BACKGROUND The growing momentum for quality and affordable health care for all has given rise to the recent global universal health coverage (UHC) movement. As part of Indonesia's strategy to achieve the goal of UHC, large investments have been made to increase health access for the poor, resulting in the implementation of various health insurance schemes targeted towards the poor and near-poor...

This article reports a study of maternal mental health, household composition, and children’s adjustment among 37 families in which 4to 9-year-old children had been born to or adopted early in life by lesbian mothers. Results showed that maternal reports of both self-esteem and psychological symptoms were within the normal range. Consistent with findings for heterosexual parents and their child...

OBJECTIVES Effective coverage (EC) is a measure of health systems' performance that combines need, use and quality indicators. This study aimed to assess the extent to which the Kenyan health system provides effective and equitable maternal and child health services, as a means of tracking the country's progress towards universal health coverage. METHODS AND RESULTS The Demographic Health Sur...

Developing countries are floundering in their efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goal of reducing maternal mortality by 75% by 2015. Two issues are being debated. Is it doable within this time frame? And is it affordable? Malaysia and Sri Lanka have in the past 50 years repeatedly halved their maternal mortality ratio (MMR) every 7-10 years to reduce MMR from over 500 to below 50. Exper...

This themed supplement to JAIDS: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes focuses on the critical intersections between HIV, reproductive, and maternal health services in the health systems of sub-Saharan Africa. The epidemiology of HIV among women of reproductive age on the sub-continent demands a holistic conceptualization and comprehensive approaches to ensure that HIV, reproductive, ...

BACKGROUND The Ghana Community based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) strategy targets to bring health services to the doorsteps of clients in a manner that improves maternal and child health outcomes. In this strategy, referral is an important component but it is threatened in a rural context where transportation service is a problem. Few studies have examined perceptions of rural dwellers ...

BACKGROUND Increased availability of maternal health services alone does not lead to better outcomes for maternal health.The services need to be utilized first.One way to increase service utilization is to plan responsive health care services by taking into account the community's views or expressed needs. Burundi has a high maternal mortality ratio, and despite improvements in health infrastru...

BACKGROUND The maternal mortality ratio in Sudan was estimated at 750/100,000 live births. Sudan was one of eleven countries that are responsible for 65% of global maternal deaths according to a recent World Health Organization (WHO) estimate. Maternal mortality in Kassala State was high in national demographic surveys. This study was conducted to investigate the causes and contributing factors...

BACKGROUND Global disparities in maternal and newborn health represent one of the starkest health inequities of our times. Faith-based organizations (FBOs) have historically played an important role in providing maternal/newborn health services in African countries. However, the contribution of FBOs in service delivery is insufficiently recognized and mapped. OBJECTIVES A systematic review of...

BACKGROUND Nepal is promoting safe motherhood through maternity incentives schemes. Still about two-thirds of births take place at home. Inadequate access to health care and under utilization of services is the major reasons for poor health of women and children. OBJECTIVES The study aim to explore the barriers in utilization of maternal health care services in eastern Nepal specifically to e...