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Esme Marie Laure Essis,1– 3 Wambi Maurice Evariste Yaméogo,4 Olivier Gbènamblo Sossa,5 Daouda Doukouré,1,2 Rachidatou Compaoré,4,6 Djoukou Olga Denise Kpebo,1,2,7 Marie Laurette Agbré-Yacé,1,2 Joseph Aka,1,7 Issiaka Tiembré,7,8 Blaise Sondo,4 Seni Kouanda4,6 1National Institute of Public Health, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire; 2Reproductive Health Research Unit of Cote d’Ivoire, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire; 3Doctoral School in Science, Health, and Technology, Saint Thomas Aquinas University, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; 4African Institute of Public Health, Saint Thomas Aquinas University, Saaba, Burkina Faso; 5Department of Economics and Management, Thomas Sankara University, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; 6Research Institute of Health Sciences, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; 7Department of Public Health, Felix Houphouët Boigny University, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire; 8National Institute of Public Hygiene, Abidjan, Cote d’IvoireCorrespondence: Esme Marie Laure Essis, National Institute of Public Health, Abidjan, BP V 47, Cote d’Ivoire, Tel +225 07 07 88 72 13, Fax +225 20 22 44 02, Email essismarie2007@yahoo.frBackground: Monitoring and evaluation were introduced into the management of national health programs to ensure that results were attained, and that donors’ funds were used transparently. This study aims to describe the process of the emergence and formulation of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems in national programs addressing maternal and child health in Cote d’Ivoire.Methods: We conducted a multilevel case study combining a qualitative investigation and a literature review. This study took place in the city of Abidjan, where in-depth interviews were conducted with twenty-four (24) former officials who served at the central level of the health system and with six (06) employees from the technical and financial partners’ agencies. A total of 31 interviews were conducted from January 10 to April 20, 2020. Data analysis was conducted according to the Kingdon conceptual framework modified by Lemieux and adapted by Ridde.Results: The introduction of M&E in national health programs was due to the will of the technical and financial partners and the political and technical decision-makers at the central level of the national health system, who were concerned with accountability and convincing results in these programs. However, its formulation through a top-down approach was sketchy and lacked content to guide its implementation and future evaluation in the absence of national expertise in M&E.Conclusion: The emergence of M&E systems in national health programs was originally endogenous and exogenous but strongly recommended by donors. Its formulation in the context of limited national expertise was marked by the absence of standards and guidelines that could codify the development of robust M&E systems.Keywords: monitoring and evaluation, emergence, formulation, health program, Africa, Cote d’Ivoire

INTRODUCTION: cette étude a eu pour objectifs de diagnostiquer la tuberculose pulmonaire par l'examen microscopique et par la PCR des crachats et de déterminer les bases moléculaires de la résistance à la rifampicine et à l'isoniazide. METHODES: le diagnostic du Complexe Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (CMTB) a été effectué par microscopie après coloration au Ziehl Nielsen et par PCR en temps réel en utilisant le kit d'identification du complexe MTB (Sacace Biotechnologie, Italie). Les résistances à la Rifampicine et à l'Isoniazide ont été étudiées par la technique de la PCR en utilisant le kit MTB résistance 8 (Sacace, Biotechnologie). RESULTATS: sur les 59 patients diagnostiqués pour la tuberculose pulmonaire, 59,3% étaient positifs en microscopie optique et 44,1% étaient positifs par PCR en Temps réel. Les résistances à la rifampicine (rpoB) et à l'isoniazide (katG et inhA) ont été observées chez 9 patients. La résistance à la rifampicine était due aux mutations (Asp516Val, Ser531Trp, Leu533Pro) et celle à l'isoniazide par les substitutions Ser315Thr du gène katG et C209T du gène inhA. Les multi résistances à la rifampicine et à l'isoniazide ont été observées dans 55,5% des échantillons et concernaient les associations : ropBAsp513Val + inhAC209T et rpoBLeu533Pro + katGSer315Thr. CONCLUSION: la PCR en temps réel qui permet l'identification des allèles mutants rpoB, katG et inhA de M. tuberculosis est un outil de diagnostic épidémiologique de grande importance car elle permet de déterminer le niveau de résistance à la rifampicine et à l'isoniazide.

