Vaccine stock-outs: A preventable health facility obstacle contributing to missed vaccinations in South African children.

In 2019 the National Department of Health (NDoH) conducted a national immunisation coverage survey of caregivers of children aged 24-35 months in all 52 districts of South Africa, and reported a national fully immunised under one year-old coverage of 83.9 %, and 76.8 % coverage for all vaccines scheduled up to 18 months of age.

Vaccine safety surveillance in South Africa through COVID-19: A journey to systems strengthening.

Background: Surveillance systems for monitoring and reporting adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) and adverse events of special interest (AESI) are vital in understanding safety profiles of post-marketed vaccines. Evaluation of surveillance systems is necessary for systems strengthening. We conducted the first evaluation of the South African AEFI surveillance system in its current form, established in 2018.

Barriers to Childhood Immunisation and Local Strategies in Four Districts in South Africa: A Qualitative Study.

In South Africa over the past 20 years, immunisation has saved countless lives as well as prevented illnesses and disabilities. Despite this, vaccine-preventable illnesses remain a danger. The demand for and uptake of immunisation services are shaped by a variety of factors that can either act as barriers or facilitators to immunisation uptake.

A tool to define and measure maternal healthcare acceptability at a selected health sub-district in South Africa.

Background: There are many factors during pregnancy and labor that influence women's acceptability of maternal healthcare. Nevertheless, the concept of acceptability of maternal healthcare has unfortunately not been clearly defined and remains difficult to assess, affecting its implications and approaches from maternal health perspectives. In this study, we proposed a practical definition of maternal healthcare acceptability and developed a tool to measure maternal healthcare acceptability from patients' perspective at a selected health sub-district in South Africa.

Closing the gaps in defining and conceptualising acceptability of healthcare: a qualitative thematic content analysis.

Introduction: Despite the importance of healthcare acceptability, the public health community has yet to agree on its explicit definition and conceptual framework. We explored different definitions and conceptual frameworks of healthcare acceptability, and identified commonalities in order to develop an integrated definition and conceptual framework of healthcare acceptability.

Materials And Methods: We applied qualitative thematic content analysis on research articles that attempted to define healthcare acceptability.

Building consensus in defining and conceptualizing acceptability of healthcare: A Delphi study.

Background: The concept of healthcare acceptability is important for nursing staff spending most of their time with patients. Nevertheless, acceptability remains confusing without a collective definition in existing literature.

Objective: This study aimed to create a consensus among experts on definition and conceptual framework of healthcare acceptability.

COVID-19: lessons and experiences from South Africa's first surge.

On 5 March 2020, South Africa recorded its first case of imported COVID-19. Since then, cases in South Africa have increased exponentially with significant community transmission. A multisectoral approach to containing and mitigating the spread of SARS-CoV-2 was instituted, led by the South African National Department of Health.

Reported infant feeding practices and contextual influences on breastfeeding: qualitative interviews with women registered to MomConnect in three South African provinces.

Background: Global guidelines recommend exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for the first 6 months of life. South African EBF rates have steadily increased but still only average 32% for infants below 6 months of age. Malnutrition and developmental delays continue to contribute substantially to the morbidity and mortality of South African children.

Every death counts: use of mortality audit data for decision making to save the lives of mothers, babies, and children in South Africa.

South Africa is one of the few developing countries with a national confidential inquiry into maternal deaths. 164 health facilities obtain audit data for stillbirths and neonatal deaths, and a new audit network does so for child deaths. Three separate reports have been published, providing valuable information about avoidable causes of death for mothers, babies, and children.