Exploring inequalities in access to and use of maternal health services in South Africa
Background: South Africas maternal mortality rate (625 deaths/100,000 live births) is high for a middle-income country, although over 90% of pregnant women utilize maternal health services. Alongside HIV/AIDS, barriers to Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric Care currently impede the countrys Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) of reducing child mortality and improving maternal health. While health system barriers to […]
Geographic Access and Maternal Health Services Utilization in Sélingué Health District, Mali
Introduction: Maternal mortality is one of the main causes of death for women of childbearing age in Mali, and improving this outcome is slow, even in regions with relatively good geographic access to care. Disparities in maternal health services utilization can constitute a major obstacle in the reduction of maternal mortality in Mali and indicates a […]
Information and communication technologies and access to maternal and child health information: Implications for sustainable development
Maternal and child mortality pose a great challenge in developing nations notwithstanding the robust initiatives instituted at both the global and national levels to ameliorate it. This study is aimed at ascertaining women’s perception of the impact of information and communication technologies on access to maternal and child health information and its implication on sustainable […]
Seasonal variation in geographical access to maternal health services in regions of southern Mozambique
Background: Geographic proximity to health facilities is a known determinant of access to maternal care. Methods of quantifying geographical access to care have largely ignored the impact of precipitation and flooding. Further, travel has largely been imagined as unimodal where one transport mode is used for entire journeys to seek care. This study proposes a […]
Disparities in mobile phone access and maternal health service utilization in Nigeria: A population-based survey
Background: Mobile communication technologies may reduce maternal health disparities related to cost, distance, and infrastructure. However, the ability of mHealth initiatives to accelerate maternal health goals requires in part that women with the greatest health needs have access to mobile phones. Objective: This study examined if women with limited mobile phone access have differential odds […]
Maternal Influences on Access to and Use of Infant ARVs and HIV Health Services in Uganda
Vertical transmission of HIV is responsible for about 14 % of new HIV cases reported each year in sub-Saharan Africa. Barriers that prevent women from accessing and using antiretroviral medications (ARVs) for themselves and their infants perpetuate the epidemic. To identify influences on access to and use of infant HIV health services, specifically nevirapine administration, we […]
Access factors linked to maternal deaths in Lundazi district, Eastern Province of Zambia: A case control study analysing maternal death reviews
Background: Access factors associated with maternal death are important to understand because they are considered to be an essential measure of women’s health and indicative of the performance of health care systems in any community globally. This study aimed to analyse the access risk factors linked to maternal deaths in Lundazi district of the Eastern […]
The Demand and Supply Side Determinants of Access to Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Services in Malawi
Objectives In order to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes, it is important to understand how to maximise the utilisation of MNCH services. The supply side (service-driven) factors affecting access to MNCH services are more commonly studied and are better understood than the demand side (community led) factors. The aim of this study was to identify […]
Determinants of access to and use of maternal health care services in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: A quantitative and qualitative investigation
Background: The main aim of the study is to examine whether women in Mdantsane are accessing and using maternal health care services. Accessibility of maternal health care facilities is important in ensuring that lives are saved through the provision and use of essential maternal services. Therefore, access to these health care services directly translates to […]