Research capacity strengthening (RCS) can empower individuals, institutions, networks, or countries to define and prioritize problems systematically; develop and scientifically evaluate appropriate solutions; and reinforce or improve capacities to translate knowledge into policy and practice. However, how to embed RCS into multi-country studies focusing on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is largely undocumented. We used findings from a qualitative study, from a review of the literature, and from a validation exercise from a panel of experts from research institutions that work on SRHR RCS. We provide a framework for embedded RCS; suggest a set of seven concrete actions that research project planners, designers, implementers, and funders can utilise to guide embedded RCS activities in low- and middle-income countries; and present a practical checklist for planning and assessing embedded RCS in research projects.

Background: Little is known about postabortion care (PAC) services in Burkina Faso, despite PAC's importance as an essential and life-saving component of emergency obstetric care. This study aims to evaluate PAC service availability, readiness, and accessibility in Burkina Faso., Methods: Data for this study come from the Performance Monitoring for Action (PMA) Burkina Faso project and the Harmonized Health Facility Assessment (HHFA) conducted by the Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé and the Ministry of Health. PMA data from a representative sample of women aged 15-49 (n = 6,385) were linked via GPS coordinates to HHFA facility data (n = 2,757), which included all public and private health facilities in Burkina Faso. We assessed readiness to provide basic and comprehensive PAC using the signal functions framework. We then calculated distance to facilities and examined percent within 5 kms of a facility with any PAC, basic PAC, and comprehensive PAC overall and by women's background characteristics., Results: PAC services were available in 46.4% of health facilities nationwide; only 38.3% and 35.0% of eligible facilities had all basic and comprehensive PAC signal functions, respectively. Removal of retained products of conception was the most common missing signal function for both basic and comprehensive PAC, followed by provision of any contraception (basic) or any LARC (comprehensive). Nearly 85% of women lived within 5 km of a facility providing any PAC services, while 50.5% and 17.4% lived within 5 km of a facility providing all basic PAC and all comprehensive PAC signal functions, respectively. Women with more education, greater wealth, and those living in urban areas had greater odds of living within 5 km of a facility with offering PAC, basic PAC, or comprehensive PAC., Conclusions: Results indicate a need for increased PAC availability and readiness, prioritizing basic PAC services at the primary level-the main source of care for many women-which would reduce structural disparities in access. The current deficiencies in PAC signal a need for broader strengthening of the primary healthcare services in Burkina Faso to reduce the burden of unsafe abortion-related morbidity and mortality while improving maternal health outcomes more broadly., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Maternal and infant morbidity and mortality remain high in sub-Saharan Africa. However, actions to strengthen postpartum care are still weak and mainly limited to health facilities (HFs). In Kaya health district, Burkina Faso, community health workers (CHWs) were involved in mother and child care during the 1st year postpartum through home visits, outreach sessions and accompanying mothers to health facilities. The aim of this study was to assess the contribution of CHWs to postpartum women's attendance at the health facilities., Methods: We conducted an effect assessment using Mayne and Lemire's contribution analysis framework. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through project documents review and individual semi-structured interviews with key-informants., Results: All the participants interviewed acknowledged that the number of women, who came to postpartum care, had increased since the implementation of the project activities. Postpartum consultation rates within the 1st week postpartum increased from 29% in 2011 to 80% in 2015 and from 19 to 50% within 6 weeks. Others interventions such as Performance based financing, Save The Children nutritional project and the health services component of Missed Opportunities in Mother and Infant Health (MOMI) were the alternative explanations., Conclusions: CHWs involvement in women care contributed to improve their adherence to postpartum consultations in Kaya health district., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Tougri, Compaoré, Ouédraogo, Bila, Temmerman and Kouanda.)

