Experiences and perceptions of care-seeking for febrile illness among caregivers, pregnant women, and health providers in eight districts of Madagascar.

BACKGROUND: Prompt diagnosis and treatment of malaria contributes to reduced morbidity, particularly among children and pregnant women; however, in Madagascar, care-seeking for febrile illness is often delayed. To describe factors influencing decisions for prompt care-seeking among caregivers of children aged < 15 years and pregnant women, a mixed-methods assessment was conducted with providers (HP), community health volunteers (CHV) and community members. METHODS: One health district from each of eight malaria-endemic zones of Madagascar were purposefully selected based on reported higher malaria transmission. Within districts, one urban and one rural community were randomly selected for participation. In-depth interviews (IDI) and focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted with caregivers, pregnant women, CHVs and HPs in these 16 communities to describe practices and, for HPs, system characteristics that support or inhibit care-seeking. Knowledge tests on malaria case management guidelines were administered to HPs, and logistics management systems were reviewed. RESULTS: Participants from eight rural and eight urban communities included 31 HPs from 10 public and 8 private Health Facilities (HF), five CHVs, 102 caregivers and 90 pregnant women. All participants in FGDs and IDIs reported that care-seeking for fever is frequently delayed until the ill person does not respond to home treatment or symptoms become more severe. Key care-seeking determinants for caregivers and pregnant women included cost, travel time and distance, and perception that the quality of care in HFs was poor. HPs felt that lack of commodities and heavy workloads hindered their ability to provide quality malaria care services. Malaria commodities were generally more available in public versus private HFs. CHVs were generally not consulted for malaria care and had limited commodities. CONCLUSIONS: Reducing cost and travel time to care and improving the quality of care may increase prompt care-seeking among vulnerable populations experiencing febrile illness. For patients, perceptions and quality of care could be improved with more reliable supplies, extended HF operating hours and staffing, supportive demeanors of HPs and seeking care with CHVs. For providers, malaria services could be improved by increasing the reliability of supply chains and providing additional staffing. CHVs may be an under-utilized resource for sick children.

Malaria case management and elimination readiness in health facilities of five districts of Madagascar in 2018.

BACKGROUND: Madagascar's Malaria National Strategic Plan 2018-2022 calls for progressive malaria elimination beginning in low-incidence districts (< 1 case/1000 population). Optimizing access to prompt diagnosis and quality treatment and improving outbreak detection and response will be critical to success. A malaria elimination readiness assessment (MERA) was performed in health facilities (HFs) of selected districts targeted for malaria elimination. METHODS: A mixed methods survey was performed in September 2018 in five districts of Madagascar. Randomly selected HFs were assessed for availability of malaria commodities and frequency of training and supervision conducted. Health providers (HPs) and community health volunteers (CHVs) were interviewed, and outpatient consultations at HFs were observed. To evaluate elimination readiness, a composite score ranging from 0 to 100 was designed from all study tools and addressed four domains: (1) resource availability, (2) case management (CM), (3) data management and use, and (4) training, supervision, and technical assistance; scores were calculated for each HF catchment area and district based on survey responses. Stakeholder interviews on malaria elimination planning were conducted at national, regional and district levels. RESULTS: A quarter of the 35 HFs surveyed had no rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). Of 129 patients with reported or recorded fever among 300 consultations observed, HPs tested 56 (43%) for malaria. Three-quarters of the 35 HF managers reviewed data for trends. Only 68% of 41 HPs reported receiving malaria-specific training. Of 34 CHVs surveyed, 24% reported that treating fever was no longer among their responsibilities. Among treating CHVs, 13 (50%) reported having RDTs, and 11 (42%) had anti-malarials available. The average district elimination readiness score was 52 out of 100, ranging from 48 to 57 across districts. Stakeholders identified several challenges to commodity management, malaria CM, and epidemic response related to lack of training and funding disruptions. CONCLUSION: This evaluation highlighted gaps in malaria CM and elimination readiness in Madagascar to address during elimination planning. Strategies are needed that include training, commodity provision, supervision, and support for CHVs. The MERA can be repeated to assess progress in filling identified gaps and is a feasible tool that could be used to assess elimination targets in other countries.

Frequency, risk factors, and complications of induced abortion in ten districts of Madagascar: results from a cross-sectional household survey.

