Many Cooks in the Kitchen: Iterating a Qualitative Analysis Process Across Multiple Countries, Sites, and Teams.

Establishing and proving methodological rigor has long been a challenge for qualitative researchers where quantitative methods prevail, but much published literature on qualitative analysis assumes a relatively small number of researchers working in relative proximity. This is particularly true for research conducted with a grounded theory approach. Different versions of grounded theory are commonly used, but this methodology was originally developed for a single researcher collecting and analyzing data in isolation. Although grounded theory has evolved since its development, little has been done to reconcile this approach with the changing nature and composition of international research teams. Advances in technology and an increased emphasis on transnational collaboration have facilitated a shift wherein qualitative datasets have been getting larger and the teams collecting and analyzing them more diverse and diffuse. New processes and systems are therefore required to respond to these conditions. Data for this article are drawn from the experiences of the Innovations for Choice and Autonomy (ICAN) Research Consortium. ICAN aims to understand how self-injectable contraceptives can be implemented in ways that best meet women's needs in Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, and Nigeria. We found that taking a structured approach to analysis was important for maintaining consistency and making the process more manageable across countries. However, it was equally important to allow for flexibility within this structured approach so that teams could adapt more easily to local conditions, making data collection and accompanying analysis more feasible. Meaningfully including all interested researchers in the analysis process and providing support for learning also increased rigor. However, competing priorities in a complex study made it difficult to adhere to planned timelines. We conclude with recommendations for both funders and study teams to design and conduct global health studies that ensure more equitable contributions to analysis while remaining logistically feasible and methodologically sound.

Correction: Health worker compliance with severe malaria treatment guidelines in the context of implementing pre-referral rectal artesunate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, and Uganda: An operational study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004189.].

Pre-referral rectal artesunate is no "magic bullet" in weak health systems.

Severe malaria is a potentially fatal condition that requires urgent treatment. In a clinical trial, a sub-group of children treated with rectal artesunate (RAS) before being referred to a health facility had an increased chance of survival. We recently published in BMC Medicine results of the CARAMAL Project that did not find the same protective effect of pre-referral RAS implemented at scale under real-world conditions in three African countries. Instead, CARAMAL identified serious health system shortfalls that impacted the entire continuum of care, constraining the effectiveness of RAS. Correspondence to the article criticized the observational study design and the alleged interpretation and consequences of our findings.Here, we clarify that we do not dispute the life-saving potential of RAS, and discuss the methodological criticism. We acknowledge the potential for confounding in observational studies. Nevertheless, the totality of CARAMAL evidence is in full support of our conclusion that the conditions under which RAS can be beneficial were not met in our settings, as children often failed to complete referral and post-referral treatment was inadequate.The criticism did not appear to acknowledge the realities of highly malarious settings documented in detail in the CARAMAL project. Suggesting that trial-demonstrated efficacy is sufficient to warrant large-scale deployment of pre-referral RAS ignores the paramount importance of functioning health systems for its delivery, for completing post-referral treatment, and for achieving complete cure. Presenting RAS as a "magic bullet" distracts from the most urgent priority: fixing health systems so they can provide a functioning continuum of care and save the lives of sick children.The data underlying our publication is freely accessible on Zenodo.

Menstrual regulation: examining the incidence, methods, and sources of care of this understudied health practice in three settings using cross-sectional population-based surveys.

BACKGROUND: Menstrual regulation is a practice that may exist within the ambiguity surrounding one's pregnancy status and has been the subject of limited research. The aim of this study is to measure the annual rate of menstrual regulation in Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, and Rajasthan, India, overall and by background characteristics and to describe the methods and sources women use to bring back their period. METHODS: Data come from population-based surveys of women aged 15-49 in each setting. In addition to questions on women's background characteristics, reproductive history, and contraceptive experiences, interviewers asked women whether they had ever done something to bring back their period at a time when they were worried they were pregnant, and if so, when it occurred and what methods and source they used. A total of 11,106 reproductive-aged women completed the survey in Nigeria, 2,738 in Cote d'Ivoire, and 5,832 in Rajasthan. We calculated one-year incidence of menstrual regulation overall and by women's background characteristics separately for each context using adjusted Wald tests to assess significant. We then examined the distribution of menstrual regulation methods and sources using univariate analyses. Method categories included surgery, medication abortion pills, other pills (including unknown pills), and traditional or "other" methods. Source categories included public facilities or public mobile outreach, private or non-governmental facilities or doctors, pharmacy or chemist shops, and traditional or "other" sources. RESULTS: Results indicate substantial levels of menstrual regulation in West Africa with a one-year incidence rate of 22.6 per 1,000 women age 15-49 in Nigeria and 20.6 per 1,000 in Cote d'Ivoire; women in Rajasthan reported only 3.3 per 1,000. Menstrual regulations primarily involved traditional or "other" methods in Nigeria (47.8%), Cote d'Ivoire (70.0%), and Rajasthan (37.6%) and traditional or "other" sources (49.4%, 77.2%, and 40.1%, respectively). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest menstrual regulation is not uncommon in these settings and may put women's health at risk given the reported methods and sources used. Results have implications for abortion research and our understanding of how women manage their fertility.

