Perceived Gaps in Academic Training and Expectations From Refresher Training in Primary Care Nurses at an Urban Metropolis in Northern India: A Qualitative Study.

Background Nursing professionals, comprising the largest workforce engaged in the primary healthcare system, play a pivotal role in addressing population health needs. However, gaps in the training of nurses and midwives in lower-middle-income countries may undermine their performance and necessary skill development for fulfilling key population health needs. Substantial challenges exist in improving the regular curricular and refresher training of diplomate nurses and midwives working in primary care facilities and supporting both clinical care and health promotion functions.

Determinants of suboptimal breastfeeding in Haryana - An analysis of national family health survey-4 data.

Background: Infant and child feeding practices are a prevalent challenge in Haryana.

Objectives: The present study aimed to determine factors associated with non-initiation of breastfeeding within 1 h of birth, no exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) and no continued breastfeeding in Haryana.

Methods: National Family Health Survey-4 data for the state of Haryana was used for analysis.

Factors associated with stillbirths in Haryana, India: a qualitative study.

Background: Each year, 2.6 million babies are stillborn worldwide, almost all in low- and middle-income countries. Several global initiatives, including the Sustainable Development Goals and the Every Newborn Action Plan, have contributed to a renewed focus on prevention of stillbirths.

Risk factors for stillbirths: how much can a responsive health system prevent?

Background: The stillbirth rate is an indicator of quality of care during pregnancy and delivery. Good quality care is supported by a functional heath system. The objective of this study was to explore the risk factors for stillbirths, particularly those related to a health system.

How Do Masters of Public Health Programs Teach Monitoring and Evaluation?

Introduction: The health systems in developing countries face challenges because of deficient monitoring and evaluation (M&E) capacity with respect to their knowledge, skills, and practices. Strengthening M&E training in public health education can help overcome the gaps in M&E capacity. There is a need to advance the teaching of M&E as a core element of public health education.

Use of Sex Selection Techniques for Social Reasons: A Menace.

Sex selection skewed towards males is a malady that our society is grappling with. The desire to have a child of preferred gender has encouraged people to move beyond the ambit of traditions and explore scientific methods. Despite the controversies around sex-selection for social reasons and strong regulatory mechanisms in place, the demand for such measures has not gone down.

Assessment of newborn care corners in selected public health facilities in Bihar.

Background: A functional newborn care corner (NBCC) is critical to provide immediate care to newborns including resuscitation, warmth, and initial care to sick newborns. NBCC provides an acceptable environment for all infants at birth, and it is mandatory for all delivery points at all levels in the health system including operation theaters.

Objective: The objective of this study was to find the status of availability of NBCCs and service provision in selected public health facilities of Bihar.

Mobile-based effective vaccine management tool: An m-health initiative implemented by UNICEF in Bihar.

Background: UNICEF launched the mobile-based Effective Vaccine Management (EVM) system in Bihar in 2014 along with the state government to electronically capture information and identify gaps in the existing vaccine management system for appropriate action.

Objective: This study accessed the implementation process of this initiative.

Methods: Quantitative data related to vaccine supply chain management indicators were collected in November-December 2015 using factsheets and dashboards, representing the situation of the vaccine supply and cold chain management system at regular intervals since the launch.

Computer tablet-based health technology for strengthening maternal and child tracking in Bihar.

Background: UNICEF along with the State Government of Bihar launched a computer tablet-based Mother and Child Tracking System (MCTS) in 2014, to capture real-time data online and to minimize the challenges faced with the conventional MCTS.

Objective: The article reports the process of implementation of tablet-based MCTS in Bihar.

Methods: In-depth interviews with medical officers, program managers, data managers, auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs), and a monitoring and evaluation specialist were conducted in October 2015 to understand the process of implementation, challenges and possibility for sustainability, and scale-up of the innovation.

Rollout of quality assurance interventions in labor room in two districts of Bihar, India.

Background: Quality of care at the facilities during childbirth remains a major concern. Improved quality could have the greatest dividend in saving maternal and newborn lives.

Objective: The objective of this study was to implement quality assurance measures in the labor rooms of select public health facilities in two districts of Bihar.

Using nonpneumatic anti-shock garment for postpartum hemorrhage management and referral at the public health facilities: A pilot study in two districts of Bihar.

Background: Nonpneumatic anti-shock garment (NASG) is a first-aid device that can save lives of women experiencing postpartum hemorrhage (PPH).

Objective: The aim was to explore the feasibility of implementation of NASG intervention at select public health primary care facilities in two high priority districts of Bihar.

Methods: Qualitative design was used to document the NASG implementation process.

An assessment of bicycle intervention to improve service delivery by accredited social health activists in selected blocks of West Champaran district of Bihar.

Background: Several programmatic and logistic issues affect the overall performance of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs). Bihar Government provided bicycles to ASHAs in West Champaran district for increasing coverage of services by improving their mobility.

