The monthly trends of malaria cases in children under 5 years of age in Guinea: comparative analysis between a seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) and a non-SMC health district.

Background: The Republic of Guinea, where malaria represents the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children, the seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) is deployed only in areas with very seasonal modes of transmission. It should target children at the highest risk of serious illness. The objective of the study was to prevent uncomplicated and serious cases of malaria in the target population.

The feasibility, acceptability, appropriateness and impact of implementing person-centered communication for prevention of female genital mutilation in antenatal care settings in Guinea, Kenya and Somalia.

Background: There is limited evidence on how to engage health workers as advocates in preventing female genital mutilation (FGM). This study assesses the feasibility, acceptability, appropriateness and impact of a person-centered communication (PCC) approach for FGM prevention among antenatal care (ANC) providers in Guinea, Kenya and Somalia.

Methods: Between August 2020 and September 2021, a cluster randomised trial was conducted in 180 ANC clinics in three countries testing an intervention on PCC for FGM prevention.

Mistreatment of women during childbirth and postpartum depression: secondary analysis of WHO community survey across four countries.

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a leading cause of disability globally with estimated prevalence of approximately 20% in low-income and middle-income countries. This study aims to determine the prevalence and factors associated with PPD following mistreatment during facility-based childbirth.

Method: This secondary analysis used data from the community survey of postpartum women in Ghana, Guinea, Myanmar and Nigeria for the WHO study, 'How women are treated during facility-based childbirth'.

Comparing observed occurrence of mistreatment during childbirth with women's self-report: a validation study in Ghana, Guinea and Nigeria.

Background: There has been substantial progress in developing approaches to measure mistreatment of women during childbirth. However, less is known about the differences in measurement approaches. In this study, we compare measures of mistreatment obtained from the same women using labour observations and community-based surveys in Ghana, Guinea and Nigeria.

Involving the health sector in the prevention and care of female genital mutilation: results from formative research in Guinea.

Background: Despite efforts to reduce the burden of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Guinea, the practice remains prevalent, and health care providers are increasingly being implicated in its medicalization. This formative study was conducted to understand the factors that facilitate or impede the health sector in providing FGM prevention and care services to inform the development of health sector-based interventions.

Methods: Between April and May 2018, a mixed methods formative study was carried out using a rapid assessment methodology in three regions of Guinea-Faranah, Labe and Conakry.

The direct cost of dialysis supported by families for patients with chronic renal failure in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso).

Background: Chronic renal failure can lead to dialysis and/or a kidney transplant in the final stage. The number of patients under dialysis has increased considerably in the world and particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Dialysis is a very expensive care.

Adolescent experiences of mistreatment during childbirth in health facilities: secondary analysis of a community-based survey in four countries.

Introduction: Pregnancy and childbearing among adolescents-especially younger adolescents-is associated with health complications and lost opportunities for education and personal development. In addition to established challenges adolescents and young women face in sexual and reproductive healthcare, evidence suggests that they also face mistreatment during childbirth.

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of the WHO study 'How women are treated during facility-based childbirth' cross-sectional community survey in Ghana, Guinea, Myanmar and Nigeria.

How to attract and retain health workers in rural areas of a fragile state: Findings from a labour market survey in Guinea.

Most countries face challenges attracting and retaining health staff in remote areas but this is especially acute in fragile and shock-prone contexts, like Guinea, where imbalances in staffing are high and financial and governance arrangements to address rural shortfalls are weak. The objective of this study was to understand how health staff could be better motivated to work and remain in rural, under-served areas in Guinea. In order to inform the policy dialogue on strengthening human resources for health, we conducted three nationally representative cross-sectional surveys, adapted from tools used in other fragile contexts.

Vaginal examinations and mistreatment of women during facility-based childbirth in health facilities: secondary analysis of labour observations in Ghana, Guinea and Nigeria.

Background: Previous research on mistreatment of women during childbirth has focused on physical and verbal abuse, neglect and stigmatisation. However, other manifestations of mistreatment, such as during vaginal examinations, are relatively underexplored. This study explores four types of mistreatment of women during vaginal examinations: (1) non-consented care, (2) sharing of private information, (3) exposure of genitalia and (4) exposure of breasts.

Effectiveness of the World Health Organization Safe Childbirth Checklist (WHO-SCC) in preventing poor childbirth outcomes: a study protocol for a matched-pair cluster randomized control trial.

