| 1. |
- Atuhairwe, Susan, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluating the safety, effectiveness and acceptability of treatment of incomplete second-trimester abortion using misoprostol provided by midwives compared with physicians : study protocol for a randomized controlled equivalence trial
- 2019
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Ingår i: Trials. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1745-6215. ; 20:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: A large proportion of abortion-related mortality and morbidity occurs in the second trimester of pregnancy. The Uganda Ministry of Health policy restricts management of second-trimester incomplete abortion to physicians who are few and unequally distributed, with most practicing in urban regions. Unsafe and outdated methods like sharp curettage are frequently used. Medical management of second-trimester post-abortion care by midwives offers an advantage given the difficulty in providing surgical management in low-income settings and current health worker shortages. The study aims to assess the safety, effectiveness and acceptability of treatment of incomplete second-trimester abortion using misoprostol provided by midwives compared with physicians.METHODS: A randomized controlled equivalence trial implemented at eight hospitals and health centers in Central Uganda will include 1192 eligible women with incomplete abortion of uterine size > 12 weeks up to 18 weeks. Each participant will be randomly assigned to undergo a clinical assessment and treatment by either a midwife (intervention arm) or a physician (control arm). Enrolled participants will receive 400 μg misoprostol administered sublingually every 3 h up to five doses within 24 h at the health facility until a complete abortion is confirmed. Women who do not achieve complete abortion within 24 h will undergo surgical uterine evacuation. Pre discharge, participants will receive contraceptive counseling and information on what to expect in terms of side effects and signs of complications, with follow-up 14 days later to assess secondary outcomes. Analyses will be by intention to treat. Background characteristics and outcomes will be presented using descriptive statistics. Differences between groups will be analyzed using risk difference (95% confidence interval) and equivalence established if this lies between the predefined range of - 5% and + 5%. Chi-square tests will be used for comparison of outcome and t tests used to compare mean values. P ≤ 0.05 will be considered statistically significant.DISCUSSION: Our study will provide evidence to inform national and international policies, standard care guidelines and training program curricula on treatment of second-trimester incomplete abortion for improved access.TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03622073 . Registered on 9 August 2018.
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| 2. |
- Cleeve, Amanda, et al.
(författare)
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Abortion as agentive action: reproductive agency among young women seeking post-abortion care in Uganda
- 2017
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Ingår i: Culture, Health and Sexuality. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1369-1058 .- 1464-5351. ; 19:11, s. 1286-1300
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Unsafe abortion in Africa continues to be a major contributor to the global maternal mortality which affects young women in particular. In Uganda, where abortion is legally restricted and stigmatised, unsafe abortion is a major public health issue. We explored reproductive agency in relation to unsafe abortion among young women seeking post-abortion care. Through in-depth interviews we found that reproductive agency was constrained by gender norms and power imbalances and strongly influenced by stigma. Lack of resources and the need for secrecy resulted in harmful abortion practices and delayed care-seeking. Women did not claim ownership of the abortion decision, but the underlying meaning in the narratives positioned abortion as an agentive action aiming to regain control over one's body and future. Women's experiences shaped contraceptive intentions and discourse, creating a window of opportunity that was often missed. This study provides unique insight into how young women negotiate and enact reproductive agency in Uganda. Health systems need to strengthen their efforts to meet young women's sexual and reproductive health needs and protect their rights. Enabling young women's agency through access to safe abortion and contraception is paramount.
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| 3. |
- Cleeve, Amanda, et al.