Background: Despite the negative impact of unsafe abortions on women's health and rights, the degree of abortion safety remains strikingly undocumented for a large share of abortions globally. Data on how women induce abortions (method, setting, provider) are central to the measurement of abortion safety. However, health-facility statistics and direct questioning in population surveys do not yield representative data on abortion care seeking pathways in settings where access to abortion services is highly restricted. Recent developments in survey methodologies to study stigmatized / illegal behaviour and hidden populations rely on the fact that such information circulates within social networks; however, such efforts have yet to give convincing results for unsafe abortions., Objective: This article presents the protocol of a study whose purpose is to apply and develop further two network-based methods to contribute to the generation of reliable population-level information on the safety of abortions in contexts where access to legal abortion services is highly restricted., Methods: This study plans to obtain population-level data on abortion care seeking in two Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems in urban Kenya and rural Burkina Faso by applying two methods: Anonymous Third-Party Reporting (ATPR) (also known as confidantes' method) and Respondent Driven Sampling (RDS). We will conduct a mixed methods formative study to determine whether these network-based approaches are pertinent in the study contexts. The ATPR will be refined notably by incorporating elements of the Network Scale-Up Method (NSUM) to correct or account for certain of its biases (transmission, barrier, social desirability, selection). The RDS will provide reliable alternative estimates of abortion safety if large samples and equilibrium can be reached; an RDS multiplex variant (also including social referents) will be tested., Discussion: This study aims at documenting abortion safety in two local sites using ATPR and RDS. If successful, it will provide data on the safety profiles of abortion seekers across sociodemographic categories in two contrasted settings in sub-Saharan Africa. It will advance the formative research needed to determine whether ATPR and RDS are applicable or not in a given context. It will improve the questionnaire and correcting factors for the ATPR, improve the capacity of RDS to produce quasi-representative data on abortion safety, and advance the validation of both methods., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objective: To assess the current system of maternal death review (MDR) in Ghana and identify the achievements, challenges, and gaps that will assist in transitioning to the maternal death surveillance and response system (MDSR)., Methods: A secondary analysis of data from a cross-sectional study on MDSR implementation was conducted between September and October 2018. The MDSR cycle served as an analytical framework to measure the country's performance in implementing MDSR. Common facilitating or hindering factors were also identified., Results: The MDR system is moderately strong at regional level with timely receipt of data and regular review meetings and reports in most regions. At district level the MDR system is less well implemented, although there is evidence of good communication with regional teams in providing timely data. Communication between districts and communities about maternal deaths seemed to be poor in general. There was no MDR committee at national level and the recommendations made were poorly implemented., Conclusion: MDRs in Ghana were structurally sound, but recommendations were poorly implemented. Leadership at the national level needs to be developed to ensure that the current system could transition to an MDSR system., (© 2022 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)

Objective: To evaluate the implementation of the maternal and neonatal death surveillance and response (MNDSR) system at county level in Liberia., Methods: Secondary analysis of data from a cross-sectional study carried out in March 2016, using both quantitative and qualitative methods to collect data in five counties based on set criteria. Three health facilities were selected in each county through the Health Management Information System (HMIS) by random sampling. The evaluation was also carried out in one catchment community per health facility and at the county referral hospital. Primary data were collected through individual interviews and a review of MNDSR tools and structure. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis., Results: Implementation of the MNDSR system was very low in the five counties. Only two out of the five counties were currently conducting MNDSR. MNDSR guidelines and standard operating procedures were not available at the county level. Only 12 (23.5%) health facilities had a maternal and neonatal death review committee. Less than a quarter of the assessed community members could correctly give the definition of a maternal or neonatal death., Conclusion: The MNDSR system is weak in Liberia, at county, health facility, and community levels. Strong national commitment is needed in collaboration with diverse partners for successful implementation of the system., (© 2022 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)

