Metaphors we love by: Conceptualizations of sex among young people in Malawi.

This paper explores how young people in Malawi conceptualize sex and sexual relations through an analysis of their personal narratives about these phenomena. Eleven focus group discussions were conducted with 114 youth aged 14-19 years. Participants were asked to describe behaviors, attitudes, and motivations to reduce unplanned pregnancies and the spread of HIV/AIDS, with appropriate probes to illuminate their sexual world-views.

Provision and use of maternal health services among urban poor women in Kenya: what do we know and what can we do?

In sub-Saharan Africa, the unprecedented population growth that started in the second half of the twentieth century has evolved into unparalleled urbanization and an increasing proportion of urban dwellers living in slums and shanty towns, making it imperative to pay greater attention to the health problems of the urban poor. In particular, urgent efforts need to focus on maternal health. Despite the lack of reliable trend data on maternal mortality, some investigators now believe that progress in maternal health has been very slow in sub-Saharan Africa.

What does access to maternal care mean among the urban poor? Factors associated with use of appropriate maternal health services in the slum settlements of Nairobi, Kenya.

Objectives: The study seeks to improve understanding of maternity health seeking behaviors in resource-deprived urban settings. The objective of this paper is to identify the factors which influence the choice of place of delivery among the urban poor, with a distinction between sub-standard and "appropriate" health facilities.

Methods: The data are from a maternal health project carried out in two slums of Nairobi, Kenya.

Progress towards the child mortality millennium development goal in urban sub-Saharan Africa: the dynamics of population growth, immunization, and access to clean water.

Background: Improvements in child survival have been very poor in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Since the 1990 s, declines in child mortality have reversed in many countries in the region, while in others, they have either slowed or stalled, making it improbable that the target of reducing child mortality by two thirds by 2015 will be reached. This paper highlights the implications of urban population growth and access to health and social services on progress in achieving MDG 4.

Use of insecticide-treated clothes for personal protection against malaria: a community trial.

Background: The study sought to determine the effect of using insecticide-treated clothes (ITCs) on personal protection against malaria infection. The specific objectives were to determine the effect of using ITCs on the rate of infection with malaria parasites and the effect on indoor mosquito density.

Methods: This study was done in Dadaab refugee camps, North Eastern Province Kenya between April and August 2002, and involved a total of 198 participants, all refugees of Somali origin.

Child morbidity and healthcare utilization in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya.

Rapid urbanization and inequitable distribution of social services in African cities significantly contribute to the current deterioration of child health indicators in the region. Determinants of child morbidity and healthcare utilization among slum residents in Nairobi City, Kenya were assessed. Using a morbidity surveillance system, we visited 1691 households every 90 days for 9 months and registered 696 children below 5 years.

Teenage pregnancy experiences in rural Kenya.

This community-based survey describes the socio-economic determinants of teenage pregnancy, experiences of health problems during pregnancy, and health care utilization patterns among adolescents (12-19 years old) in rural Kenya. Characteristics of adolescents with repeated pregnancy experiences were compared with first-time pregnancies. The survey covered 3,132 households from 32 randomly selected communities and 1,247 adolescents were interviewed.

A comparison of pregnancy and child health outcomes between teenage and adult mothers in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya.

The study assessed and compared pregnancy and child health outcomes of teenage (aged less than 20 years) and adult (20-34 years of age) mothers. A total of 226 teenage and 205 adult mothers met the study criteria out of the 3,256 women in the reproductive age group (15-49 years) and 318 adolescent girls (12-14 years of age) covered by the Nairobi Cross-sectional Slums Survey (NCSS). The main comparison involved socio-demographic variables, events during pregnancy, obstetric outcome, child morbidity and mortality and care provided during an illness episode.

Sleeping arrangements and mosquito net use among under-fives: results from the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey.

BACKGROUND: The Roll Back Malaria Initiative has identified the under-fives as one of the high risk groups for malaria, and one of the strategies to fight malaria in this group is increasing mosquito net use. This implies that there must be selective targeting at the household level such that the children are protected. However, the Roll Back Malaria preferences must be reconciled with those at the household level to take into account household level preferences.