(författare)
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Morality versus duty - A qualitative study exploring midwives' perspectives on post-abortion care in Uganda
- 2019
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Ingår i: Midwifery. - : Elsevier BV. - 0266-6138 .- 1532-3099. ; 77, s. 71-77
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore midwives' perspectives on post-abortion care (PAC) in Uganda. Specifically, we sought to improve understanding of the quality of care.DESIGN: This was a qualitative study using individual in-depth interviews and an inductive thematic analysis.SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Interviews were conducted with 22 midwives (the 'informants') providing PAC in a public hospital in Kampala, Uganda. The narratives were based on experiences in current and previous workplaces, in rural and urban settings.FINDINGS: The findings comprise one main theme - morality versus duty to provide quality post-abortion care - and three sub-themes. Our findings confirm that the midwives were committed to saving women's lives but had conflicting personal morality in relation to abortion and sense of professional duty, which seemed to influence their quality of care. Midwives were proud to provide PAC, which was described as a natural part of midwifery. However, structural challenges, such as lack of supplies and equipment and high patient loads, hampered provision of good quality care and left informants feeling frustrated. Although abortion was often implied to be immoral, the experience of PAC provision appeared to shape views on legality, leading to an ambiguous, yet more liberal, stance. Abortion stigma was reported to exist within communities and the health workforce, extending to both providers and care-seeking women. Informants had witnessed mistreatment of women seeking care due to abortion complications, through deliberate care delays and denial of pain medication.KEY CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Midwives in PAC were dedicated to saving women's lives; however, conflicting morality and duty and poor working conditions impeded quality of care. Enabling midwives to provide good quality care includes increasing the patient-midwife ratio and ensuring essential resources are available. Additionally, efforts that de-stigmatise abortion and promote accountability are needed. Implementation of policies on respectful post-abortion care could aid in ensuring all women are treated with respect.
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| 4. |
- Dalmar, Abdirisak Ahmed, et al.
(författare)
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Rebuilding research capacity in fragile states : the case of a Somali-Swedish global health initiative
- 2017
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Ingår i: Global Health Action. - Abingdon : Informa UK Limited. - 1654-9716 .- 1654-9880. ; 10:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper presents an initiative to revive the previous Somali-Swedish Research Cooperation, which started in 1981 and was cut short by the civil war in Somalia. A programme focusing on research capacity building in the health sector is currently underway through the work of an alliance of three partner groups: six new Somali universities, five Swedish universities, and Somali diaspora professionals. Somali ownership is key to the sustainability of the programme, as is close collaboration with Somali health ministries. The programme aims to develop a model for working collaboratively across regions and cultural barriers within fragile states, with the goal of creating hope and energy. It is based on the conviction that health research has a key role in rebuilding national health services and trusted institutions.
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| 5. |
- Egal, Jama Ali, et al.
(författare)
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A lack of reproductive agency in facility-based births makes home births a first choice regardless of potential risks and medical needs : a qualitative study among multiparous women in Somaliland
- 2022
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Ingår i: Global Health Action. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1654-9716 .- 1654-9880. ; 15:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Around 20% of births in Somaliland take place at health facilities staffed by trained healthcare professionals; 80% take place at home assisted by Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) with no formal training. There has been no research into women's choice of place of birth.OBJECTIVE: In this study, we explore multipara women's needs and preferences when choosing the place of birth.METHOD: An explorative qualitative study using individual in-depth interviews analysed inductively using content analysis. The interviews were conducted in Somaliland with 25 multiparous women who had experience of giving birth both at home and at a health facility within the past three years.RESULTS: The results provide a description of how, for women in Somaliland, a lack of reproductive agency in facility-based births makes home births a first choice regardless of potential risks and medical need. The women in this study desired intentionality in their role as mothers and sought some measure of control over the environment where they planned to give birth, depending on the circumstances of that particular birth. The results describe what quality care means for multipara women in Somaliland and how women choose birthplace based on previous experiences of care. The expectation of respectful care was a vital part for women when choosing a place of birth.CONCLUSION: To meet women's needs and preferences in Somaliland, further investments are needed to strengthen the midwifery profession and to define and test a context specific midwife-led continuity of care model to be scaled up. A dialogue to create new roles and responsibilities for the TBAs who attend most home births is further needed to link them to the formal healthcare system and assure timely healthcare seeking during pregnancy and birth.