Menstrual regulation, or bringing back a late period, is an understudied practice that women may use when they are worried they are pregnant but that may be viewed as distinct from abortion. This study seeks to measure the frequency of menstrual regulation in Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, and Rajasthan, India, overall and by women's characteristics and to describe the methods and sources women use. We used data from representative surveys of women aged 15­49 years old in each study setting. We asked women whether they had ever done something to bring back a late period at a time when they were worried they were pregnant, and if so, what methods and sources they used. Results indicate that menstrual regulation may be a common practice, particularly in West Africa; the observed one-year rates were 22.6 menstrual regulations per 1,000 women aged 15­49 in Nigeria and 20.6 menstrual regulations per 1000 women in Cote d'Ivoire; women in Rajasthan only reported 3.3 menstrual regulations per 1000 women per year. Menstrual regulations primarily involved traditional or "other" methods in Nigeria (47.8%), Cote d'Ivoire (70.0%), and Rajasthan (37.6%) and traditional or "other" sources (49.4%, 77.2%, and 40.1%, respectively). These findings suggest menstrual regulation is not uncommon and may put women's health at risk given the reported methods and sources used. Results have implications for abortion research and our understanding of how women manage their fertility.

Preference-Aligned Fertility Management as a Person-Centered Alternative to Contraceptive Use-Focused Measures.

Equating contraceptive use with programmatic success is fundamentally flawed in failing to account for whether individuals desire contraceptive use; this is problematic because nonuse can reflect empowered decision-making and use may reflect an individual's inability to refuse or discontinue a method. A rights-based approach demands respect for individuals' freedom to weigh options and choose how their desire for pregnancy prevention can be accommodated by available methods and within the context of their own personal, social, and material constraints. We offer an alternative construct, preference-aligned fertility management (PFM), that provides a more holistic indicator of whether one's contraceptive needs are met. PFM is more person-centered and informative for programming than status quo measures of unmet need, demand satisfied, and contraceptive use which define a positive outcome in relation to pregnancy risk rather than one's stated preferences. The PFM approach goes beyond other recent proposals for modifying the concept of unmet need by refraining from judgment of legitimate reasons for nonuse of contraception and offers a straightforward way to capture whether people act in line with their preferences. We conclude with discussion of how we plan to measure PFM in the Innovations for Choice and Autonomy (ICAN) study in Nigeria and Uganda.

Analyzing fast and slow: Combining traditional and rapid qualitative analysis to meet multiple objectives of a complex transnational study.

Much of the methodological literature on rapid qualitative analysis describes processes used by a relatively small number of researchers focusing on one study site and using rapid analysis to replace a traditional analytical approach. In this paper, we describe the experiences of a transnational research consortium integrating both rapid and traditional qualitative analysis approaches to develop social theory while also informing program design. Research was conducted by the Innovations for Choice and Autonomy (ICAN) consortium, which seeks to understand how self-injection of the contraceptive subcutaneous depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA-SC) can be implemented in a way that best meets women's needs, as defined by women themselves. Consortium members are based in Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Nigeria, and the United States. Data for the ICAN study was collected in all four countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In order to both illuminate social phenomena across study sites and inform the program design component of the study, researchers developed tools meant to gather both in-depth information about women's contraceptive decision-making and data targeted specifically to program design during the formative qualitative phase of the study. Using these two bodies of data, researchers then simultaneously conducted both a traditional qualitative and rapid analysis to meet multiple study objectives. To complete the traditional analysis, researchers coded interview transcripts and kept analytical memos, while also drawing on data collected by tools developed for the rapid analysis. Rapid analysis consisted of simultaneously collecting data and reviewing notes developed specifically for this analysis. We conclude that integrating traditional and rapid qualitative analysis enabled us to meet the needs of a complex transnational study with the added benefit of grounding our program design work in more robust primary data than normally is available for studies using a human-centered design approach to intervention development. However, the realities of conducting a multi-faceted study across multiple countries and contexts made truly "rapid" analysis challenging.

