Overall, anti-malarial, and non-malarial effect of intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine on birthweight: a mediation analysis
Background: Trials of intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp) of malaria in pregnant women that compared dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine with the standard of care, sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, showed dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine was superior at preventing malaria infection, but not at improving birthweight. We aimed to assess whether sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine shows greater non-malarial benefits for birth outcomes than does dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine, and whether dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine shows greater […]
Knowledge of pre-conception health and planned pregnancy among married women in Jinka town, southern Ethiopia and factors influencing knowledge
Background Optimizing women’s health and knowledge of preconception healthcare before conceiving a pregnancy decreases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, preconception health care is one of the missing pillars in the continuum of maternal and child health care in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess knowledge of pre-conception health, its relation to planned […]
Impact of community-based health insurance on health services utilisation among vulnerable households in Amhara region, Ethiopia
Background: Ethiopia piloted community-based health insurance in 2011, and as of 2019, the programme was operating in 770 districts nationwide, covering approximately 7 million households. Enrolment in participating districts reached 50%, holding promise to achieve the goal of Universal Health Coverage in the country. Despite the government’s efforts to expand community-based health insurance to all […]
Prepregnancy and early pregnancy calcium supplementation among women at high risk of pre-eclampsia: a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial
Background: Reducing deaths from hypertensive disorders of pregnancy is a global priority. Low dietary calcium might account for the high prevalence of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia in low-income countries. Calcium supplementation in the second half of pregnancy is known to reduce the serious consequences of pre-eclampsia; however, the effect of calcium supplementation during placentation is not […]
Maternal and child health data quality in health care facilities at the Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana
Background: The demand for quality maternal and child health (MCH) data is critical for tracking progress towards attainment of the Sustainable Development Goal 3. However, MCH cannot be adequately monitored where health data are inaccurate, incomplete, untimely, or inconsistent. Thus, this study assessed the level of MCH data quality. Method: A facility-based cross-sectional study design […]
Under nutrition, maternal anemia and household food insecurity are risk factors of anemia among preschool aged children in Menz Gera Midir district, Eastern Amhara, Ethiopia: A community based cross-sectional study
Background: In Ethiopian, the prevalence of anemia among preschool aged children widely varied across regions. Since anemia adversely affects the cognitive and physical development of the children, it is important to determine its burden for implementing appropriate measurements. Therefore, this study was aimed at determining the anemia prevalence and associated factors among preschool aged children. […]
Risk factors and practices contributing to newborn sepsis in a rural district of Eastern Uganda, August 2013: A cross sectional study
Background: In Uganda, newborn deaths constituted over 38 % of all infant deaths in 2010. Despite different mitigation interventions over years, the newborn mortality rate is high at 27/1,000 and newborn sepsis contributes to 31 % of that mortality. Therefore, improved strategies that contribute to reduction of newborn sepsis need to be developed and implemented. […]
Detecting tuberculosis in pregnant and postpartum women in Eswatini
Background: Tuberculosis diagnosis in pregnancy is complex because tuberculosis symptoms are often masked by physiological symptoms of pregnancy. Untreated tuberculosis in pregnant and postpartum women may lead to maternal morbidity and low birth weight. Tuberculosis in HIV-positive pregnant women increases the risk of maternal and infant mortality. Objective: This study aimed to determine tuberculosis prevalence […]
Integrating HIV, syphilis, malaria and anaemia point-of-care testing (POCT) for antenatal care at dispensaries in western Kenya: Discrete-event simulation modelling of operational impact
Background: Despite WHO advocating for an integrated approach to antenatal care (ANC), testing coverage for conditions other than HIV remains low and women are referred to distant laboratories for testing. Using point-of-care tests (POCTs) at peripheral dispensaries could improve access to testing and timely treatment. However, the effect of providing additional services on nurse workload […]
Iodine status of pregnant women living in urban Johannesburg, South Africa
Adequate intake of iodine is important during pregnancy because of its essential role in foetal growth and neurodevelopment. Data on iodine status of South African pregnant women are scarce, and the salt reduction policy implemented in 2016 may decrease iodine intake of South Africans. This cross-sectional study assessed the iodine status of pregnant women residing […]