BACKGROUND: Madagascar has restrictive abortion laws with no explicit exception to preserve the woman's life. This study aimed to estimate the incidence of abortion in the country and examine the methods, consequences, and risk factors of these abortions. METHODS: We interviewed 3179 women between September 2015 and April 2016. Women were selected from rural and urban areas of ten districts via a multistage, stratified cluster sampling survey and asked about any induced abortions within the previous 10 years. Analyses used survey weighted estimation procedures. Quasi-Poisson regression was used to estimate the incidence rate of abortions. Logistic regression models with random effects to account for the clustered sampling design were used to estimate the risk of abortion complications by abortion method, provider, and month of pregnancy, and to describe risk factors of induced abortion. RESULTS: For 2005-2016, we estimated an incidence rate of 18.2 abortions (95% CI 14.4-23.0) per 1000 person-years among sexually active women (aged 18-49 at the time of interview). Applying a multiplier of two as used by the World Health Organization for abortion surveys suggests a true rate of 36.4 per 1000 person-year of exposure. The majority of abortions involved invasive methods such as manual or sharp curettage or insertion of objects into the genital tract. Signs of potential infection followed 29.1% (21.8-37.7%) of abortions. However, the odds of potential infection and of seeking care after abortion did not differ significantly between women who used misoprostol alone and those who used other methods. The odds of experiencing abortion were significantly higher among women who had ever used contraceptive methods compared to those who had not. However, the proportion of women with a history of abortion was significantly lower in rural districts where contraception was available from community health workers than where it was not. CONCLUSIONS: Incidence estimates from Madagascar are lower than those from other African settings, but similar to continent-wide estimates when accounting for underreporting. The finding that the majority of abortions involved invasive procedures suggests a need for strengthening information, education and communications programs on preventing or managing unintended pregnancies.

Reaching the Youngest Moms and Dads: A Socio-Ecological View of Actors and Factors Influencing First-time Young Parents' Use of Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in Madagascar.

Globally, few programs consider the needs of first-time young parents (FTYPs), who face disproportionate negative health consequences during pregnancy and childbirth. Scant evidence exists on FTYPs' broader health needs. Formative research in two regions of Madagascar used a socio-ecological lens to explore, via 44 interviews and 32 focus group discussions, the influences on FTYPs at the individual, couple, family, community, and system levels. We spoke with FTYPs who had, and who had not, used sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, their parents/kin and influential adults, and community health workers and facility health providers. Data analysis, guided by a codebook, used Atlas.ti. Age, social position, and implicit power dynamics operating within and across socio-ecological levels affected FTYPs' service-seeking behaviors. The nature and extent of influence varied by health service type. Cross-cutting social factors affecting service use/non-use included gender dynamics, pressures from mothers, in-laws, and family tradition, and adolescent stigmatization for too-early pregnancy. Structural and economic factors included limited awareness of and lack of trust in available services, unfriendliness of services, and FTYPs' limited financial resources. A socio-ecological program perspective can inform tailoring of activities to address broader SRH issues, including how relationships, gender, power, and intergenerational dynamics influence service use.

Reaching the youngest moms and dads: a socio-ecological view of actors and factors influencing first-time young parents' use of sexual and reproductive health services in Madagascar

Globally, few programs consider the needs of first-time young parents (FTYPs), who face disproportionate negative health consequences during pregnancy and childbirth. Scant evidence exists on FTYPs' broader health needs. Formative research in two regions of Madagascar used a socio-ecological lens to explore, via 44 interviews and 32 focus group discussions, the influences on FTYPs at the individual, couple, family, community, and system levels. We spoke with FTYPs who had, and who had not, used sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, their parents/kin and influential adults, and community health workers and facility health providers. Data analysis, guided by a codebook, used Atlas.ti. Age, social position, and implicit power dynamics operating within and across socio-ecological levels affected FTYPs' service-seeking behaviors. The nature and extent of influence varied by health service type. Cross-cutting social factors affecting service use/non-use included gender dynamics, pressures from mothers, in-laws, and family tradition, and adolescent stigmatization for too-early pregnancy. Structural and economic factors included limited awareness of and lack of trust in available services, unfriendliness of services, and FTYPs' limited financial resources. A socio-ecological program perspective can inform tailoring of activities to address broader SRH issues, including how relationships, gender, power, and intergenerational dynamics influence service use

Screening and management of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia in antenatal and labor and delivery services: findings from cross-sectional observation studies in six sub-Saharan African countries.