Health worker compliance with severe malaria treatment guidelines in the context of implementing pre-referral rectal artesunate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, and Uganda: An operational study.

BACKGROUND: For a full treatment course of severe malaria, community-administered pre-referral rectal artesunate (RAS) should be completed by post-referral treatment consisting of an injectable antimalarial and oral artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). This study aimed to assess compliance with this treatment recommendation in children under 5 years. METHODS AND FINDINGS: This observational study accompanied the implementation of RAS in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Nigeria, and Uganda between 2018 and 2020. Antimalarial treatment was assessed during admission in included referral health facilities (RHFs) in children under 5 with a diagnosis of severe malaria. Children were either referred from a community-based provider or directly attending the RHF. RHF data of 7,983 children was analysed for appropriateness of antimalarials; a subsample of 3,449 children was assessed additionally for dosage and method of ACT provision (treatment compliance). A parenteral antimalarial and an ACT were administered to 2.7% (28/1,051) of admitted children in Nigeria, 44.5% (1,211/2,724) in Uganda, and 50.3% (2,117/4,208) in DRC. Children receiving RAS from a community-based provider were more likely to be administered post-referral medication according to the guidelines in DRC (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.13, 95% CI 1.55 to 2.92, P < 0.001), but less likely in Uganda (aOR = 0.37, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.96, P = 0.04) adjusting for patient, provider, caregiver, and other contextual factors. While in DRC, inpatient ACT administration was common, ACTs were often prescribed at discharge in Nigeria (54.4%, 229/421) and Uganda (53.0%, 715/1,349). Study limitations include the unfeasibility to independently confirm the diagnosis of severe malaria due to the observational nature of the study. CONCLUSIONS: Directly observed treatment was often incomplete, bearing a high risk for partial parasite clearance and disease recrudescence. Parenteral artesunate not followed up with oral ACT constitutes an artemisinin monotherapy and may favour the selection of resistant parasites. In connection with the finding that pre-referral RAS had no beneficial effect on child survival in the 3 study countries, concerns about an effective continuum of care for children with severe malaria seem justified. Stricter compliance with the WHO severe malaria treatment guidelines is critical to effectively manage this disease and further reduce child mortality. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03568344).

Prevalence and correlates of reproductive coercion across ten sites: commonalities and divergence.

BACKGROUND: Reproductive coercion (RC) is a type of abuse where a partner asserts control over a woman's reproductive health trajectories. Recent research emphasizes that RC experiences may differ within and across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), as compared to higher income contexts, given social pressures surrounding childbearing. To date, nationally representative surveys have lacked comprehensive measures for RC, leading to gaps in understanding its prevalence and risk factors. Across eight LMICs (10 sites), we aimed to (1) validate the RC Scale; (2) calculate prevalence of RC and specific behaviors; and (3) assess correlates of RC. METHODS: This analysis leverages cross-sectional Performance Monitoring for Action (PMA) data collected from November 2020 to May 2022. Analyses were limited to women in need of contraception (Burkina Faso n = 2767; Côte d'Ivoire n = 1561; Kongo Central, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) n = 830; Kinshasa, DRC n = 846; Kenya n = 4588; Kano, Nigeria n = 535; Lagos, Nigeria n = 612; Niger n = 1525; Rajasthan, India n = 3017; Uganda n = 2020). Past-year RC was assessed via five items adapted from the original RC Scale and previously tested in LMICs. Confirmatory factor analysis examined fit statistics by site. Per-item and overall prevalence were calculated. Site-specific bivariate and multivariable logistic regression examined RC correlates across the socioecological framework. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed goodness of fit across all sites, with moderate internal consistency (alpha range: 0.66 Cote d'Ivoire-0.89 Kinshasa, DRC/Lagos, Nigeria). Past-year reported prevalence of RC was highest in Kongo Central, DRC (20.3%) and lowest in Niger (3.1%). Prevalence of individual items varied substantially by geography. Polygyny was the most common RC risk factor across six sites (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) range: 1.59-10.76). Increased partner education levels were protective in Kenya and Kano, Nigeria (aOR range: 0.23-0.67). Other assessed correlates differed by site. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding RC prevalence and behaviors is central to providing woman-centered reproductive care. RC was most strongly correlated with factors at the partner dyad level; future research is needed to unpack the relative contributions of relationship power dynamics versus cultural norms surrounding childbearing. Family planning services must recognize and respond to women's immediate needs to ensure RC does not alter reproductive trajectories, including vulnerability to unintended pregnancy.