Objective: To assess the use of bicycles by ASHAs and it's effect on service delivery.

Rolling out of kangaroo mother care in secondary level facilities in Bihar-Some experiences.

Background: Preterm birth is one of the leading causes of under-five child deaths worldwide and in India. Kangaroo mother care (KMC) is a powerful and easy-to-use method to promote health and well-being and reduce morbidity and mortality in preterm/low birth weight (LBW) babies.

Objective: As the part of the roll-out of India Newborn Action Plan interventions, we implemented KMC in select facilities with an objective to assess the responsiveness of public health system to roll out KMC.

How do parents and pediatricians arrive at the decision to immunize their children in the private sector? Insights from a qualitative study on rotavirus vaccination across select Indian cities.

Key debates on improving vaccination coverage tend to focus on factors that affect uptake in the public health system while ignoring the private sector that plays an important role in providing health services in any low or middle-income country setting. Using in-depth interviews, we explored factors that influenced the decision of parents as well as pediatricians working in the private sector across 8 Indian cities on whether their children should be vaccinated with a particular vaccine Pediatricians and their relationship with parents was an important factor that influenced the decision on whether parents vaccinated their children with a particular vaccine or not. The decision to recommend a vaccine is taken on the principle that it is better to be safe than sorry than on any objective assessment of whether a child requires a particular vaccine or not.

Improving reporting of infant deaths, maternal deaths and stillbirths in Haryana, India.

Underreporting hampers the accurate estimation of the numbers of infant and maternal deaths and stillbirths in India. In Haryana state, a surveillance-based model - the Maternal Infant Death Review System - was launched in 2013 to try to resolve this issue. The system is a mixture of routine passive data collection and active surveillance by specially recruited and trained field volunteers.

Building Interdisciplinary Leadership Skills among Health Practitioners in the Twenty-First Century: An Innovative Training Model.

Transformational learning is the focus of twenty-first century global educational reforms. In India, there is a need to amalgamate the skills and knowledge of medical, nursing, and public health practitioners and to develop robust leadership competencies among them. This initiative proposed to identify interdisciplinary leadership competencies among Indian health practitioners and to develop a training program for interdisciplinary leadership skills through an Innovation Collaborative.

Risk Factors for Stillbirth: Findings from a Population-Based Case-Control Study, Haryana, India.

Background: Stillbirth is a prevalent adverse outcome of pregnancy in India despite efforts to improve care of women during pregnancy. Risk factors for stillbirths include sociodemographic factors, medical complications during pregnancy, intake of harmful drugs, and complications during delivery. The objective of the study was to examine the risk factors for stillbirth with a focus on sex selection drugs (SSDs).

Consumption of indigenous medicines by pregnant women in North India for selecting sex of the foetus: what can it lead to?

Background: Sex ratio is an important indicator of development. Despite all the measures undertaken for improvement, it remains an issue of concern in India, with Haryana having a very low sex ratio in the country. Studies have been conducted indicating that consumption of indigenous drugs used for sex selection (SSD) could be strongly associated with adverse effects on the foetal development, including congenital malformations.

Developing core competencies for monitoring and evaluation tracks in South Asian MPH programs.

Background: Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) provides vital information for decision-making and its structures, systems and processes are expected to be integrated throughout the life-cycle of public health programs. The acquisition of these skills should be developed in a structured manner and needs educational systems to identify core competencies in M&E teaching. This article presents our work on harmonizing M&E competencies for Masters level programs in the South Asian context and undertaking the global review of M&E track/ concentration offered in various Masters of Public Health (MPH) programs.

Indigenous Medicine Use for Sex Selection During Pregnancy and Risk of Congenital Malformations: A Population-Based Case-Control Study in Haryana, India.

Introduction: Congenital malformations (CMFs) are a major public health problem in India. Consanguineous marriages, infections during pregnancy, folic acid deficiency during the periconceptional period, exposure to pesticides and a history of intake of drugs during pregnancy have been hypothesized as risk factors. Drugs include oral contraceptive pills, progesterone analogues, medications for ailments and indigenous drugs to bear male offspring.

Enhancing public health practice through a capacity-building educational programme: an evaluation.

Background: The Post-Graduate Diploma in Public Health Management, launched by the Govt. of India under the aegis of the National Rural Health Mission in 2008, aims to enhance the managerial capabilities of public health professionals to improve the public health system. The Govt.

Ethnic differences in glycaemic control in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus living in Scotland.

Background And Aims: Previous studies have investigated the association between ethnicity and processes of care and intermediate outcomes of diabetes, but there are limited population-based studies available. The aim of this study was to use population-based data to investigate the relationships between ethnicity and glycaemic control in men and women with diabetes mellitus living in Scotland.

Methods: We used a 2008 extract from the population-based national electronic diabetes database of Scotland.