Unmet need for family planning and associated factors among currently married women of reproductive age in Bishoftu town, Eastern Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Unmet family planning is one of the common causes for low contraceptive prevalence rates in developing countries, including Ethiopia. Rapid urbanization had profound effect on population health, however, little is known about the unmet need of family planning in settings where there was increased industrializations and internal migrations in Ethiopia. This study aims to […]

How Zambia reduced inequalities in under-five mortality rates over the last two decades: a mixed-methods study

Background: Zambia experienced a major decline in under-five mortality rates (U5MR), with one of the fastest declines in socio-economic disparities in sub-Saharan Africa in the last two decades. We aimed to understand the extent to which, and how, Zambia has reduced socio-economic inequalities in U5MR since 2000. Methods: Using nationally-representative data from Zambia Demographic Health […]

Trends of inequalities in childhood immunization coverage among children aged 12-23 months in Kenya, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire

Background: Immunization is one of the most cost-effective health intervention to halt the spread of childhood diseases, and improve child health. Yet, there is a substantial disparity in childhood immunization coverage. The overall objective of the study is to investigate the trends of within-country inequalities in childhood immunization coverage among children aged 12-23 months in […]

Working with what you have: How the East Africa Preterm Birth Initiative used gestational age data from facility maternity registers

Objective Preterm birth is the primary driver of neonatal mortality worldwide, but it is defined by gestational age (GA) which is challenging to accurately assess in low-resource settings. In a commitment to reducing preterm birth while reinforcing and strengthening facility data sources, the East Africa Preterm Birth Initiative (PTBi-EA) chose eligibility criteria that combined GA […]

Antiretroviral therapy use during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes in South African women

Background: Studies of antiretroviral therapy (ART) use during pregnancy in HIVinfected women have suggested that ART exposure may be associated with adverse birth outcomes. However, there are few data from sub-Saharan Africa where HIV is most common, and few studies involving the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) recommended first-line regimens. Methods: We enrolled consecutive HIV-infected pregnant […]

‘We allwork together to vaccinate the child’: A formative evaluation of a community-engagement strategy aimed at closing the immunization gap in North-West Ethiopia

The role of community engagement (CE) in improving demand for immunization merits investigation. The International Rescue Committee developed a CE strategy to implement a vaccine defaulter-tracing tool and a color-coded health calendar aimed at increasing uptake of immunization services in north-west Ethiopia (‘The Fifth Child Project’). We report findings from a formative evaluation of this […]

Pregnancy outcomes among women receiving RVSVΔ-Zebov-GP Ebola vaccine during the Sierra Leone trial to introduce a vaccine against Ebola

Little information exists regarding Ebola vaccine rVSVΔGZEBOV-GP and pregnancy. The Sierra Leone Trial to Introduce a Vaccine against Ebola (STRIVE) randomized participants without blinding to immediate or deferred (18-24 weeks postenrollment) vaccination. Pregnancy was an exclusion criterion, but 84 women were inadvertently vaccinated in early pregnancy or became pregnant 18 years of age) healthcare and […]

Provider and user acceptability of intermittent screening and treatment for the control of malaria in pregnancy in Malawi

Background: Malaria in pregnancy is a major cause of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) is one of the control strategies promoted by WHO. In response to mounting resistance to SP, intermittent screening and treatment (ISTp) has been proposed as an alternative. The objective of this study was to explore […]

Factors influencing full immunization coverage among 12-23 months of age children in Ethiopia: Evidence from the national demographic and health survey in 2011

Background: Immunization remains one of the most important public health interventions to reduce child morbidity and mortality. The 2011 national demographic and health survey (DHS) indicated low full immunization coverage among children aged 12-23 months in Ethiopia. Factors contributing to the low coverage of immunization have been poorly understood. The aim of this study was […]

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