Home gardening improves dietary diversity, a cluster-randomized controlled trial among Tanzanian women
Homestead food production (HFP) programmes improve the availability of vegetables by providing training in growing nutrient-dense crops. In rural Tanzania, most foods consumed are carbohydrate-rich staples with low micronutrient concentrations. This cluster-randomized controlled trial investigated whether women growing home gardens have higher dietary diversity, household food security or probability of consuming nutrient-rich food groups than […]
Safety, Quality, and Acceptability of Contraceptive Implant Provision by Community Health Extension Workers versus Nurses and Midwives in Two States in Nigeria
Task sharing is a strategy with potential to increase access to effective modern contraceptive methods. This study examines whether community health extension workers (CHEWs) can insert contraceptive implants to the same safety and quality standards as nurse/midwives. We analyze data from 7,691 clients of CHEWs and nurse/midwives who participated in a noninferiority study conducted in […]
A protocol for evaluating a multi-level implementation theory to scale-up obstetric triage in referral hospitals in Ghana
Background: Ghana significantly reduced maternal and newborn mortality between 1990 and 2015, largely through efforts focused on improving access to care. Yet achieving further progress requires improving the quality and timeliness of care. Beginning in 2013, Ghana Health Service and Kybele, a US-based non-governmental organization, developed an innovative obstetric triage system to help midwives assess, […]
Protocol for a randomised trial of early kangaroo mother care compared to standard care on survival of pre-stabilised preterm neonates in the Gambia (eKMC)
Background: Complications of preterm birth cause more than 1 million deaths each year, mostly within the first day after birth (47%) and before full post-natal stabilisation. Kangaroo mother care (KMC), provided as continuous skin-to-skin contact for 18 h per day to fully stabilised neonates ≤ 2000 g, reduces mortality by 36-51% at discharge or term-corrected […]
Undernutrition and associated factors among urban children aged 24-59 months in Northwest Ethiopia: A community based cross sectional study
Background: Globally, in every three preschool children one is affected by malnutrition. In Ethiopia, child undernutrition continues to be a serious public health problem. Data are scarce, especially in 24-59 months age children. We aimed at estimating under nutrition and its associated factors among children 24-59 months age in Aykel Town, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods: A […]
Gestational diabetes mellitus per different diagnostic criteria, risk factors, obstetric outcomes and postpartum glycemia: A prospective study in Ghana
The surge in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) globally requires a health system tailored approach towards prevention, detection and management. We estimated the prevalence of GDM using diverse recommended tests and diagnostic thresholds, and also assessed the risk factors and obstetric outcomes, including postpartum glycemia. Using a prospective cohort design, 446 singleton pregnant women without pre-existing […]
Prevalence and Risk Factors for Periodontal Disease Among Women Attending Antenatal Care in Public Hospitals, Southwest Ethiopia, 2022: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study
Background: Periodontal disease is characterized by the inflammation of all tissues that surround and support the teeth, and it is the most common public health problem worldwide. It has many different contributing factors, such as poor oral hygiene, smoking, anemia, bacterial plaque, poor economic status, and nutritional deficiency. It also causes different feto-maternal complications like […]
Microbiota at multiple body sites during pregnancy in a rural tanzanian population and effects of Moringa-supplemented probiotic yogurt
The nutritional status of pregnant women is vital for healthy outcomes and is a concern for a large proportion of the world’s population. The role of the microbiota in pregnancy and nutrition is a promising new area of study with potential health ramifications. In many African countries, maternal and infant death and morbidity are associated […]
Cost-effectiveness of the non-pneumatic anti-shock garment (NASG): Evidence from a cluster randomized controlled trial in Zambia and Zimbabwe
Background: Obstetric hemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal mortality, particularly in low resource settings where delays in obtaining definitive care contribute to high rates of death. The non-pneumatic anti-shock garment (NASG) first-aid device has been demonstrated to be highly cost-effective when applied at the referral hospital (RH) level. In this analysis we evaluate the […]
Effects of scaling up various community-level interventions on child mortality in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania: a modeling study
Background: Improving child health remains one of the most significant health challenges in sub-Saharan Africa, a region that accounts for half of the global burden of under-five mortality despite having approximately 13% of the world population and 25% of births globally. Improving access to evidence-based community-level interventions has increasingly been advocated to contribute to reducing […]
