BackgroundMass media is critical in disseminating public health information, improving health knowledge and changing health behaviours. However, most of the mass media public health interventions do not sufficiently engage the local people; they are externally determined. Due to this, very little is known about the effects of locally instigated mass media promotion. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the impact of a community driven mass media campaign called Phukusi la Moyo (tips of life) on the utilisation of maternal health care services.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study involving 3825 women of reproductive age (15–49 years) was conducted in rural Malawi to evaluate the Phukusi la Moyo (PLM) campaign. To do this, we compared the utilisation of maternal health care services between women who were exposed to the PLM campaign and those who were not. Respondents were identified using a multistage cluster sampling method. This involved systematically selecting communities (clusters), households and respondents. Associations were examined using Pearson chi square test and a multivariable logistic regression model.ResultsThe likelihood of using contraceptives (AOR = 1.61; 95 % CI = 1.32–1.96), sleeping under mosquito bed-nets (AOR = 1.65; 95 % CI = 1.39–1.97), utilising antenatal care services (AOR = 2.62; 95 % CI = 1.45–4.73) and utilising postnatal care services (AOR = 1.59; CI = 1.29–1.95) were significantly higher among women who had exposure to the PLM campaign than those who did not. No significant association was found between health facility delivery and exposure to the PLM campaign.ConclusionWomen exposed to a community driven mass media campaign in rural Malawi were more likely to utilise maternal health care services than their unexposed counterparts. Since, the use of maternal health care services reduces the risk of maternal morbidity and mortality, community-led mass media could play a significant role towards improving maternal health outcomes in low-and-middle-income countries. Therefore, we recommend the use of locally driven mass media in disseminating public health information in limited resource settings.

BackgroundAlthough Malawi is one of the countries with highest Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) in Sub–Saharan Africa, pregnancies and fertility among young women remain high. This suggests low up take of contraceptives by young women. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors associated with contraceptive use among young women in Malawi.MethodsThis is a secondary analysis of household data for 10,422 young women aged 15–24 years collected during the 2015–16 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS). The sample was weighted to ensure representativeness. Descriptive statistics, bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to assess the demographic, social – economic and other factors that influence contraceptive use among young women. Crude Odds Ratio (COR) and Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were computed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 22.0.ResultsOf the 10,422 young women, 3219 used contraception representing a prevalence of 30.9%. The findings indicate that age, region of residence, marital status, education, religion, work status, a visit to health facility, and knowledge of the ovulatory cycle are significant predictors of contraceptive use among young women in Malawi. Women who were in the age group 20–24 years (AOR = 1.93; 95% CI = 1.73–2.16), working (AOR = 1.26; 95% CI = 1.14–1.39), currently married (AOR = 6.26; 95% CI = 5.46–7.18), knowledgeable about their ovulatory cycle (AOR = 1.75; 95% CI = 1.50–2.05), and those with primary education (AOR = 1.47; 95% CI = 1.18–1.83) were more likely to use contraceptives than their counterparts.ConclusionThis study has demonstrated that several social demographic and economic factors are associated with contraceptive use among young women in Malawi. These findings should be considered and reflected in public health policies to address issues that could be barriers to the use of contraception by young women. Strengthening access to family planning information and services for young women is highly recommended to reduce pregnancies among young women in Malawi.

BackgroundThe use of herbal medicines during pregnancy is very high globally and previous studies have pointed out possible associations with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Nevertheless, the safety of herbal medicines in pregnancy is under-explored in low-income countries experiencing high maternal and neonatal complications. We investigated the associations between self-reported use of Mwanamphepo (a group of herbal medicines commonly used to induce or hasten labour) and adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes in rural Malawi.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis of secondary household data relating to 8219 births that occurred between 2005 and 2010 in Mchinji district, Malawi. The data were collected as part of a cluster-randomised controlled trial (RCT) that evaluated community interventions designed to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality. Data were gathered on maternity history, demographic characteristics, pregnancy outcomes and exposure to Mwanamphepo. Associations between self-reported use of Mwanamphepo and maternal morbidity as well as neonatal death or morbidity were examined using mixed-effects models, adjusted for relevant covariates. All analyses were also adjusted for the clustered nature of the survey.ResultsOf the 8219 births, Mwanamphepo was used in 2113 pregnancies, representing an estimated prevalence of 25.7%. The self-reported use of Mwanamphepo was significantly associated with increased occurrence of maternal morbidity and neonatal death or morbidity. Specifically, the odds of maternal morbidity were 28% higher among self-reported users than non-users of Mwanamphepo (AOR = 1.28; 95% CI = 1.09–1.50) and the probabilities of neonatal death or morbidity were 22% higher (AOR =1.22; 95% CI = 1.06–1.40) among neonates whose mother reportedly used Mwanamphepo than those who did not.ConclusionThe use of Mwanamphepo was associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in rural Malawi. Thus, herbal medicines may not be safe in pregnancy. Where possible, pregnant women should be discouraged from using herbal medicines of unconfirmed safety and those who report to have used should be closely monitored by health professionals. The study was limited by the self-report of exposure and unavailability of data relating to some possible confounders.