Objective: To identify barriers to the implementation of maternal death reviews in health districts in Burkina Faso., Methods: We conducted a multiple case study in seven health facilities chosen by contrasted purposive sampling. Sampling criteria were based on intrahospital maternal mortality rates and the location of the health facility. Data collection was conducted from April 27 to May 30, 2015, using structured and semistructured interviews and data extraction from source documents. Data were analyzed using a thematic approach., Results: Barriers to quality maternal death reviews identified were primarily implementation conditions, including poor skills and motivation of healthcare personnel, low interest in quality of care, lack of suitable equipment, insufficient coordination and collaboration between health services, insufficient monitoring, and weakness in programming and conducting the reviews., Conclusion: Barriers to achieving quality maternal death reviews remain numerous at the operational level of the health system. Taking steps to remove these barriers is key to improving the quality of maternal death reviews and childbirth outcomes in Burkina Faso., (© 2022 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of infection among abortion-related complications in health facilities, describe their management, and identify sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with abortion-related infections., Methods: A secondary analysis of the WHO Multi-Country Survey on Abortion-related morbidity (MCS-A) conducted in 210 health facilities of 11 Sub-Saharan African countries between 2017 and 2018. The outcome variable was abortion-related infections, categorized into three mutually exclusive groups of abortion-related complications: infections only, infection with other complications, and other complications without infection. We described the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and the management of abortion-related infection and identified the factors associated with abortion-related infections using a multinomial logistic model., Results: A total of 9232 women with abortion-related complications were included, with infection occurring among 10.6% of women (n = 974). Infection was involved in 47.4% (n = 153) of severe maternal outcomes with a case fatality rate of 27.4% (n = 42). The most common management approach was antibiotics, uterine evacuation, and uterotonics combined: 43.2% (n = 384) in the group of women with infection only and 48.6% (n = 4235) among those with infection and other complications. In addition, 85.9% (n = 7095) of women without infection also received therapeutic antibiotics. Factors associated with an increased odds of infection only compared with complication without infection were age younger than 20 years compared with those aged over 30 (aOR 1.84; 95% CI,1.24-2.74), not living in a couple (aOR 2.05, 95% CI,1.52-2.76), and gestational age of 13 weeks or more (aOR 1.70, 95% CI,1.27-2.26). The same factors were associated with infection and other complications., Conclusion: Infection is frequent among severe abortion-related complications, and its case fatality rate is high. Further research to assess the relationship between abortion-related infections and outcomes is needed. There is also a need to question the quality of postabortion care and improve adequate use of antibiotics., (© 2022 World Health Organization; licensed by International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of women who were admitted to health facilities with abortion-related complications who reported feeling anxious/stressed during their stay, and to identify sociodemographic, facility, and abortion-related characteristics associated with self-reported experience of anxiety/stress., Methods: We used data from four countries in Eastern and Southern Africa (Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Uganda) collected from 2017-2018 as part of the World Health Organization (WHO) Multi-Country Survey on Abortion-related morbidity (MCS-A). Information was extracted from women's medical records and their participation in audio computer-assisted self-interviews (ACASI). Based on a question in the ACASI, "Did you encounter any anxiety or stress during your hospital stay?", the percentage of women who self-reported feeling anxious/stressed during their facility stay was calculated. Generalized estimating equations were used to identify the determinants of anxiety/stress following a hierarchical approach whereby potential determinants were grouped from most distal to most proximal and analyzed accordingly., Results: There were 1254 women with abortion-related complications included in the analysis, of which 56.5% self-reported that they felt anxious/stressed during their facility stay. We found evidence that lower socioeconomic status, lower levels of education, no previous childbirth, no previous abortion, higher gestational age at abortion, and use of unsafe methods of abortion were independent determinants of self-reporting anxiety/stress., Conclusions: Action should be taken to reduce experience of anxiety/stress among women attending facilities for postabortion complications, including reducing the number of women experiencing abortion-related complications by improving access to safe abortion. This issue warrants further study using more comprehensive and validated tools to understand the levels and drivers of anxiety/stress self-reported by women attending facilities with abortion-related complications., (© 2022 World Health Organization; licensed by International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)