Background: Women delivering in health facilities in sub-Saharan Africa and their newborns do not always receive proven interventions needed to prevent and/or adequately manage severe complications. The gaps in quality of care are increasingly pointed out as major contributing factor to the high and slow declining perinatal mortality rates. The World Health Organization Safe Childbirth Checklist (WHO-SCC), as a quality improvement strategy, targets low cost and easy to perform interventions and suits well with the context of limited resource settings.

Determinants of the practice of exclusive breastfeeding in Guinea: evidence from 2018 Guinean demographic and health survey.

Background: Exclusive breastfeeding is critical for infant survival and development. However, the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months of life is low in sub-Saharan Africa. With the current trend in breastfeeding rates in many countries including in Guinea, the World Health Assembly target of at least 50% of children aged less than 6 months being exclusively breastfeed by 2025 is likely to be compromised and lives a numerous infant that are be at risk.

Women's report of mistreatment during facility-based childbirth: validity and reliability of community survey measures.

Background: Accountability for mistreatment during facility-based childbirth requires valid tools to measure and compare birth experiences. We analyse the WHO 'How women are treated during facility-based childbirth' community survey to test whether items mapping the typology of mistreatment function as scales and to create brief item sets to capture mistreatment by domain.

Methods: The cross-sectional community survey was conducted at up to 8 weeks post partum among women giving birth at hospitals in Ghana, Guinea, Myanmar and Nigeria.

Attitudes of health care providers regarding female genital mutilation and its medicalization in Guinea.

Background: Guinea has a high prevalence of female genital mutilation (FGM) (95%) and it is a major concern affecting the health and the welfare of women and girls. Population-based surveys suggest that health care providers are implicated in carrying out the practice (medicalization). To understand the attitudes of health care providers related to FGM and its medicalization as well as the potential role of the health sector in addressing this practice, a study was conducted in Guinea to inform the development of an intervention for the health sector to prevent and respond to this harmful practice.

A hybrid, effectiveness-implementation research study protocol targeting antenatal care providers to provide female genital mutilation prevention and care services in Guinea, Kenya and Somalia.

Background: In settings with high prevalence of female genital mutilation (FGM), the health sector could play a bigger role in its prevention and care of women and girls who have undergone this harmful practice. However, ministries of health lack clear policies, strategic plans or dedicated funding to implement anti-FGM interventions. Along with limited relevant knowledge and skills to prevent the practice of FGM and care for girls and women living with FGM, health providers have limited interpersonal communication skills and self-efficacy, while some may have supportive attitudes towards FGM and its medicalization.

Women's experiences of mistreatment during childbirth and their satisfaction with care: findings from a multicountry community-based study in four countries.

Introduction: Experiences of care and satisfaction are intrinsically linked, as user's experiences of care may directly impact satisfaction, or indirectly impact user's expectations and values. Both experiences of care and satisfaction are important to measure so that quality can be monitored and improved. Globally, women experience mistreatment during childbirth at facilities; however, there is limited evidence exploring the mistreatment and women's satisfaction with care during childbirth.

Labour companionship and women's experiences of mistreatment during childbirth: results from a multi-country community-based survey.

Background: Evidence has shown the benefits of labour companions during childbirth. Few studies have documented the relationship between the absence of labour companions and mistreatment of women during childbirth in low-income and middle-income countries using a standardised tool.

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of the WHO multi-country study on how women are treated during childbirth, where a cross-sectional community survey was conducted with women up to 8 weeks after childbirth in Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria and Myanmar.

The first 2 h after birth: prevalence and factors associated with neonatal care practices from a multicountry, facility-based, observational study.

Background: Amid efforts to improve the quality of care for women and neonates during childbirth, there is growing interest in the experience of care, including respectful care practices. However, there is little research on the prevalence of practices that might constitute mistreatment of neonates. This study aims to describe the care received by neonates up to 2 h after birth in a sample of three countries in west Africa.

How women are treated during facility-based childbirth in four countries: a cross-sectional study with labour observations and community-based surveys.

Background: Women across the world are mistreated during childbirth. We aimed to develop and implement evidence-informed, validated tools to measure mistreatment during childbirth, and report results from a cross-sectional study in four low-income and middle-income countries.

Methods: We prospectively recruited women aged at least 15 years in twelve health facilities (three per country) in Ghana, Guinea, Myanmar, and Nigeria between Sept 19, 2016, and Jan 18, 2018.