Determinants of good vitamin A consumption in the 12 East Africa Countries using recent Demographic and health survey
Background Vitamin A one of the important micronutrients that it cannot be made in the human body and must be taken from outside the body through the diet. Ensuring that vitamin A is available in any form in sufficient quantities remains a challenge, especially in regions where access to vitamin A-containing foods and healthcare interventions […]
Effect of a labor triage checklist and ultrasound on obstetric referral at three primary health centers in Eastern Uganda
Objective: To test whether introduction of a midwife-performed triage checklist and focused ultrasound improves diagnosis and referral for obstetric conditions, including multiple gestation, placenta previa, oligohydramnios, preterm birth, malpresentation, and abnormal fetal heart rate. Methods: We implemented an intake log (Phase 1), a checklist (Phase 2), and a checklist plus ultrasound scan (Phase 3) at […]
Use of wind-up fetal Doppler versus Pinard for fetal heart rate intermittent monitoring in labour: A randomised clinical trial
Objectives: In resource-poor settings, the standard of care to inform labour management is the partograph plus Pinard stethoscope for intermittent fetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring. We compared FHR monitoring in labour using a novel, robust wind-up handheld Doppler with the Pinard as a primary screening tool for abnormal FHR on perinatal outcomes. Design: Prospective equally […]
It does matter where you come from: Mothers’ experiences of childbirth in midwife obstetric units, Tshwane, South Africa
Background: Health professionals are striving to improve respectful care for women, but they fall short in the domains of effective communication, respectful and dignified care and emotional support during labour. This study aimed to determine women’s experiences of childbirth with a view to improving respectful clinical care practices in low-risk, midwife-led obstetric units in the […]
Increasing coverage and decreasing inequity in insecticide-treated bed net use among rural Kenyan children
Background: Inexpensive and efficacious interventions that avert childhood deaths in sub-Saharan Africa have failed to reach effective coverage, especially among the poorest rural sectors. One particular example is insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs). In this study, we present repeat observations of ITN coverage among rural Kenyan homesteads exposed at different times to a range of delivery […]
The REFANI-S study protocol: A non-randomised cluster controlled trial to assess the role of an unconditional cash transfer, a non-food item kit, and free piped water in reducing the risk of acute malnutrition among children aged 6-59 months living in camps for internally displaced persons in the Afgooye corridor, Somalia
Background: The prevalence of acute malnutrition is often high in emergency-affected populations and is associated with elevated mortality risk and long-term health consequences. Increasingly, cash transfer programmes (CTP) are used instead of direct food aid as a nutritional intervention, but there is sparse evidence on their nutritional impact. We aim to understand whether CTP reduces […]
Sexual and reproductive health of CDC plantation camp residents: a focus on unmet need for family planning among women in union
Background: Sexual and reproductive health is crucial to a normal and healthy female life. However, little interest has been placed on this subject particularly in the resource-limited settings of Cameroon. The study assessed the sexual and reproductive health of women in union, resident in the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) plantation camps, Cameroon. Methods: This was […]
Time to initiation of antenatal care and its predictors among pregnant women in Ethiopia: Cox-gamma shared frailty model
Background Timely initiating antenatal care (ANC) is crucial in the countries that have high maternal morbidity and mortality. However, in developing countries including Ethiopia, pregnant mother’s time to initiate antenatal care was not well-studied. Therefore, this study aimed to assess time to first ANC and its predictors among pregnant women in Ethiopia. Methods A community-based […]
Women’s Perspectives on Influencers to the Utilisation of Skilled Delivery Care: An Explorative Qualitative Study in North West Ethiopia
Skilled attendance at birth is widely regarded as an effective intervention to reduce maternal and early neonatal morbidity and mortality. However, many women in Ethiopia still deliver without skilled assistance. This study was carried out to identify factors that influenced or motivated women to give birth in a health facility in their previous, current, and […]
Neonatal care practice and factors affecting in Southwest Ethiopia: A mixed methods study
Background: A significant proportion of neonatal mortality can be prevented by the provision of the minimum neonatal care package. However, about 3 million neonates die each year globally because of lack of appropriate care. This situation is the worst in Ethiopia. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the status of neonatal care […]
