Maternal Health Publications

February 12, 2019

Antenatal care as a means to increase participation in the continuum of maternal and child healthcare: an analysis of the poorest regions of four Mesoamérican countries

Research Article

Antenatal care (ANC) is a means to identify high-risk pregnancies and educate women so that they might experience a healthier delivery and outcome. The present analysis examines whether ANC uptake is associated with other maternal and child health behaviors in poor mothers in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Mexico (Chiapas).

December 13, 2018

Maternal mortality ratios in 2,852 Chinese counties, 1996–2015, and achievement of Millennium Development Goal 5 in China: a subnational analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016

Research Article

As one of only a handful of countries that have achieved both Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5, China has substantially lowered maternal mortality in the past two decades. Little is known, however, about the levels and trends of maternal mortality at the county level in China.

June 18, 2018

Methods to measure quality of care and quality indicators through health facility surveys in low- and middle-income countries

Research Article

This study underscores that, with adequate resources and technical expertise, collecting data for quality indicators at scale in low- and middle-income countries is possible.

June 2, 2018

Hospitals by day, dispensaries by night: Hourly fluctuations of maternal mortality within Mexican health institutions, 2010–2014

Research Article

Quality of obstetric care may not be constant within clinics and hospitals. Night shifts and weekends experience understaffing and other organizational hurdles in comparison with the weekday morning shifts, and this may influence the risk of maternal deaths. This study analyzed the hourly variation of maternal mortality within Mexican health institutions.

April 26, 2018

Health in Yemen: losing ground in war time

Research Article

The effect of the ongoing war in Yemen on maternal and child health (MCH) has not been comprehensively assessed. Providing a situational analysis at the governorate level is critical to assist in planning a response and allocating resources. We used multiple national- and governorate-level data sources to provide estimates of 12 relevant MCH indicators in 2016 around child vaccination, and child and maternal nutritional status, and the change in these estimates for the period 2013–2016.

April 16, 2018

Supply-side interventions to improve health: Findings from the Salud Mesoamérica Initiative

Research Article

Results-based aid (RBA) is increasingly used to incentivize action in health. In Mesoamerica, the region consisting of southern Mexico and Central America, the RBA project known as the Salud Mesoamérica Initiative (SMI) was designed to target disparities in maternal and child health, focusing on the poorest 20% of the population across the region.

October 17, 2017

Perceptions of and barriers to family planning services in the poorest regions of Chiapas, Mexico: a qualitative study of men, women, and adolescents

Research Article

In the poorest regions of Chiapas, Mexico, 50.2% of women in need of contraceptives do not use any modern method. A qualitative study was needed to design effective and culturally appropriate interventions.

August 4, 2017

Maternal mortality and morbidity burden in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2015 study

Research Article

Assessing the burden of maternal mortality is important for tracking progress and identifying public health gaps. This paper provides an overview of the burden of maternal mortality in the Eastern Mediterranean Region by underlying cause and age from 1990 to 2015.

May 19, 2017

Zambia: Findings from the 2016 Gavi Full Country Evaluations

Policy Report

This report presents findings for Zambia from the 2016 Gavi Full Country Evaluations Annual Dissemination Report. The Gavi Full Country Evaluations (FCE) is a prospective study covering the period 2013–2016 with the aim of understanding and quantifying the barriers to and drivers of immunization program improvement, with emphasis on the contribution of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance in four countries: Bangladesh, Mozambique, Uganda, and Zambia.

May 19, 2017

Uganda: Findings from the 2016 Gavi Full Country Evaluations

Policy Report

This report presents findings for Uganda from the 2016 Gavi Full Country Evaluations Annual Dissemination Report. The Gavi Full Country Evaluations (FCE) is a prospective study covering the period 2013–2016 with the aim of understanding and quantifying the barriers to and drivers of immunization program improvement, with emphasis on the contribution of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance in four countries: Bangladesh, Mozambique, Uganda, and Zambia.

May 19, 2017

2016 Gavi FCE Annual Dissemination Report: Cross-Country Findings

Policy Report

This report presents cross-country findings from the 2016 Gavi Full Country Evaluations Annual Dissemination Report. The Gavi Full Country Evaluations (FCE) is a prospective study covering the period 2013–2016 with the aim of understanding and quantifying the barriers to and drivers of immunization program improvement, with emphasis on the contribution of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance in four countries: Bangladesh, Mozambique, Uganda, and Zambia.

May 19, 2017

Bangladesh: Findings from the 2016 Gavi Full Country Evaluations

Policy Report

This report presents findings for Bangladesh from the 2016 Gavi Full Country Evaluations Annual Dissemination Report. The Gavi Full Country Evaluations (FCE) is a prospective study covering the period 2013–2016 with the aim of understanding and quantifying the barriers to and drivers of immunization program improvement, with emphasis on the contribution of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance in four countries: Bangladesh, Mozambique, Uganda, and Zambia.

May 19, 2017

Mozambique: Findings from the 2016 Gavi Full Country Evaluations

Policy Report

This report presents findings for Mozambique from the 2016 Gavi Full Country Evaluations Annual Dissemination Report. The Gavi Full Country Evaluations (FCE) is a prospective study covering the period 2013–2016 with the aim of understanding and quantifying the barriers to and drivers of immunization program improvement, with emphasis on the contribution of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance in four countries: Bangladesh, Mozambique, Uganda, and Zambia.

January 23, 2017

Contraceptive knowledge and use among women living in the poorest areas of five Mesoamerican countries

Research Article

The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with contraceptive use among women in need living in the poorest areas in five Mesoamerican countries: Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and State of Chiapas (Mexico).

August 19, 2016

Coverage and timing of antenatal care among poor women in 6 Mesoamerican countries

Research Article

Poor women in the developing world have a heightened need for antenatal care (ANC) but are often the least likely to attend it. This study examines factors associated with the number and timing of ANC visits for poor women in Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and El Salvador.

May 4, 2016

2015 Dissemination Report

Policy Report

The Gavi Full Country Evaluations (FCE) are prospective studies covering the period 2013-2016 that aim to understand and quantify the barriers to and drivers of immunization program improvement, with emphasis on the contribution of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance in Bangladesh, Mozambique, Uganda, and Zambia. This third annual dissemination report complements previous reports by providing key findings and recommendations for the 2015 evaluation period in the four evaluation countries.