In an era of Sustainable Development Goals, maternal, newborn, and child health still require improvement. Continuum of care is considered key to improving the health status of these populations. The continuum of care is a series of care strategies starting from pre-pregnancy to motherhood-childhood. The effectiveness of such linkage between the pregnancy, birth, and postnatal periods has been demonstrated. However, almost no study has assessed the impact of linkage that starts from pre-pregnancy to pregnancy care on maternal and child health. The present study attempts to fill this gap by assessing the effectiveness of the care linkage between pre-pregnancy and pregnancy care for reducing neonatal, perinatal, and maternal mortality in low- and middle-income countries. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials in low- and middle-income countries. The outcome variables were neonatal, perinatal, and maternal mortality. We searched databases such as PubMed/Medline, POPLINE, EBSCO/CINAHL, and ISI Web of Science for the period 2000–2014, using broad search terms (e.g., pre-pregnancy OR adolescent OR mother), combined with search terms specific for interventions, (e.g., family planning OR contraception OR spacing). From the 1,325 retrieved articles, five studies were finally analyzed. The meta-analysis showed that interventions linking pre-pregnancy and pregnancy care effectively reduced neonatal mortality (risk ratio [RR]: 0.79; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.71–0.89, I2 = 62%) and perinatal mortality (RR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.75–0.94, I2 = 73%), but did not show an effect on maternal mortality. Neonatal and perinatal mortality could be reduced by linking pre-pregnancy and pregnancy care. This linkage of pre-pregnancy and pregnancy cares is an essential component of continuum of care to improve newborn health.Review RegistrationPROSPERO International prospective register of systematic reviews (CRD42015023424).

ObjectiveThe use of herbal medicines for induction of labour (IOL) is common globally and yet its effects are not well understood. We assessed the efficacy and safety of herbal medicines for IOL.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis of published literature.Data sourcesWe searched in MEDLINE, AMED and CINAHL in April 2017, updated in June 2018.Eligibility criteriaWe considered experimental and non-experimental studies that compared relevant pregnancy outcomes between users and non-user of herbal medicines for IOL.Data extraction and synthesisData were extracted by two reviewers using a standardised form. A random-effects model was used to synthesise effects sizes and heterogeneity was explored through I2 statistic. The risk of bias was assessed using ‘John Hopkins Nursing School Critical Appraisal Tool’ and ‘Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool’.ResultsA total of 1421 papers were identified through the searches, but only 10 were retained after eligibility and risk of bias assessments. The users of herbal medicine for IOL were significantly more likely to give birth within 24 hours than non-users (Risk Ratio (RR) 4.48; 95% CI 1.75 to 11.44). No significant difference in the incidence of caesarean section (RR 1.19; 95% CI 0.76 to 1.86), assisted vaginal delivery (RR 0.73; 95% CI 0.47 to 1.14), haemorrhage (RR 0.84; 95% CI 0.44 to 1.60), meconium-stained liquor (RR 1.20; 95% CI 0.65 to 2.23) and admission to nursery (RR 1.08; 95% CI 0.49 to 2.38) was found between users and non-users of herbal medicines for IOL.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that herbal medicines for IOL are effective, but there is inconclusive evidence of safety due to lack of good quality data. Thus, the use of herbal medicines for IOL should be avoided until safety issues are clarified. More studies are recommended to establish the safety of herbal medicines.