This study aimed to systematically review studies that examined the prevalence of gender based violence (GBV) that included intimate partner violence (IPV) and non-IPV among women in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This evidence is an important aspect to work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) target of eliminating all forms of violence in SSA. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. Ovid Medline, CINAHL, Cochrane Central, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science were used to source articles with stringent eligibility criteria. Studies on GBV in SSA countries that were published in English from 2008 to 2019 were included. A random effect meta-analysis was used. Fifty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria. The pooled prevalence of IPV among women was 44%, the past year-pooled prevalence of IPV was 35.5% and non-IPV pooled prevalence was 14%. The highest prevalence rates of IPV that were reported included emotional (29.40%), physical (25.87%) and sexual (18.75%) violence. The sub-regional analysis found that women residing in Western (30%) and Eastern (25%) African regions experienced higher levels of emotional violence. Integrated mitigation measures to reduce GBV in SSA should focus mainly on IPV in order to achieve the SDG’s that will lead to sustainable changes in women’s health.

A systematic review and meta-analysis were employed to address the associated factors of gender-based violence (GBV) in sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines were followed. Ovid Medline, CINAHL, Cochrane Central, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science were used to source articles with stringent eligibility criteria. A total of 4931 studies were found and 50 studies met the inclusion criteria. Pooled meta-analyses revealed that low educational attainment, higher alcohol consumption, substance use, history of child and family abuse, limited decision-making skills, experiencing depression, males having multiple sexual partners, and younger age were found to be individual- and family-associated factors that increase the experiences of GBV. Community tolerant attitudes to violence, women’s unemployment, being Muslim, lower socioeconomic class, food and social insecurity were found to be community- and societal-associated factors of GBV. Alcohol consumption, low educational attainment, experiencing depression, being younger, a history of child and family abuse, tolerant attitudes to violence, and low socioeconomic status were poignant factors associated with GBV amongst women in SSA countries. The need to develop a multipronged approach of intervention is a top priority in SSA to reach the Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs) target of 2030 to eliminate all forms of violence. Socio-behavioural change communication interventions at individual and community levels need to be introduced, and interventions need to address the prevention of child and family abuse and increase women’s feelings of empowerment in order to prevent GBV in SSA.

Background: Antiretroviral therapy for pregnant women infected with HIV has evolved significantly over time, from single dosage antiretroviral and zidovudine alone to lifelong combination of antiretroviral therapy, but the effect of the intervention on population-level child HIV infection has not been well studied in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, this study aimed to establish the trend and effect of ART coverage during pregnancy on mother-to-child HIV transmission in sub-Saharan Africa from 2010 to 2019. Methods: Country-level longitudinal ecological study design was used. Forty-one sub-Saharan Africa countries were included using publicly available data from the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, World Health Organization, and World Bank. We created a panel dataset of 410 observations for this study from the years 2010–2019. Linear fixed effects dummy variable regression models were conducted to measure the effect of ART coverage during pregnancy on MTCT rate. Regression coefficients with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated for each variable from the fixed effects model. Results: ART coverage during pregnancy increased from 32.98 to 69.46% between 2010 and 2019. Over the same period, the rate of HIV transmission from mother to child reduced from 27.18 to 16.90% in sub-Saharan Africa. A subgroup analysis found that in southern Africa and upper-middle-income groups, higher ART coverage, and lower MTCT rates were recorded. The fixed-effects model result showed that ART coverage during pregnancy (β = − 0.18, 95% CI − 0.19–− 0.16) (p < 0.001) and log-transformed HIV incidence-to-prevalence ratio (β = 5.41, 95% CI 2.18–8.65) (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with mother-to-child HIV transmission rate. Conclusions: ART coverage for HIV positive pregnant women and HIV incidence-to-prevalence ratio were significantly associated with MTCT rate in sub-Saharan Africa. Based on these findings we suggest countries scale up ART coverage by implementing varieties of proven strategies and control the HIV epidemic to achieve the global target of eliminating MTCT of HIV in the region.

The aim of this research was to analyze midwives' job satisfaction and intention to leave in developing regions of Ethiopia. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted amongst 107 midwives in four developing regions of Ethiopia. All midwives who were working in 26 health facilities participated in the study. A structured self-administered questionnaire, and in depth key informant interview guides, were used to collect data. Job satisfaction was measured by nine dimensions and intention to leave their current position was measured using three questions. More than two-thirds (67%) of the midwives were female, with a mean age of 26.1 (sd±4.2) years old. Less than half (45%) of the midwives were satisfied with their job, less than half (42%) were satisfied with 'work environment' and less than half (45%) were satisfied with 'relationship with management' and 'job requirements'. Relatively better satisfaction rates were reported regarding 'professional status', of which more than half (56%) of midwives were satisfied, followed by more than half (54%) of midwives being satisfied with 'staff interaction'. Almost two-fifths (39%) of midwives intended to leave their current position. Job dissatisfaction and intention to leave rates amongst midwives in developing regions in Ethiopia are a source of concern. The majority of midwives were most dissatisfied with their working environment and issues related to payment. Their intention to leave their current position was inversely influenced by job satisfaction. The introduction of both financial and nonfinancial mechanisms could improve midwives' job satisfaction, and improve retention rates within the profession.

The main purpose of this research was to analyze gender context in the Afar region of Ethiopia and propose a set of strategies or actions to improve adolescent and youth health. Using a pre-established gender analysis framework, an explorative qualitative study was conducted in five districts. Sixteen key informants and eight focus group discussions were conducted among adult women and men of young adolescents and youth. The study revealed that younger and older women are the most disadvantaged groups of the society. This is due to the high workload on women and girls (housekeeping, building a house and taking care of cattle and children), they also are less valued, have no control over resources and have no part in decision making, including their personal life choices. As a result, they rarely access school and health facilities. They are forced get married according to arranged marriage called “absuma.” As such, they suffer from multiple reproductive health problems. Women have poor decision-making autonomy, lack control over resources, have limited participation in socio-economic practices, and experience child and early forced marriage, and this poor service utilization has exposed them to the worst sexual and reproductive health outcomes.