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| 6. |
- Egal, Jama Ali, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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Facility-based maternal deaths : Their prevalence, causes and underlying circumstances. A mixed method study from the national referral hospital of Somaliland
- 2023
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Ingår i: Sexual & Reproductive HealthCare. - 1877-5756 .- 1877-5764. ; 37
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: Somaliland has one of the highest rates of maternal deaths in the world. An estimated 732 women die for every 100,000 live births. This study aims to identify the prevalence of facility-based maternal deaths, the causes and their underlying circumstances by interviewing relatives and health care providers at the main referral hospital.METHOD: A hospital-based mixed method study. The prospective cross-sectional design of the WHO Maternal Near Miss tool was combined with narrative interviews with 28 relatives and 28 health care providers in direct contact with maternal deaths. The quantitative data was analysed with descriptive statistics using SPSS and the qualitative part of the study was analysed with content analysis using NVivo.RESULTS: From the 6658 women included 28 women died. The highest direct cause of maternal death was severe obstetric haemorrhage (46.4%), followed by hypertensive disorders (25%) and severe sepsis (10.7%). An indirect obstetric cause of death was medical complications (17.9%). Twenty-five per cent of these cases were admitted to ICU and 89% had referred themselves to the hospital for treatment. The qualitative data identifies two categories of missed opportunities that could have prevented these maternal mortalities: poor risk awareness in the community and inadequate interprofessional collaboration at the hospital.CONCLUSION: The referral system needs to be strengthened utilizing Traditional Birth Attendants as community resource supporting the community facilities. The communication skills and interprofessional collaboration of the health care providers at the hospital needs to be addressed and a national maternal death surveillance system needs to be commenced.
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| 7. |
- Egal, Jama Ali, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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Incidence and causes of severe maternal outcomes in Somaliland using the sub-Saharan Africa maternal near-miss criteria : A prospective cross-sectional study in a national referral hospital.
- 2022
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Ingår i: International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics. - : Wiley. - 0020-7292 .- 1879-3479. ; 159:3, s. 856-864
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To describe the incidence and causes of severe maternal outcomes and the unmet need for life-saving obstetric interventions among women admitted for delivery in a referral hospital in Somaliland.METHODS: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from April 15, 2019, to March 31, 2020, with women admitted during pregnancy or childbirth or within 42 days after delivery. Data was collected using the World Health Organization (WHO) and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) maternal near-miss (MNM) tools. Descriptive analysis was performed by computing frequencies, proportions and ratios.RESULTS: The MNM ratio were 56 (SSA criteria) and 13 (WHO criteria) per 1,000 live births. The mortality index was highest among women with medical complications (63%), followed by obstetric haemorrhage (13%), pregnancy-related infection (10%) and hypertensive disorders (7.9%) according to the SSA MNM criteria. Most women giving birth received prophylactic oxytocin for postpartum haemorrhage prevention (97%), and most laparotomies (60%) for ruptured uterus were conducted after three hours.CONCLUSION: There is a need to improve the quality of maternal health services through implementation of evidence-based obstetric interventions and continuous in-service training for health care providers. Using the SSA MNM criteria could facilitate such preventive measures in this setting as well as similar low-resource contexts.