Reproductive coercion (RC) is a type of abuse where a partner asserts control over a woman's reproductive health trajectories. While RC was conceptualized in the United States, recent research highlights that it may be prominent in other geographies, including sub-Saharan Africa. Existing national surveillance programs, including the Demographic and Health Surveys, have included a single item on RC beginning in 2018. Given the phased approach to Demographic and Health Survey roll-out, no studies have examined this single item across diverse contexts. Further, this single item may miss the range of abusive experiences women face when seeking to manage their fertility. Using annual national cross-sections in 10 diverse contexts (eight countries), we sought to: (1) validate a comprehensive RC measure; (2) calculate prevalence of RC and specific behaviors; (3) understand risk factors for RC across contexts. We found that the comprehensive RC measure performed well across sites. Prevalence of past-year RC was highest in the Kongo Central region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (20.3%) and lowest in Niger (3.1%). Polygynous marriage was associated with increased risk of RC across six sites, whereas increased partner education levels were protective against RC in two sites. Understanding the prevalence of RC within a given context and range of specific abusive behaviors, as well as risk profiles, can help alert local service providers to women's needs. A thorough understanding of commonalities and divergence of RC experiences and drivers across sites can help inform prevention and response programming to address RC and its health effects.

Health system readiness and the implementation of rectal artesunate for severe malaria in sub-Saharan Africa: an analysis of real-world costs and constraints.

BACKGROUND: Rectal artesunate, an efficacious pre-referral treatment for severe malaria in children, was deployed at scale in Uganda, Nigeria, and DR Congo. In addition to distributing rectal artesunate, implementation required additional investments in crucial but neglected components in the care for severe malaria. We examined the real-world costs and constraints to rectal artesunate implementation. METHODS: We collected primary data on baseline health system constraints and subsequent rectal artesunate implementation expenditures. We calculated the equivalent annual cost of rectal artesunate implementation per child younger than 5 years at risk of severe malaria, from a health system perspective, separating neglected routine health system components from incremental costs of rectal artesunate introduction. FINDINGS: The largest baseline constraints were irregular health worker supervisions, inadequate referral facility worker training, and inadequate malaria commodity supplies. Health worker training and behaviour change campaigns were the largest startup costs, while supervision and supply chain management accounted for most annual routine costs. The equivalent annual costs of preparing the health system for managing severe malaria with rectal artesunate were US$2·63, $2·20, and $4·19 per child at risk and $322, $219, and $464 per child treated in Uganda, Nigeria, and DR Congo, respectively. Strengthening the neglected, routine health system components accounted for the majority of these costs at 71·5%, 65·4%, and 76·4% of per-child costs, respectively. Incremental rectal artesunate costs accounted for the minority remainder. INTERPRETATION: Although rectal artesunate has been touted as a cost-effective pre-referral treatment for severe malaria in children, its real-world potential is limited by weak and under-financed health system components. Scaling up rectal artesunate or other interventions relying on community health-care providers only makes sense alongside additional, essential health system investments sustained over the long term. FUNDING: Unitaid. TRANSLATION: For the French translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Pre-referral rectal artesunate: no cure for unhealthy systems.

Pre-referral rectal artesunate suppositories can save the lives of children with severe malaria if patients receive adequate post-referral care. A multi-country randomised controlled trial reporting on the efficacy of rectal artesunate informed the current WHO guidelines. In October, 2022, we reported on the findings of the Community Access to Rectal Artesunate for Malaria (CARAMAL) project, a carefully monitored roll-out of quality-assured rectal artesunate into established community-based health-care systems in DR Congo, Nigeria, and Uganda. The aim of the project was to understand the challenges involved in the successful real-world implementation of pre-referral rectal artesunate and to inform subsequent scale-up in endemic countries. In our study, we found that children treated with pre-referral rectal artesunate in routine clinical practice did not have an increased chance of survival, most likely explained by shortfalls along the continuum of care. A substantial proportion of the more than 6200 severely ill children that were followed up 28 days after treatment initiation did not receive comprehensive severe malaria care, either due to an incomplete referral to a secondary facility, or due to incomplete post-referral treatment. The observational study design allowed for a realistic assessment of the obstacles involved in implementing pre-referral rectal artesunate in settings where malaria mortality remains high. Without improving the entire continuum of care, children will continue to die from severe malaria and promising interventions will fail to meet their full potential.

