Situation analysis for delivering integrated comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services for displaced population of Kasaï, Democratic Republic of Congo: Protocol for a mixed method study
Introduction Delivering integrated sexual and reproductive health services (SRHS) in emergencies is important in order to save lives of the most vulnerable as well as to combat poverty, reduce inequities and social injustice. More than 60% of preventable maternal deaths occur in conflict areas and especially among the internally displaced persons (IDP). Between 2016 and […]
Doctors’ experiences providing sexual and reproductive health care at Catholic Hospitals in the conflict-affected North-West region of Cameroon: a qualitative study
Background: Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care services are essential to improving the lives of women and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. In Cameroon, the Catholic Church is one the largest non-governmental suppliers of health care, but its role in providing SRH care is restricted by religious norms. Methods: This study explored doctors’ experiences and […]
Prevalence of anxiety and post-traumatic stress (PTS) among the parents of babies admitted to neonatal units: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background: Parents of babies admitted to neonatal units (NNU) are exposed to a range of potentially distressing experiences, which can lead to mental health symptoms such as increased anxiety and post-traumatic stress (PTS). This review aimed to describe how anxiety and PTS are defined and assessed, and to estimate anxiety and PTS prevalence among parents […]
A qualitative study on perceptions of surgical careers in Rwanda: A gender-based approach
Access to surgical care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remains deficient without an adequate workforce. There is limited understanding of the gender gap in surgical trainees in LMICs. In Rwanda, females fill only one of 20 positions available. Understanding surgeons’ experiences and perceptions of surgical careers may help facilitate support for females to contribute […]
Depression during pregnancy and the postpartum among HIV-infected women on antiretroviral therapy in Uganda
Background: Among HIV-infected women, perinatal depression compromises clinical, maternal, and child health outcomes. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is associated with lower depression symptom severity but the uniformity of effect through pregnancy and postpartum periods is unknown. Uganda is an important setting in which to investigate depression over perinatal periods given a total fertility rate of 6.2 […]
Thresholds of socio-economic and environmental conditions necessary to escape from childhood malnutrition: A natural experiment in rural Gambia
Background: Childhood malnutrition remains highly prevalent in low-income countries, and a 40% reduction in under-5 year stunting is WHO’s top Global Target 2025. Disappointingly, meta-analyses of intensive nutrition interventions reveal that they generally have low efficacy at improving growth. Unhygienic environments also contribute to growth failure, but large WASH Benefits and SHINE trials of improved […]
Men care too: a qualitative study examining women’s perceptions of fathers’ engagement in early childhood development (ECD) during an ECD program for HIV-positive mothers in Malawi
Objectives Integrated early childhood development (ECD) and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) interventions rarely target fathers, a missed opportunity given existing research demonstrating that father involvement improves maternal and child outcomes. We aimed to explore mother’s perceptions of fathers’ buy-in to an integrated PMTCT-ECD programme, any impact the programme had on couple dynamics, and perceived […]
Towards a deeper understanding of male involvement in the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV in the Bogodogo District of the Central Region of Burkina Faso
Introduction Men can play crucial roles at each stage of HIV mother-to-child-transmission (MTCT) prevention. Low male involvement in preventative MTCT (PMTCT) in Burkina Faso is partially associated with increased MTCT rates in the country. Male involvement is at the intersection of individual experiences, social locations, organizational and systemic forces. It is crucial that PMTCT interventions […]
“From experts to locals hands” healthcare service planning in sub-Saharan Africa: an insight from the integrated community case management of Ghana
Background: Although community participation remains an essential component globally in healthcare service planning, evidence of how rural communities participate in the planning of rural-based healthcare programs has less been explored in Sub-Saharan Africa. Objective: We explored communities’ participation in health care planning in hard-to-reach communities, within the context of Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM), a […]
Disrespect and abuse experienced by women during childbirth in midwife-led obstetric units in Tshwane district, South Africa: A qualitative study
The disrespect and abuse (D&A) of women during childbirth is common and a great concern in midwifery-led obstetric units (MOUs) in South Africa. This paper used the seven chapters of the Respectful Maternity Care Charter as a framework to explore women’s experiences of care during childbirth and examine the occurrence of D&A during childbirth in […]
