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Journal Articles

  • Effects of mutual health organizations on use of priority health-care services in urban and rural Mali: a case–control study | 2008

    The objective of this study was to examine the effects of a community-based mutual health organization (MHO) on utilization of priority health services, financial protection of its members and inclusion of the poor and other target groups. Four MHOs were established in two districts in Mali. A case–control study was carried out in which household survey data were collected from 817 MHO member households, 787 non-member households in MHO catchment areas, and 676 control households in areas without MHOs. We compiled MHO register data by household for a 22-month period.

  • Improving community health worker use of malaria rapid diagnostic tests in Zambia: package instructions, job aid and job aid-plus-training | 2008

    Introduction of artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) has boosted interest in parasite-based malaria diagnosis, leading to increased use of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), particularly in rural settings where microscopy is limited. With donor support, national malaria control programmes are now procuring large quantities of RDTs. The scarcity of health facilities and trained personnel in many sub-Saharan African countries means that limiting RDT use to such facilities would exclude a significant proportion of febrile cases.

  • Are skilled birth attendants really skilled? A measurement method, some disturbing results and a potential way forward | 2007

    Delivery by a skilled birth attendant (SBA) serves as an indicator of progress towards reducing maternal mortality worldwide – the fifth Millennium Development Goal. Though WHO tracks the proportion of women delivered by SBAs, we know little about their competence to manage common life-threatening obstetric complications. We assessed SBA competence in five high maternal mortality settings as a basis for initiating quality improvement. The WHO Integrated Management of Pregnancy and Childbirth (IMPAC) guidelines served as our competency standard.