Objective: Despite evidence of acute and long-term consequences of suboptimal experiences of care, standardized measurements across countries remain limited, particularly for postabortion care. We aimed to determine the proportion of women reporting negative experiences of care for abortion complications, identify risk factors, and assess the potential association with complication severity., Methods: Data were sourced from the WHO Multi-Country Survey on Abortion for women who received facility-based care for abortion complications in 11 African countries. We measured women's experiences of care with eight questions from an audio computer-assisted self-interview related to respect, communication, and support. Multivariable generalized estimating equations were used for analysis., Results: There were 2918 women in the study sample and 1821 (62%) reported at least one negative experience of postabortion care. Participants who were aged under 30 years, single, of low socioeconomic status, and economically dependent had higher odds of negative experiences. Living in West or Central Africa, rather than East Africa, was also associated with reportedly worse care. The influence of complication severity on experience of care appeared significant, such that women with moderate and severe complications had 12% and 40% higher odds of reporting negative experiences, respectively., Conclusion: There were widespread reports of negative experiences of care among women receiving treatment for abortion complications in health facilities. Our findings contribute to the scant understanding of the risk factors for negative experiences of postabortion care and highlight the need to address harmful provider biases and behaviors, alleviate health system constraints, and empower women in demanding better care., (© 2021 World Health Organization; licensed by International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)

Objective: To evaluate the capability of high-volume comprehensive emergency obstetric care (CEmOC) health facilities on the provision of comprehensive postabortion care (PAC) in Sub-Saharan Africa and to determine the frequency of women with severe abortion-related complications in high capability facilities., Methods: A cross-sectional analysis conducted across 11 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, using facility-level information from the World Health Organization (WHO) Multi-Country Survey on Abortion-related morbidity (MCS-A) between 2017 and 2018. PAC signal functions were adapted to assess facilities' capability to deliver comprehensive PAC through infrastructure, standard comprehensive capability, and extended comprehensive capability to provide PAC. The percentage of facilities with each signal function and distribution of facilities by number of signal functions were calculated for the three capability categories. Distribution of severe abortion complications by facility capability score was assessed., Results: Of 210 high-volume CEmOC facilities included, 47.9% (n = 100) had capability to provide all facility infrastructure signal functions, 54.4% (n = 105) for standard comprehensive PAC, reducing to 17.7% (n = 34) for extended comprehensive PAC capability. Overall, there were gaps in extended capabilities including availability of a functioning ICU (available in 37.3% of facilities) and providers 24/7 (65.5% of facilities reported an obstetrician available 24/7 dropping to 41.3% for anesthesiologists). Facilities' PAC capability varied across regions. Overall, 34.6% (n = 614) of women with severe abortion-related complications were treated in facilities with the maximum capability score for extended comprehensive PAC., Conclusion: Although high levels of capability to provide abortion-related care for most signal functions were evident, significant gaps that impact on the management of severe abortion-related complications remain, particularly related to extended facility capabilities including specialized human resources and ICU., (© 2022 World Health Organization; licensed by International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)

Objective: To assess satisfaction with care for abortion-related complications experienced among adolescents compared to older women., Methods: A secondary analysis of the WHO Multi-Country Survey on Abortion-related Morbidity and Mortality-a cross-sectional study conducted in health facilities in 11 Sub-Saharan African countries. Women with abortion-related complications who participated in an audio computer-assisted self-interview were included. Two composite measures of overall satisfaction were created based on five questions: (1) study participants who were either satisfied or very satisfied across all five questions; and (2) study participants who reported being very satisfied only across all five questions. Multivariable general estimating equation analyses were conducted to assess whether there was any evidence that age (adolescents 12-19 years and older women 20+) was associated with each composite measure of satisfaction, controlling for key confounders., Results: The study sample consisted of 2817 women (15% adolescents). Over 75% of participants reported being satisfied or very satisfied for four out of five questions. Overall, 52.9% of study participants reported being satisfied/very satisfied across all five questions and 22.4% reported being consistently very satisfied. Multivariable analyses showed no evidence of an association between age group and being either satisfied or very satisfied (OR 1.07; 95% CI, 0.82-1.41, P = 0.60), but showed strong evidence that adolescents were 50% more likely to be consistently very satisfied with their overall care than older women (OR 1.49; 95% CI, 1.13-1.96, P = 0.005)., Conclusion: Both adolescents and older women reported high levels of satisfaction with care when looking at different components of care individually, but the results of the composite measure for satisfaction showed that many study participants reported being less than satisfied with at least one element of their care. Further studies to explore the expectations, needs, and values of women's satisfaction with care for abortion-related complications are needed., (© 2021 World Health Organization; licensed by International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)