Partner involvement in abortion trajectories and subsequent abortion safety in Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire.

BACKGROUND: Unsafe abortions contribute to maternal mortality and morbidity worldwide, with disproportionate impacts in lower-income countries. Identifying factors associated with an elevated risk of experiencing an abortion under the most unsafe conditions is an important component of addressing this burden. The partner's role in obtaining a safe or unsafe abortion is not well understood. This study provides a quantitative assessment of the relationship between partner involvement and subsequent abortion safety. METHODS: The data are drawn from the PMA2020 female surveys and abortion follow-up surveys, fielded in Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire between 2018 and 2020. The sample includes 1144 women in Nigeria and 347 women in Côte d'Ivoire who reported having ever experienced an abortion. We assess partner involvement in discussing the abortion decision and/or in selecting the method or source and evaluate the relationship between partner involvement and most unsafe abortion (using non-recommended methods from a non-clinical source) versus safe or less safe abortion, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS: We find a strong association between experiencing any partner involvement and decreased odds of experiencing a most unsafe abortion (Nigeria: aOR = 0.34, 95% CI 0.26-0.45; Côte d'Ivoire: aOR = 0.27, 95% CI 0.16-0.47). Analyzing the two types of partner involvement separately, we find that partner involvement in the decision is associated with lower odds of most unsafe abortion in both countries (Nigeria: aOR = 0.48, 95% CI 0.39-0.72; Côte d'Ivoire: aOR = 0.34, 95% CI 0.19-0.60); partner involvement in selecting the method and/or source was only significantly associated with lower odds of most unsafe abortion in Nigeria (Nigeria: aOR = 0.53, 95% CI 0.39-0.72; Côte d'Ivoire: aOR = 0.65, 95% CI 0.32-1.32). CONCLUSION: In Nigeria and in Côte d'Ivoire, respondents whose partners were involved in their abortion trajectory experienced safer abortions than those whose partners were not involved. These findings suggest the potential importance of including men in education on safe abortion care and persistent need to make safe abortion accessible to all, regardless of partner support.

Acceptability of pre-referral rectal artesunate for severe malaria in children under 5 years by health workers and caregivers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and Uganda.

BACKGROUND: For children below 6 years with suspected severe malaria attending a health care provider unable to provide parenteral malaria treatment, pre-referral rectal artesunate (RAS) is recommended by the World Health Organization to prevent death and disability. A number of African countries are in the process of rolling out quality-assured RAS for pre-referral treatment of severe malaria at community-level. The success of RAS depends, among other factors, on the acceptability of RAS in the communities where it is being rolled-out. Yet to date, there is limited literature on RAS acceptability. This study aimed to determine the acceptability of RAS by health care providers and child caregivers in communities where quality assured RAS was rolled out. This study was nested within the comprehensive multi-country observational research project Community Access to Rectal Artesunate for Malaria (CARAMAL), implemented in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Nigeria, and Uganda between 2018 and 2020. Data from three different sources were analysed to understand RAS acceptability: interviews with health workers during three health care provider surveys (N = 341 community health workers and 467 primary health facility workers), with caregivers of children < 5 years of age during three household surveys (N = 9332 caregivers), and with caregivers of children < 5 years of age who were treated with RAS and enrolled in the CARAMAL Patient Surveillance System (N = 3645 caregivers). RESULTS: RAS acceptability was high among all interviewed stakeholders in the three countries. After the roll-out of RAS, 97-100% heath care providers in DRC, 98-100% in Nigeria and 93-100% in Uganda considered RAS as very good or good. Majority of caregivers whose children had received RAS for pre-referral management of severe malaria indicated that they would want to get the medication again, if their child had the same illness (99.8% of caregivers in DRC, 100% in Nigeria and 99.9% in Uganda). In three household surveys, 67-80% of caregivers whose children had not previously received RAS considered the medication as useful. CONCLUSION: RAS was well accepted by health workers and child caregivers in DRC, Nigeria and Uganda. Acceptability is unlikely to be an obstacle to the large-scale roll-out of RAS in the studied settings.

