Oral rehydration solution coverage in under 5 children with diarrhea: a tri-country, subnational, cross-sectional comparative analysis of two demographic health surveys cycles
Background: More than 3 million children under 5 years in developing countries die from dehydration due to diarrhea, a preventable and treatable disease. We conducted a comparative analysis of two Demographic Health Survey (DHS) cycles to examine changes in ORS coverage in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi. These surveys are cross-sectional conducted on a representative sample […]
Does a pay-for-performance health service model improve overall and rural–urban inequity in vaccination rates? A difference-in-differences analysis from the Gambia
Objective: To assess whether the implementation of a results-based financing (RBF) project in The Gambia resulted in (1) improved national vaccination coverage (2) higher coverage in intervention than non-intervention areas, and (3) improvement in rural–urban coverage inequality. Methods: The study used a difference-in-differences design, based on repeated cross-sectional data from The Gambian Demographic and Health […]
Improving access to child health services at the community level in Zambia: A country case study on progress in child survival, 2000-2013
Reductions in under-five mortality in Africa have not been sufficient to meet the Millennium Development Goal #4 (MDG#4) of reducing under-five mortality by two-thirds by 2015. Nevertheless, 12 African countries have met MDG#4. We undertook a four country study to examine barriers and facilitators of child survival prior to 2015, seeking to better understand variability […]
Vulnerability and agency across treatment-seeking journeys for acutely ill children: How family members navigate complex healthcare before, during and after hospitalisation in a rural Kenyan setting
Background: Child mortality rates during hospitalisation for acute illness and after discharge are unacceptably high in many under-resourced settings. Childhood vulnerability to recurrent illness, and death, is linked to their families’ situations and ability to make choices and act (their agency). We examined vulnerability and agency across treatment-seeking journeys for acutely ill children and considered […]
Household cooking fuel type and childhood anaemia in sub-Saharan Africa: Analysis of cross-sectional surveys of 123, 186 children from 29 countries
Objective This study sought to investigate the joint effect of household cooking fuel type and urbanicity (rural-urban residency) on anaemia among children under the age of five in sub-Saharan Africa. Design We analysed cross-sectional data of 123, 186 children under the age of five from 29 sub-Saharan African countries gathered between 2010 and 2019 by […]
Trends and predictors of modern contraceptive use among married women: Analysis of 2000–2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys
Objectives: Accessing family planning is a key investment in reducing the broader costs of health care and can reduce a significant proportion of maternal, infant, and childhood deaths. In Ethiopia, use of modern contraceptive methods is still low but it is steadily increasing. Identifying the contributing factors to the changes in contraceptive use among women […]
Determinants of diarrhoeal diseases and height-for-age Z-scores in children under five years of age in rural central Tanzania
Introduction. Childhood diarrhoeal diseases and stunting are major health problems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Poor water supply, sanitation services and hygiene, frequently encountered in resource-poor settings, contribute to childhood diarrhoea and stunting. Methods. Data on demographic characteristics, hygiene practices, sanitation and human-animal interactions (predictors) and child height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) (outcome) were collected once, […]
Determinants of postnatal care use at health facilities in rural Tanzania: Multilevel analysis of a household survey
Background: Postnatal care (PNC) for the mother and infant is a neglected area, even for women who give birth in a health facility. Currently, there is very little evidence on the determinants of use of postnatal care from health facilities in Tanzania. Methods: This study examined the role of individual and community-level variables on the […]
Time trends, geographical, socio-economic, and gender disparities in neonatal mortality in Burundi: evidence from the demographic and health surveys, 2010–2016
Background: Programmatic and research agendas surrounding neonatal mortality are important to help countries attain the child health related 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). In Burundi, the Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) is 25 per 1000 live births. However, high quality evidence on the over time evolution of inequality in NMR is lacking. This study aims to […]
Impact of a health system strengthening intervention on maternal and child health outputs and outcomes in rural Rwanda 2005-2010
Introduction Although Rwanda’s health system underwent major reforms and improvements after the 1994 Genocide, the health system and population health in the southeast lagged behind other areas. In 2005, Partners In Health and the Rwandan Ministry of Health began a health system strengthening intervention in this region. We evaluate potential impacts of the intervention on […]