Objective: To investigate the level and determinants of nonreceipt of contraception among women admitted to facilities with abortion-related complications in East and Southern Africa., Methods: Cross-sectional data from Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Uganda collected as part of the World Health Organization (WHO) Multi-Country Survey on Abortion-related morbidity. Medical record review and the audio computer-assisted self-interviewing system were used to collect information on women's demographic and clinical characteristics and their experience of care. The percentage of women who did not receive a contraceptive was estimated and the methods of choice for different types of contraceptives were identified. Potential determinants of nonreceipt of contraception were grouped into three categories: sociodemographic, clinical, and service-related characteristics. Generalized estimating equations were used to identify the determinants of nonreceipt of a contraceptive following a hierarchical approach., Results: A total of 1190 women with abortion-related complications were included in the analysis, of which 33.9% (n = 403) did not receive a contraceptive. We found evidence that urban location of facility, no previous pregnancy, and not receiving contraceptive counselling were risk factors for nonreceipt of a contraceptive. Women from nonurban areas were less likely not to receive a contraceptive than those in urban areas (AOR 0.52; 95% CI, 0.30-0.91). Compared with women who had a previous pregnancy, women who had no previous pregnancy were 60% more likely to not receive a contraceptive (95% CI, 1.14-2.24). Women who did not receive contraceptive counselling were over four times more likely to not receive a contraceptive (AOR 4.01; 95% CI, 2.88-5.59)., Conclusion: Many women leave postabortion care having not received contraceptive counselling and without a contraceptive method. There is a clear need to ensure all women receive high-quality contraceptive information and counselling at the facility to increase contraceptive acceptance and informed decision-making., (© 2021 World Health Organization; licensed by International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)

Background: The effective use of contraception among adolescents and young women can reduce the risk of unintended pregnancies. However, the prevalence of contraceptive use remains low in this age group. The objective of this study was to estimate the rate of contraceptive method discontinuation among adolescents and young women and to identify its associated factors in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger., Method: This was a secondary analysis of data from Demographic and Health Surveys of Burkina Faso (2010), Mali (2012-2013), and Niger (2012). The dependent variable was the time to discontinuation of contraceptive methods. Independent variables were represented by sociodemographic, socioeconomic, and cultural characteristics. Mixed-effects survival analysis with proportional hazards was used to identify the predictors., Results: A total of 2,264 adolescents and young women aged 15 to 24 years were included in this analysis, comprising 1,100 in Burkina Faso, 491 in Mali, and 673 in Niger. Over the last five years, the overall contraceptive discontinuation rate was 68.7% (50.1% in Burkina Faso, 59.6% in Mali, and 96.8% in Niger). At the individual level, in Burkina Faso, occupation (aHR = 0.33), number of living children (aHR = 2.17), marital status (aHR = 2.93), and region (aHR = 0.54) were associated with contraceptive discontinuation. Except for education and marital status, we found the same factors in Mali. In Niger, a women's education level (aHR = 1.47) and her partner (aHR = 0.52) were associated with discontinuation. At the community level, the region of origin was associated with discontinuation of contraceptive methods., Conclusion: Most adolescents and young women experienced at least one episode of discontinuation. Discontinuation of contraceptive methods is associated with the level of education, occupation, number of children, marital status, and desire for children with the spouse. Promotion of contraceptive interventions should target adolescents, young women, and their partners, as well as those with a low education level or in a union.