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia and eclampsia (PE/E) are major contributors to maternal and neonatal deaths in developing countries, associated with 10-15% of direct maternal deaths and nearly a quarter of stillbirths and newborn deaths, many of which are preventable with improved care. We present results related to WHO-recommended interventions for screening and management of PE/E during antenatal care (ANC) and labor and delivery (L & D) from a study conducted in six sub-Saharan African countries. METHODS: From 2010 to 2012, cross-sectional studies which directly observed provision of ANC and L & D services in six sub-Saharan African countries were conducted. Results from 643 health facilities of different levels in Ethiopia (n = 19), Kenya (n = 509), Madagascar (n = 36), Mozambique (n = 46), Rwanda (n = 72), and Tanzania (n = 52), were combined for this analysis. While studies were sampled separately in each country, all used standardized observation checklists and inventory assessment tools. RESULTS: 2920 women receiving ANC and 2689 women in L & D were observed. Thirty-nine percent of ANC clients were asked about PE/E danger signs, and 68% had their blood pressure (BP) taken correctly (range 48-96%). Roughly half (46%) underwent testing for proteinuria. Twenty-three percent of women in L & D were asked about PE/E danger signs (range 11-34%); 77% had their BP checked upon admission (range 59-85%); and 6% had testing for proteinuria. Twenty-five cases of severe PE/E were observed: magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) was used in 15, not used in 5, and for 5 use was unknown. The availability of MgSO4 in L & D varied from 16% in Ethiopia to 100% in Mozambique. CONCLUSIONS: Observed ANC consultations and L & D cases showed low use of WHO-recommended practices for PE/E screening and management. Availability of MgSO4 was low in multiple countries, though it was on the essential drug list of all surveyed countries. Country programs are encouraged to address gaps in screening and management of PE/E in ANC and L & D to contribute to lower maternal and perinatal mortality.

Cross-sectional observational assessment of quality of newborn care immediately after birth in health facilities across six sub-Saharan African countries.

OBJECTIVE: To present information on the quality of newborn care services and health facility readiness to provide newborn care in 6 African countries, and to advocate for the improvement of providers' essential newborn care knowledge and skills. DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational health facility assessment. SETTING: Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Rwanda and Tanzania. PARTICIPANTS: Health workers in 643 facilities. 1016 health workers were interviewed, and 2377 babies were observed in the facilities surveyed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Indicators of quality of newborn care included (1) provision of immediate essential newborn care: thermal care, hygienic cord care, and early and exclusive initiation of breast feeding; (2) actual and simulated resuscitation of asphyxiated newborn infants; and (3) knowledge of health workers on essential newborn care, including resuscitation. RESULTS: Sterile or clean cord cutting instruments, suction devices, and tables or firm surfaces for resuscitation were commonly available. 80% of newborns were immediately dried after birth and received clean cord care in most of the studied facilities. In all countries assessed, major deficiencies exist for essential newborn care supplies and equipment, as well as for health worker knowledge and performance of key routine newborn care practices, particularly for immediate skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding initiation. Of newborns who did not cry at birth, 89% either recovered on their own or through active steps taken by the provider through resuscitation with initial stimulation and/or ventilation. 11% of newborns died. Assessment of simulated resuscitation using a NeoNatalie anatomic model showed that less than a third of providers were able to demonstrate ventilation skills correctly. CONCLUSIONS: The findings shared in this paper call attention to the critical need to improve health facility readiness to provide quality newborn care services and to ensure that service providers have the necessary equipment, supplies, knowledge and skills that are critical to save newborn lives.

Service Availability and Readiness Assessment of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Services at Public Health Facilities in Madagascar.

The Service Availability and Readiness Assessment (SARA) survey was adapted and used to generate information on service availability and the readiness of maternal, newborn and child health facilities to provide basic health care interventions for obstetric care, neonatal and child health in Madagascar. The survey collected data from fifty-two public health facilities, ranging from university hospitals (CHU), referral district and regional hospitals (CHD/ CHRR) to basic health centres (CSB). For basic emergency obstetric and newborn care (BEmONC) readiness, on average, CHU had nine (71.8%), CHD/CHRR had eight and CSB had six out of the thirteen tracer items. Regarding the availability of the eleven tracer items for comprehensive CEmONC services, on average a CHU had nine ( 80.0%), a CHRR had eight (71.1%) and a CHD that is the only type of hospitals in rural area had three tracer items (30.0%). Tracer item availability results are low, indicating the need to strengthen supplies at basic health centers in order to improve the chances of success of Madagascar's Roadmap for accelerating the reduction of the maternal and neonatal mortality 2015-2019, and meeting Sustainable Development Goals 3.1 and 3.2.

Two routes of administration for misoprostol in the treatment of incomplete abortion: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to compare the safety, effectiveness and acceptability of 400 mcg sublingual misoprostol and 600 mcg oral misoprostol for treatment of incomplete abortion. STUDY DESIGN: We used an open-label randomized controlled trial conducted from July 2005 to August 2006 in a large tertiary level maternity hospital in Antananarivo, Madagascar, and a large tertiary level hospital in Chisinau, Moldova. Three hundred consenting women seeking treatment for clinically diagnosed incomplete abortion with uterine size