More articles from ORIGINAL ARTICLES
- Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of a School Insecticide-Treated Net Distribution Program in Cross River State, Nigeria
Three years following a mass bed net distribution campaign, the addition of school-based distribution to antenatal care (ANC) distribution in Cross River State, Nigeria, increased household ownership of any net to nearly 80%, whereas ownership in the comparison area was below 50%. School distribution was nearly equitable among rich and poor, and very few households obtained nets from both ANC and schools, suggesting complementary reach.
- Major challenges to scale up of visual inspection-based cervical cancer prevention programs: the experience of Guatemalan NGOs
Scale up of visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) in Guatemala encountered major challenges, including high attrition of people trained, didactic training without hands-on skills building, lack of continued supervision, and provision of VIA alone without immediate on-site provision of cryotherapy.
- Nationwide implementation of integrated community case management of childhood illness in Rwanda
Between 2008 and 2011, Rwanda introduced iCCM of childhood illness nationwide. One year after iCCM rollout, community-based treatment for diarrhea and pneumonia had increased significantly, and under-5 mortality and overall health facility use had declined significantly.
- Strategic contracting practices to improve procurement of health commodities
Practices such as flexible, pre-established framework agreements can improve timeliness and cost of procurement and help improve commodity security. Addressing legislative barriers and building technical capacity in contract management may facilitate the use of such practices.
- Cumulative effects of heat exposure and storage conditions of Oxytocin-in-Uniject in rural Ghana: implications for scale up
Oxytocin-in-Uniject devices could be stored 30 to 40 days without refrigeration under typical field conditions, with wastage levels below 10%, based on simulation studies.
- Are national policies and programs for prevention and management of postpartum hemorrhage and preeclampsia adequate? A key informant survey in 37 countries
Most surveyed countries have many supportive policies and program elements, but issues remain that impede maternal health efforts, including: inconsistent availability of essential commodities, particularly misoprostol; limitations on midwives' scope of practice; incomplete or out-of-date service delivery guidelines; and weak reporting systems.
- Can traditional birth attendants be trained to accurately identify septic infants, initiate antibiotics, and refer in a rural African setting?
Despite having limited training, these TBAs were able to accurately identify critically ill neonates, initiate treatment in the field, and refer for further care. Given their proximity to the mother/infant pair, and their role in rural communities, training and equipping TBAs in this role could be effective in reducing neonatal mortality.
- Plausible role for CHW peer support groups in increasing care-seeking in an integrated community case management project in Rwanda: a mixed methods evaluation
During national scale up of iCCM in Rwanda, greater improvements in care-seeking were found in the districts where Kabeho Mwana implemented its model than in the rest of the country. Success was attributed to an emphasis on routine data review, intensive monitoring, collaborative supervision, community mobilization, and, in particular, CHW peer support groups.
- Evaluation of community-based interventions to improve TB case detection in a rural district of Tanzania
Enlisting traditional healers and pharmacists to improve TB detection contributed 38% to 70% of new smear-positive case notifications per quarter in a rural district of Tanzania.
- Rising cesarean deliveries among apparently low-risk mothers at university teaching hospitals in Jordan: analysis of population survey data, 2002–2012
Cesarean deliveries nationally in Jordan have increased to 30%, including substantial increases among births that are likely low risk for cesarean delivery for the most part. This level is double the threshold that WHO considers reasonable.