Background: Research capacity strengthening could be an indirect outcome of implementing a research project. The objective of this study was to explore the ability of the global maternal sepsis study (GLOSS), implemented in 52 countries, to develop and strengthen sexual and reproductive health research capacity of local participants in low- and middle- income participating countries., Methods: We carried out a qualitative study employing grounded theory in sixteen countries in Africa and Latin America. We used inductive and deductive methods through a focus group discussion and semi-structured interviews for the emergence of themes. Participants of the focus group discussion (n = 8) were GLOSS principal investigators (PIs) in Latin America. Interviewees (n = 63) were selected by the country GLOSS PIs in both Africa and Latin America, and included a diverse sample of participants involved in different aspects of study implementation. Eighty-two percent of the participants were health workers. We developed a conceptual framework that took into consideration data obtained from the focus group and refined it based on data from the interviews., Results: Six themes emerged from the data analysis: recognized need for research capacity, unintended effects of participating in research, perceived ownership and linkage with the research study, being just data collectors, belonging to an institution that supports and fosters research, and presenting study results back to study implementers. Research capacity strengthening needs were consistently highlighted including involvement in protocol development, training and technical support, data analysis, and project management. The need for institutional support for researchers to conduct research was also emphasised., Conclusion: This study suggests that research capacity strengthening of local researchers was an unintentional outcome of the large multi-country study on maternal sepsis. However, for sustainable research capacity to be built, study coordinators and funders need to deliberately plan for it, addressing needs at both the individual and institutional level.

Introduction: Hospitals in Sub-Saharan Africa face many challenges. Burkina Faso has experimented a private operating system in a public hospital, in order to improve its performance., Aim: To assess the Tengandogo Teaching Hospital's (TTH's) performance in Ouagadougou. Burkina Faso., Method: We carried out a mixed-method cross-sectional study. We collected data in April 2017 using document review and quantitative data (key performance indicators), individual interviews with key informants. The analytical framework covered services continuity, health department efficiency and staff working environment safety., Results: Our study findings indicated that the performance of TTH hospital is hampered by frequent shortages in medicine and medical consumables, deteriorating facilities, poor coordination of care and lack of data on patients and staff security., Conclusion: Private management of public hospitals is not sufficient to improve the performance of hospitals in Burkina Faso. More attention should be paid to improving supply management of medicine, consumables and ensuring a safe work environment for health workers.

Introduction: mobile health technologies are increasingly being used as innovative solutions to improve antenatal care in Primary Care Services (PCSs). This study assessed the acceptability and satisfaction with PANDA system used in PCSs in Burkina Faso., Methods: we conducted a cross-sectional mixed-methods study of 35 users of PCSs and 35 health workers in the Koupela Health District, in the Central East region of Burkina Faso in September 2017. Interviews and 4 focus groups were conducted among PCSs users and semi-structured interviews among health-care professionals. Quantitative data analysis was carried out using the SPSS software and qualitative data analysis using a thematic analysis with NVivo 10., Results: PANDA system was very well accepted and appreciated by users and healthcare providers. Factors influencing customer satisfaction included the improvement of interactions with health care providers and the access to better quality care at lower cost. Health care providers appreciated the relevance of PANDA system as well as service improvements, follow-up and monitoring of pregnant women., Conclusion: in primary health-care system in Burkina Faso, PANDA system is very well accepted and appreciated by both health care providers and users of prenatal care services., Competing Interests: Les auteurs ne déclarent aucun conflit d´intérêts., (Copyright: Adja Mariam Ouédraogo et al.)

