Effectiveness of post-partum family planning interventions on contraceptive use and method mix at 1 year after childbirth in Kinshasa, DR Congo (Yam Daabo): a single-blind, cluster-randomised controlled trial
Background: In rural Burkina Faso, a package of six low-technology, post-partum contraceptive interventions (ie, refresher training for providers, a counselling tool, supportive supervision, daily availability of contraceptive services, client appointment cards, and invitation letters to attend appointments for partners), aimed at strengthening existing primary health-care services and enhancing demand for them, doubled the use of […]
Innate Lymphoid Cell Activation and Sustained Depletion in Blood and Tissue of Children Infected with HIV from Birth Despite Antiretroviral Therapy
Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are important for response to infection and for immune development in early life. HIV infection in adults depletes circulating ILCs, but the impact on children infected from birth remains unknown. We study vertically HIV-infected children from birth to adulthood and find severe and persistent depletion of all circulating ILCs that, unlike […]
Early care and support for young children with developmental disabilities and their caregivers in Uganda: The Baby Ubuntu feasibility trial
Background: Early care and support provision for young children with developmental disabilities is frequently lacking, yet has potential to improve child and family outcomes, and is crucial for promoting access to healthcare and early education. We evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, early evidence of impact and provider costs of the Baby Ubuntu participatory, peer-facilitated, group program […]
Wealth stratified inequalities in service utilisation of breast cancer screening across the geographical regions: A pooled decomposition analysis
Background: Breast cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer among women in low-resourced countries. Reduction of its impacts is achievable with regular screening and early detection. The main aim of the study was to examine the role of wealth stratified inequality in the utilisation breast cancer screening (BCS) services and identified potential factors contribute to […]
Group antenatal care versus standard antenatal care and effect on mean gestational age at birth in Rwanda: Protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial
Background: Group antenatal care has demonstrated promise as a service delivery model that may result in improved outcomes compared to standard antenatal care in socio-demographic populations at disparately high risk for poor perinatal outcomes. Intrigued by results from the United States showing lower preterm birth rates among high-risk women who participate in group antenatal care, […]
Associations between women’s empowerment and children’s health status in Ethiopia
Although women’s empowerment has gained attention over the last two decades, our understanding of the associations between different dimensions of women’s empowerment and different children’s health outcomes is limited. This study aims to measure the extent of women’s empowerment and to examine its associations with the children’s health status in Ethiopia. Data were obtained from […]
The mixed effects of a package of multilevel interventions on the health and care of pregnant women in Zinder, Niger
Background Anaemia is prevalent among pregnant women in rural Niger and antenatal care (ANC) attendance is suboptimal. We designed a programmatic intervention including community-based behaviour change communication, provision of essential drugs (including iron folic acid (IFA) supplements) and quality improvement activities at selected integrated health centres (IHCs). Objective To assess the impact of the programmatic […]
Minimum acceptable diet and associated factors among children aged 6–23 months in Ethiopia
Introduction: The health and growth of children less than two years of age can be affected by the poor quality of complementary foods and poor feeding practices even with optimal breastfeeding. In Ethiopia, empirical evidence on the minimum acceptable diet and its associated factors is limited. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess the level […]
Acceptability and perceived facilitators and barriers to the usability of biometric registration among infants and children in Manhiça district, Mozambique: A qualitative study
In low-and middle-income countries, many infants and children remain unregistered in both civil registration and healthcare records, limiting their access to essential rights-based services, including healthcare. A novel biometric registration prototype, applying a non-touch platform using smart phones and tablets to capture physical characteristics of infants and children for electronic registration, was tested in rural […]
Prevalence and associated factors of Tunga penetrans infestation among 5-14-year-olds in rural Ethiopia
Background Tunga penetrans, also known as sand flea, causes Tungiasis in humans and animals. Despite its notoriety as an entomological problem, however, the ectoparasite receives little consideration from public health professionals. It is against this background that this article aims to assess the prevalence of and factors associated with Tunga penetrans infestation among 5-14-year-olds in […]