A comparative study of adult and adolescent maternal care continuum following community-oriented interventions in Cambodia, Guatemala, Kenya, and Zambia.

Background: The coverage for reproductive care continuum is a growing concern for communities in low- income economies. Adolescents (15-19 years) are often at higher odds of maternal morbidity and mortality due to other underlying factors including biological immaturity, social, and economic differences. The aim of the study was to examine a) differences in care-seeking and continuum of care (4 antenatal care (ANC4+), skilled birth attendance (SBA) and postnatal care (PNC) within 24h) between adult (20-49 Years) and adolescents and b) the effect of multilevel community-oriented interventions on adolescent and adult reproductive care-seeking in Cambodia, Guatemala, Kenya, and Zambia using a quasi-experimental study design.

Can people-centered community-oriented interventions improve skilled birth attendance? Evidence from a quasi-experimental study in rural communities of Cambodia, Kenya, and Zambia.

Background: Skilled attendance at delivery is a key marker for reducing maternal mortality. Effective community engagement strategies complemented by community health worker (CHW) services can improve access to maternal health services in areas with limited health infrastructure or workforce.

Methods: A quasi-experimental study with matched comparison groups was conducted in Cambodia, Kenya and Zambia to determine the effect of integrated community investments on skilled birth attendance (SBA).

Can social accountability mechanisms using community scorecards improve quality of pediatric care in rural Cambodia?

Objective: To determine the effect of social accountability strategies on pediatric quality of care.

Design And Setting: A non-randomized quasi experimental study was conducted in four districts in Cambodia and all operational public health facilities were included.

Participants: Five patients under 5 years and their caretakers were randomly selected in each facility.

Clinical evaluation of the use of an mhealth intervention on quality of care provided by Community Health Workers in southwest Niger.

Background: Under the World Health Organization's (WHO) integrated community case management (iCCM) Rapid Access Expansion Program (RAcE), World Vision Niger and Canada supported the Niger Ministry of Public Health to implement iCCM in four health districts in Niger in 2013. Community health workers (CHWs), known as (RCom), were deployed in their communities to diagnose and treat children under five years of age presenting with diarrhea, malaria and pneumonia and refer children with severe illness to the higher-level facilities. Two of the districts in southwest Niger piloted RCom using smartphones equipped with an application to support quality case management and provide good timely clinical data.

Genital tract infections, bacterial vaginosis, HIV, and reproductive health issues among Lima-based clandestine female sex workers.

Sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics of 212 Peruvian female sex workers (FSWs) were analyzed. The association between genital tract infections (GTIs) and risk factors by multivariate analysis was evaluated. Eighty-eight percent of FSWs were diagnosed with at least one GTI (HSV-2 80.

An integrated approach for antiretroviral adherence and secondary HIV transmission risk-reduction support by nurses in Kenya.

Ongoing antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence and secondary HIV transmission-risk reduction (positive prevention) support are needed in resource-limited settings. We evaluated a nurse-delivered counseling intervention in Kenya. We trained 90 nurses on a brief counseling algorithm that comprised ART and sexual-risk assessment, risk-reduction messages, and health-promotion planning.

Task shifting in Mozambique: cross-sectional evaluation of non-physician clinicians' performance in HIV/AIDS care.

Background: Many resource-constrained countries now train non-physician clinicians in HIV/AIDS care, a strategy known as 'task-shifting.' There is as yet no evidence-based international standard for training these cadres. In 2007, the Mozambican Ministry of Health (MOH) conducted a nationwide evaluation of the quality of care delivered by non-physician clinicians (técnicos de medicina, or TMs), after a two-week in-service training course emphasizing antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Sentinel surveillance of sexually transmitted infections/HIV and risk behaviors in vulnerable populations in 5 Central American countries.

In El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama, we recruited 2466 female sex workers (FSWs) by probabilistic or comprehensive sampling and 1418 men who have sex with men (MSM) by convenience sampling to measure sociobehavioral risk and sexually transmitted infections. For MSM, HIV seroprevalence ranged from 7.6% in Nicaragua to 15.