Development and testing of a composite index to monitor the continuum of maternal health service delivery at provincial and district level in South Africa

The continuum of care is a recommended framework for comprehensive health service delivery for maternal health, and it integrates health system and social determinants of health. There is a current lack of knowledge on a measurement approach to monitor performance on the framework. In this study we aim to develop and test a composite index for assessing the maternal health continuum in a province in South Africa with the possibility of nationwide use

Tasmanian Biosolids Reuse Guidelines

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Progress towards biosolids recycling in Tasmania

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Determinants of women's satisfaction with maternal health care: a review of literature from developing countries.

BACKGROUND: Developing countries account for 99 percent of maternal deaths annually. While increasing service availability and maintaining acceptable quality standards, it is important to assess maternal satisfaction with care in order to make it more responsive and culturally acceptable, ultimately leading to enhanced utilization and improved outcomes. At a time when global efforts to reduce maternal mortality have been stepped up, maternal satisfaction and its determinants also need to be addressed by developing country governments. This review seeks to identify determinants of women's satisfaction with maternity care in developing countries. METHODS: The review followed the methodology of systematic reviews. Public health and social science databases were searched. English articles covering antenatal, intrapartum or postpartum care, for either home or institutional deliveries, reporting maternal satisfaction from developing countries (World Bank list) were included, with no year limit. Out of 154 shortlisted abstracts, 54 were included and 100 excluded. Studies were extracted onto structured formats and analyzed using the narrative synthesis approach. RESULTS: Determinants of maternal satisfaction covered all dimensions of care across structure, process and outcome. Structural elements included good physical environment, cleanliness, and availability of adequate human resources, medicines and supplies. Process determinants included interpersonal behavior, privacy, promptness, cognitive care, perceived provider competency and emotional support. Outcome related determinants were health status of the mother and newborn. Access, cost, socio-economic status and reproductive history also influenced perceived maternal satisfaction. Process of care dominated the determinants of maternal satisfaction in developing countries. Interpersonal behavior was the most widely reported determinant, with the largest body of evidence generated around provider behavior in terms of courtesy and non-abuse. Other aspects of interpersonal behavior included therapeutic communication, staff confidence and competence and encouragement to laboring women. CONCLUSIONS: Quality improvement efforts in developing countries could focus on strengthening the process of care. Special attention is needed to improve interpersonal behavior, as evidence from the review points to the importance women attach to being treated respectfully, irrespective of socio-cultural or economic context. Further research on maternal satisfaction is required on home deliveries and relative strength of various determinants in influencing maternal satisfaction

100 years of mortality due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Australia: the role of tobacco consumption

Global studies of the long-term association between tobacco consumption and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have relied upon descriptions of trends.To statistically analyse the relationship of tobacco consumption with data on mortality due to COPD over the past 100 years in Australia.Tobacco consumption was reconstructed back to 1887. Log-linear Poisson regression models were used to analyse cumulative cohort and lagged time-specific smoking data and its relationship with COPD mortality.Age-standardised COPD mortality, although likely misclassified with other diseases, decreased for males and females from 1907 until the start of the Second World War in contrast to steadily rising tobacco consumption. Thereafter, COPD mortality rose sharply in line with trends in smoking, peaking in the early 1970s for males and over 20 years later for females, before falling again. Regression models revealed both cumulative and time-specific tobacco consumption to be strongly predictive of COPD mortality, with a time lag of 15 years for males and 20 years for females.Sharp falls in COPD mortality before the Second World War were unrelated to tobacco consumption. Smoking was the primary driver of post-War trends, and the success of anti-smoking campaigns has sharply reduced COPD mortality levels

A pseudo case of atypical pseudo-Meigs syndrome

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Trends in oral, pharyngeal and oesophageal cancer mortality in Australia: The comparative importance of tobacco, alcohol and other risk factors

The relationship of long-term population-level trends in oral, pharyngeal and oesophageal cancer mortality with major risk factors such as tobacco consumption have not been statistically analysed in Australia. We have demonstrated the long-term implications using historical data.Estimated age and sex-specific tobacco consumption back-extrapolated to 1887 were used together with alcohol and fruit and vegetable consumption data to examine their association with trends in oral, pharyngeal and oesophageal cancer mortality. Log-linear Poisson regression models were applied to specify the relationship with oesophageal and pharyngeal mortality data.Oral cancer mortality for males decreased sharply in the first half of the 20th Century in contrast to steadily rising tobacco consumption. Female oral and pharyngeal cancer remained steady at low levels. Post-World War II male and female oesophageal and male pharyngeal cancer mortality rose, then either fell or stabilised, without a clear relationship with risk factors.Tobacco and alcohol consumption have influenced post-World War II trends in oral, pharyngeal and oesophageal cancer mortality. However, the challenges in using historical population level data prevent precise interpretation of findings.There is increased exposure to risk factors for these cancers in many low- and middle-income countries. In particular, smoking cessation programs are needed to prevent increases in mortality from these cancers in such countries