Effectiveness of rectal artesunate as pre-referral treatment for severe malaria in children under 5 years of age: a multi-country observational study.

BACKGROUND: To prevent child deaths from severe malaria, early parenteral treatment is essential. Yet, in remote rural areas, accessing facilities offering parenteral antimalarials may be difficult. A randomised controlled trial found pre-referral treatment with rectal artesunate (RAS) to reduce deaths and disability in children who arrived at a referral facility with delay. This study examined the effectiveness of pre-referral RAS treatment implemented through routine procedures of established community-based health care systems. METHODS: An observational study accompanied the roll-out of RAS in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Nigeria and Uganda. Children <5 years of age presenting to a community-based health provider with a positive malaria test and signs of severe malaria were enrolled and followed up during admission and after 28 days to assess their health status and treatment history. The primary outcome was death; covariates of interest included RAS use, referral completion, and post-referral treatment. RESULTS: Post-roll-out, RAS was administered to 88% of patients in DRC, 52% in Nigeria, and 70% in Uganda. The overall case fatality rate (CFR) was 6.7% (135/2011) in DRC, 11.7% (69/589) in Nigeria, and 0.5% (19/3686) in Uganda; 13.8% (865/6286) of patients were sick on day 28. The CFR was higher after RAS roll-out in Nigeria (16.1 vs. 4.2%) and stable in DRC (6.7 vs. 6.6%) and Uganda (0.7 vs. 0.3%). In DRC and Nigeria, children receiving RAS were more likely to die than those not receiving RAS (aOR=3.06, 95% CI 1.35-6.92 and aOR=2.16, 95% CI 1.11-4.21, respectively). Only in Uganda, RAS users were less likely to be dead or sick at follow-up (aOR=0.60, 95% CI 0.45-0.79). Post-referral parenteral antimalarials plus oral artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), a proxy for appropriate post-referral treatment, was protective. However, in referral health facilities, ACT was not consistently administered after parenteral treatment (DRC 68.4%, Nigeria 0%, Uganda 70.9%). CONCLUSIONS: Implemented at scale to the recommended target group, pre-referral RAS had no beneficial effect on child survival in three highly malaria-endemic settings. RAS is unlikely to reduce malaria deaths unless health system issues such as referral and quality of care at all levels are addressed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov : NCT03568344.

Contraceptive Use Before and After Abortion: A Cross-Sectional Study from Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire.

Post-abortion contraception enables women to effectively manage their fertility to prevent unintended pregnancies. Using data from population-based surveys of women aged 15-49 in Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire, we examined contraceptive dynamics immediately before and after an abortion and examined factors associated with these changes using multivariable logistic regressions. Covariates included sociodemographic characteristics, abortion source, post-abortion contraceptive communication (wanting to and actually talking to someone about contraception after abortion), and perceived contraceptive autonomy. We observed higher contraceptive use after abortion than before abortion. In Nigeria, wanting to talk to someone about contraception post-abortion was associated with increased adoption and decreased discontinuation, whereas talking to someone about contraception post-abortion was associated with increased adoption. Obtaining care from a clinical abortion source was associated with increased adoption and decreased discontinuation. Both post-abortion contraceptive communication variables were associated with post-abortion contraceptive use in both countries, whereas clinical source was only associated with post-abortion contraceptive use in Nigeria. Our findings suggest that ensuring that women have access to safe abortion as part of the formal health care system and receive comprehensive, high-quality post-abortion care services that include contraceptive counseling enables them to make informed decisions about their fertility that align with their reproductive goals.

Self-injected contraceptives: does the investment reflect women's preferences?

