Losing women along the path to safe motherhood: Why is there such a gap between women’s use of antenatal care and skilled birth attendance? A mixed methods study in northern Uganda
Background: Thousands of women and newborns still die preventable deaths from pregnancy and childbirth-related complications in poor settings. Delivery with a skilled birth attendant is a vital intervention for saving lives. Yet many women, particularly where maternal mortality ratios are highest, do not have a skilled birth attendant at delivery. In Uganda, only 58% of […]
Determinants of stunting and severe stunting among Burundian children aged 6-23 months: Evidence from a national cross-sectional household survey, 2014
Background: Burundi is one of the poorest countries and is among the four countries with the highest prevalence of stunting (58%) among children aged less than 5 years. This situation undermines the economic growth of the country as undernutrition is strongly associated with less schooling and reduced economic productivity. Identifying the determinants of stunting and […]
Predictors of poor nutritional status among children aged 6-24 months in agricultural regions of Mali: A cross-sectional study
Background: The right nutrition during the first 2 years of life can positively impact a child’s ability to develop, grow, and learn. Malnutrition remains a public health problem in Mali and little is known about the factors affecting the nutritional status of children. This study aims to assess the magnitude and the predictors of undernutrition […]
‘They care rudely!’: Resourcing and relational health system factors that influence retention in care for people living with HIV in Zambia
Introduction Despite access to free antiretroviral therapy (ART), many HIV-positive Zambians disengage from HIV care. We sought to understand how Zambian health system ‘hardware’ (tangible components) and ‘software’ (work practices and behaviour) influenced decisions to disengage from care among ‘lost-to-follow-up’ patients traced by a larger study on their current health status. Methods We purposively selected […]
Complementary feeding practices and associated factors of dietary diversity among uncomplicated severe acute malnourished children aged 6–23 months in Burkina Faso
Nutritional treatment of children with uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is based on ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTF). With treatment provided at community level, children could have access to other foods, and a reduction in the dose of RUTF could further increase dietary diversity during treatment. We assessed the dietary diversity score (DDS), the minimum dietary […]
Spatial variations and determinants of acute malnutrition among under-five children in ethiopia: Evidence from 2019 ethiopian demographic health survey
Background and aims: Childhood acute malnutrition, in the form of wasting defined by a severe weight loss as a result of acute food shortage and/or illness. It is a critical public health problem that needs urgent attention in developing countries, like Ethiopia. Despite its variation between localities, the risk factors and its geospatial variation were […]
In-utero coxsackievirus B4 infection of the mouse thymus
Type B coxsackievirus (CV-B) infections are involved frequently in the triggering of several autoimmune diseases such as myocarditis, dilated cardiomyopathy, pericarditis, pancreatitis, type 1 diabetes, encephalitis, thyroiditis or Sjögren’s syndrome. Serological and virological evidence suggests that maternal infections during pregnancy can play a role in the appearance of these diseases in offspring. The current study […]
Barriers to eHealth adoption in routine antenatal care practices: Perspectives of expectant mothers in Uganda – A qualitative study using the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology model
Current empirical evidence suggests that successful adoption of eHealth systems improves maternal health outcomes, yet there are still existing gaps in adopting such systems in Uganda. Service delivery in maternal health is operating in a spectrum of inadequacy, hence eHealth adoption cannot ensue. This study set out to explore the challenges that impede eHealth adoption […]
Trends in inequality in the coverage of vitamin A supplementation among children 6–59 months of age over two decades in Ethiopia: Evidence from demographic and health surveys
Objectives: There is a dearth of evidence on inequalities in vitamin A supplementation in Ethiopia. The goal of this study was to assess the magnitude and overtime changes of inequalities in vitamin A supplementation among children aged 6–59 months in Ethiopia. Methods: We extracted data from four waves of the Ethiopia Demographic and Health Surveys […]
Multivitamin supplementation improves haematologic status in children born to HIV-positive women in Tanzania
Introduction: Anaemia is prevalent among children born to HIV-positive women, and it is associated with adverse effects on cognitive and motor development, growth, and increased risks of morbidity and mortality. Objective: To examine the effect of daily multivitamin supplementation on haematologic status and mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV through breastfeeding. Methods: A total of 2387 […]