Background: Men who have sex with men (MSM) are considered to be at significant risk for sexually transmitted infections (STI) and bloodborne viruses including viral hepatitis types B, C, and D (HBV, HCV, and HDV) and human T-cell leukemia virus types 1 and 2 (HTLV 1&2). This study aimed to assess the seroprevalence and correlates of HBV, HCV, HDV, and HTLV 1&2 antibodies among MSM in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey to assess the biological and behavourial characteristics among MSM in Ouagadougou from January to April 2013. Serum specimens obtained were tested for the presence of HBV, HCV, HDV and HTLV-1&2 infections. MSM 18 years and older were recruited using respondent driven sampling (RDS). Population estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CI) adjusted for the RDS design were calculated using RDS Analysis Tool (RDSAT) version 6.0.1 (RDS, Inc., Ithaca, NY). Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess correlates of these infections using Stata 14., Results: A total of 329 MSM were tested. Prevalence was 20.4% (95% CI: 16.4-25.1) for HBV, 11.0% (95% CI: 8.0-14.8) for HCV, and 0.0% for HDV. Anti-HTLV 1&2 antibodies were found in 4.0% (95% CI: 2.3-6.8) of MSM. Factors independently associated with HBV infection were lack of condom use during the last anal sex act with a main male sexual partner and experience of condom tearing during anal sex. Presence of anti-HTLV 1&2 antibodies was associated with history of genital or anal lesions and injection drug use. None of the variables included in our study were associated with HCV., Conclusions: This study shows that HBV, HCV and HTLV 1&2 prevalence among MSM in Burkina is high and suggests that comprehensive STI prevention and sexual health education services for this group are needed.

Background: Burkina Faso implemented the seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) in 2014 in seven pilot health districts, following the new recommendation by the WHO in 2012 for the prevention of the disease in children under five years old, for areas of highly seasonal malaria transmission.The objective of this study was to assess the implementation fidelity of the seasonal malaria chemoprevention strategy in one of the districts, Kaya Health District., Methodology: We conducted a case study, with a quantitative and qualitative mixed methods. Data were collected after two campaigns of implementation of the intervention, in 2014 and 2015, through a review of specific documents of SMC intervention, and individual interview with key informants (n = 21) involved at various levels in the implementation of the strategy and a household survey with the parents (n = 284) of eligible children for the SMC strategy in 2015 in the Kaya health district. The analysis framework focused on the fidelity of the intervention's content, its coverage, and its schedule, as well as the potential moderating factors, using the model proposed by Hasson, originally from Carroll., Results: All components of the intervention were implemented. Villages and sectors were covered at 100%. In terms of intervention doses received, less than one-third of eligible children (32.3%) received the recommended four doses in 2015. Implementation of the strategy faced some difficulties due to insufficient training of community distributors, inadequate supply of inputs and insufficient financial resources for remuneration, advocacy and supervision, but also because of the contextual constraints due to the rainy season. Moreover, an interaction between the different moderating factors, influencing the degree of implementation of the strategy was noted., Conclusion: Taking into account the moderating factors of the implementation is necessary for achieving the highest possible degree of implementation fidelity and then, reach the expected beneficial effects.

Objective: To assess the implementation and effects of the strategy, introduced in June 2011, of making obstetric kits readily available in health facilities in the Adamaoua region of Cameroon., Methods: We conducted a quasi-experimental study using an interrupted time series to assess the effects of the strategy, and a case study to evaluate its implementation. The reviewed data were gathered from 13 health facilities over a period from January 2008 to December 2014. Qualitative data were collected from in-depth interviews., Results: The provision of obstetric kits was effective in the intervention health facilities, although some challenges existed and included lack of staff motivation and rampant illegal practices. The number of deliveries and cesareans increased., Conclusion: There is a need to rethink this strategy, given its gaps and shortcomings., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.)

Objective: To analyze the sociocultural determinants that influence the attitude and practices of men toward contraceptive use in Guinea., Methods: A sequential, mixed methods, qualitative and quantitative study was carried out in two regions of Guinea with a low rate of contraceptive prevalence, and in the capital city of Conakry. A total of 1170 people (men and women) were interviewed., Results: Findings showed a positive perception of family planning overall, but reluctance to use modern contraception. The reasons for non-use of contraceptive methods were primarily the hope of having many children and religious prohibition associated with customs. Making decisions on contraceptive use within a couple represents a major cause of misunderstanding between spouses. Communication within a couple on the use of contraception is quickly declined by men., Conclusion: The findings demonstrate the need to develop communication strategies within a couple to improve the use of contraceptives., (Copyright © 2016 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)