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| 8. |
- Egal, Jama Ali, 1977-
(författare)
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Women search for normality in birth : Solutions empowering resilience and reproductive agency while reducing adverse outcomes for Somaliland women
- 2023
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis aimed to explore the causes of severe pregnancy outcomes and maternal deaths in Somaliland (studies I and II) and how these causes are influenced by the context of the wider health system (studies III and IV). Methodology: Both quantitative and qualitative methodologies were used. A prospective cross-sectional design was used to collect data for studies I and II. Study II focused on maternal deaths using a mixed method design. Studies III and IV used individual interviews to explore the needs of women when choosing a place of birth and the role of traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in maternity services in Somaliland. Analysis: Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and percentages. An inductive content analysis was used for study III, and a qualitative thematic analysis was used for study IV.Results: Study I showed that the maternal near-miss (MNM) ratio was 56 MNMs per 1,000 live births according to the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) criteria and 13 MNMs per 1,000 live births according to the WHO criteria. The mortality index was highest among women with medical complications. Study II highlighted that 89% of these women self-referred to the hospital and that only 25% were admitted to the intensive care unit. Poor risk awareness and inadequate interprofessional collaboration contributed to missed opportunities. Study III showed that the lack of reproductive agency involved in facility-based births makes home births a first choice, regardless of potential risks and medical needs. Study IV demonstrated that TBAs need to be better connected with health facilities and skilled birth attendants (SBAs) to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidities in Somaliland.Conclusion: Women search for normality in birth, and the midwifery profession could provide this normality by facilitating resilience and reproductive agency while reducing adverse outcomes of pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. There is a need to improve the quality of maternal health services by implementing evidence-based obstetric interventions and continuous in-service training. The referral system needs to be strengthened by utilising TBAs as a community resource to support community maternal and child health centres.
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| 9. |
- Emtell Iwarsson, K., et al.
(författare)
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Contraceptive use among migrant, second-generation migrant and non-migrant women seeking abortion care : a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in Sweden
- 2019
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Ingår i: BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health. - : BMJ. - 2515-1991 .- 2515-2009. ; 45:2, s. 118-126
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: The objective of this study was to compare ever-in life contraception use, use of contraception at current conception, and planned use of contraception after an induced abortion, among three groups of women: migrants, second-generation migrants and non-migrant women, and to compare the types of contraception methods used and intended for future use among the three groups of women. Methods: The cross-sectional study administered a questionnaire face-to-face to women aged 18 years and older who were seeking abortion care at one of six abortion clinics in Stockholm County from January to April 2015. Results: The analysis included 637 women. Migrants and second-generation migrants were less likely to have used contraception historically, at the time of the current conception, and to plan to use contraception after their induced abortion compared with non-migrant women. Historically, non-migrants had used pills (89%) and withdrawal (24%) while migrants had used the copper intrauterine device (24%) to a higher extent compared to the other two groups of women. Both the migrants (65%) and second-generation migrants (61%) were more likely than the non-migrants (48%) to be planning to use long-acting reversible contraception. Conclusions: Lower proportions of contraception use were found in migrants and second-generation migrants than in non-migrants. In addition, there were significant differences in the types of contraception methods used historically and intended for future use.
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| 10. |
- Erlandsson, Kerstin, 1961-, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluating a model for the capacity building of midwifery educators in Bangladesh through a blended, web-based master’s programme
- 2019
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Ingår i: Global Health Action. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1654-9716 .- 1654-9880. ; 12:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: While setting international standards for midwifery education has attracted considerable global attention, the education and training of midwifery educators has been relatively neglected, particularly in low-resource settings where capacity building is crucial. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the expectations of midwifery educators in Bangladesh who took part in a blended web-based master’s programme in SRHR and the extent to which these were realized after 12 months of part-time study.Methods: Both quantitative and qualitative methods have been used to collect data. A structured baseline questionnaire was distributed to all participants at the start of the first course (n = 30) and a second endpoint questionnaire was distributed after they (n = 29) had completed the core courses one year later. At the start of the first course, five focus group discussions (FGD) were held with the midwifery educators. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used for the analyses.Results: Midwifery educators who took part in the study identified expectations that can be grouped into three distinct areas. They hoped to become more familiar with technology, anticipated they would learn pedagogical and other skills that would enable them to better support their students’ learning and thought they might acquire skills to empower their students as human beings. Participants reported they realized these ambitions, attributing the master’s programme with helping them take responsibility for their own teaching and learning, showing them how to enhance their students’ learning and how to foster reflective and critical thinking among them.Conclusions: Midwifery educators have taken part in a creative learning environment which has developed their engagement in teaching and learning. They have done this using a blended learning model which combines online learning with face-to-face contact. This model can be scaled up in low resource and remote settings.
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