The Barcelona Institute for Global Health, in partnership with the World Bank Group, recently released a report titled, “Inequalities in women’s and girls’ health opportunities and outcomes: A report from sub-Saharan Africa.” The report analyzes the extent to which 14 health-related opportunities are equitably available to women of reproductive age in 29 sub-Saharan African countries…read more
The Evidence Project
Posted onMeasurement, Learning and Evaluation for Maternal and Newborn Health: Perspectives From IDEAS
Posted onIDEAS, a project based at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, aims to improve the health and survival of mothers and babies by generating evidence to inform maternal and newborn health policy and practice. IDEAS hosted a satellite session at the Fourth Global Symposium on Health Systems Research titled “Measurement, learning and evaluation for maternal and newborn health,” during which the IDEAS team shared key findings and highlighted the importance of learning for maternal and newborn health innovation…read more
Evaluation of implementing a community-based exercise intervention during pregnancy
Posted onThe Global Epidemic of Unnecessary Cesarean Sections (Part 3)
Posted onIn addition to geographic variability, researchers have proposed several theories to explain the rise in cesarean deliveries. The global cesarean epidemic is not only a threat to the health of mothers and children around the world, but also to health systems. Swift action from clinicians, researchers, programmers and policymakers is needed…read more
The Global Epidemic of Unnecessary Cesarean Sections (Part 2)
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In 1990, roughly one in 15 babies on the planet was born via cesarean section surgery. In 2014, one in five babies was born via cesarean. The rates have increased dramatically over the past few decades in most regions, with the fastest growth taking place in North Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean. There is substantial variation within regions, with certain countries experiencing more rapid increases than others…read more
The Global Epidemic of Unnecessary Cesarean Sections (Part 1)
Posted onIn 1990, roughly one in 15 babies on the planet was born via cesarean section surgery. In 2014, one in five babies was born via cesarean. When medically indicated and performed by trained staff with the necessary resources, cesarean section can be a life-saving procedure. However, compared to vaginal delivery, cesareans are associated with a higher risk of maternal and neonatal death and should only be performed when clinically necessary…read more
Quality of routine health data collected by health workers using smartphone at primary health care in Ethiopia
Posted onImproving the Quality of Maternal and Newborn Health in Low-Resource Settings: Lessons From the Saving Mothers, Giving Life Program
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As we work to meet the Sustainable Development Goals and achieve equity in care, the global health community realizes the need to increase efforts to ensure access to quality maternity services. We can draw some valuable lessons on quality care from our experience over the past three years with Saving Mothers, Giving Life (SMGL). This public-private partnership has produced impressive improvements in maternal health in sub-Saharan Africa by addressing all three of the delays to receiving quality care: seeking appropriate care; accessing care in a timely manner; and receiving high quality, woman-centered care…read more
The Burden of Infertility: Global Prevalence and Women’s Voices from Around the World
Posted onThe clinical definition of infertility provided by the World Health Organization is “a disease of the reproductive system defined by the failure to achieve a clinical pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse.” Available data indicate that at least 50 million couples worldwide experience infertility. In many cultures, women who do not have children suffer from stigmatization, discrimination and ostracism, even if the underlying cause lies in their male partners or husbands. Women’s experiences of stigma have been documented all over the world…read more