Improving apgar scores and reducing perineal injuries through midwife-led quality improvements: an observational study in Uganda.

Background: Globally, the quality of maternal and newborn care remains inadequate, as seen through indicators like perineal injuries and low Apgar scores. While midwifery practices have the potential to improve care quality and health outcomes, there is a lack of evidence on how midwife-led initiatives, particularly those aimed at improving the use of dynamic birth positions, intrapartum support, and perineal protection, affect these outcomes.

Objective: To explore how the use of dynamic birth positions, intrapartum support, and perineal protection impact the incidence of perineal injuries and the 5-min Apgar score within the context of a midwife-led quality improvement intervention.

Internet of Things-Based Automated Solutions Utilizing Machine Learning for Smart and Real-Time Irrigation Management: A Review.

This systematic review critically evaluates the current state and future potential of real-time, end-to-end smart, and automated irrigation management systems, focusing on integrating the Internet of Things (IoTs) and machine learning technologies for enhanced agricultural water use efficiency and crop productivity. In this review, the automation of each component is examined in the irrigation management pipeline from data collection to application while analyzing its effectiveness, efficiency, and integration with various precision agriculture technologies. It also investigates the role of the interoperability, standardization, and cybersecurity of IoT-based automated solutions for irrigation applications.

Comparative performance assessment of pilot irrigation schemes in Uganda.

Irrigation schemes across sub-Saharan Africa are constructed with the intention of increasing agricultural production to increase food security, reduce poverty and improve economic growth. However, most of these schemes are not performing as expected. This study therefore, diagnosed performance gaps in the pilot irrigation schemes of Mubuku and Doho in Uganda and analysed sustainable improvement options.

Assessing soil erosion risk in a peri-urban catchment of the Lake Victoria basin.

Soil erosion and sedimentation contribute to deteriorating water quality, adverse alterations in basin hydrology and overall ecosystem biogeochemistry. Thus, understanding soil erosion patterns in catchments is critical for conservation planning. This study was conducted in a peri-urban Inner Murchison Bay (IMB) catchment on the northern shores of Lake Victoria since most soil erosion studies in Sub-Saharan Africa have been focused on rural landscapes.

Maternal and child health service delivery in conflict-affected settings: a case study example from Upper Nile and Unity states, South Sudan.

Background: Decades of war left the Republic of South Sudan with a fragile health system that has remained deprived of resources since the country's independence. We describe the coverage of interventions for women's and children's health in Upper Nile and Unity states, and explore factors that affected service provision during a protracted conflict.

Methods: We conducted a case study using a desk review of publicly available literature since 2013 and a secondary analysis of intervention coverage and conflict-related events from 2010 to 2017.