Subcutaneous depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA-SC) is an innovative contraceptive method aimed at meeting women's unique circumstances and needs, largely due to its ability to be self-injected. Substantial research and advocacy investments have been made to promote roll-out of DMPA-SC across sub-Saharan Africa. To date, research on the demand for DMPA-SC as a self-injectable method has been conducted largely with healthcare providers, via qualitative research, or with highly specific subsamples that are not population based. Using three recent rounds of data from Performance Monitoring for Action, we examined population-representative trends in demand, use, and preference for self-injection among current non-users in Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa and Kongo Central regions), Kenya, and Nigeria (Lagos and Kano States). We found that while over 80.0% of women had heard of injectables across settings, few women had heard of self-injection (ranging from 13.0% in Kenya to 24.8% in Burkina Faso). Despite initial increases in DMPA-SC prevalence, DMPA-SC usage began to stagnate or even decrease in all settings in the recent three years (except in Nigeria-Kano). Few (0.0%-16.7%) current DMPA-SC users were self-injecting, and the majority instead were relying on a healthcare provider for administration of DMPA-SC. Among current contraceptive non-users wishing to use an injectable in the future, only 1.5%-11.4% preferred to self-inject. Our results show that self-injection is uncommon, and demand for self-injection is very limited across six settings, calling for further qualitative and quantitative research on women's views on DMPA-SC and self-injection and, ultimately, their contraceptive preferences and needs.

Prereferral rectal artesunate and referral completion among children with suspected severe malaria in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and Uganda.

INTRODUCTION: Children who receive prereferral rectal artesunate (RAS) require urgent referral to a health facility where appropriate treatment for severe malaria can be provided. However, the rapid improvement of a child's condition after RAS administration may influence a caregiver's decision to follow this recommendation. Currently, the evidence on the effect of RAS on referral completion is limited. METHODS: An observational study accompanied the roll-out of RAS in three malaria endemic settings in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Nigeria and Uganda. Community health workers and primary health centres enrolled children under 5 years with suspected severe malaria before and after the roll-out of RAS. All children were followed up 28 days after enrolment to assess their treatment-seeking pathways. RESULTS: Referral completion was 67% (1408/2104) in DRC, 48% (287/600) in Nigeria and 58% (2170/3745) in Uganda. In DRC and Uganda, RAS users were less likely to complete referral than RAS non-users in the pre-roll-out phase (adjusted OR (aOR)=0.48, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.77 and aOR=0.72, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.88, respectively). Among children seeking care from a primary health centre in Nigeria, RAS users were less likely to complete referral compared with RAS non-users in the post-roll-out phase (aOR=0.18, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.71). In Uganda, among children who completed referral, RAS users were significantly more likely to complete referral on time than RAS non-users enrolled in the pre-roll-out phase (aOR=1.81, 95% CI 1.17 to 2.79). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study raise legitimate concerns that the roll-out of RAS may lead to lower referral completion in children who were administered prereferral RAS. To ensure that community-based programmes are effectively implemented, barriers to referral completion need to be addressed at all levels. Alternative effective treatment options should be provided to children unable to complete referral. TRIAL REGISTRSTION NUMBER: NCT03568344; ClinicalTrials.gov.

DMPA-SC stock: Cross-site trends by facility type.

Objectives: To measure trends in the supply of DMPA-SC in public and private health facilities and compare with other prominent modern methods. Study design: We used repeated cross-sectional data from service-delivery-point surveys in six settings: Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa and Kongo Central), Nigeria (Kano and Lagos), and Uganda, each with 3-5 rounds of data collected between 2016 and 2020. We analyzed trends in DMPA-SC availability using percent of service delivery points offering the method and percent experiencing stockouts; trends were compared with those for DMPA-IM, IUD, implants, and other short-acting methods, by facility type. Results: All settings showed increased offering of DMPA-SC over time for both private and public facilities. Larger proportions of public facilities provided DMPA-SC compared to private facilities (66%-97% vs 16%-50% by 2019-2020). DMPA-SC was provided by fewer facilities than DMPA-IM (90%-100% public, 34%-69% private by 2019-2020), but comparable to implants (83%-100% public, 15%-52% private by 2019-2020) and IUDs (55%-91% public, 0%-44% private by 2019-2020). Trends of DMPA-SC stock varied by setting, with more consistent stock available in private facilities in the DRC and in public facilities in Burkina Faso and Nigeria. Uganda showed decreasing stock in public facilities but increasing stock in private facilities. Conclusion: DMPA-SC availability has been increasing since its introduction in sub-Saharan Africa, yet significant gaps in stock exist. Countries should consider alternative distribution models to address these issues. Implications: Our findings may help inform countries about the need to monitor DMPA-SC availability and to consider solutions that ensure contraceptive options are available to women who need them and disruptions to contraceptive use are minimized.