research principles incorporated into maternal health research? A scoping review of the global literature
Background: Indigenous women world-wide are diverse and heterogenous, yet many have similar experiences of colonization, land dispossession, and discrimination. These experiences along with inequitable access to, and quality of, maternal healthcare increase adverse maternal health outcomes. To improve health outcomes for Indigenous women, studies must be conducted with Indigenous involvement and reflect Indigenous research principles. […]
Equity in provision and access to obstetric anaesthesia care in Nigeria
Nigeria has a high maternal mortality rate, yet there is wide variation in the proportion of births by caesarean section between zones, states, and cities within Nigeria. This review examines the pattern of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of mitigation measures on women’s health in Nigeria. The combined impact of COVID-19 and conflicts on […]
Caesarean section in Benin and Mali: increased recourse to technology due to suffering and under-resourced facilities: Increased recourse to caesarean sections in Mali and Benin
In line with policies to combat maternal mortality, the medicalization of childbirth is increasing in low-income countries, while access to healthcare services remains difficult for many women. High caesarean section rates have been documented recently in hospitals in Mali and Benin, illustrating an a-priori paradoxical situation, compared with low caesarean section rates in the population. […]
