Background: For the prevention of complications and death during pregnancy, adequate antenatal care (ANC) contacts are important. To achieve optimal obstetric care, the latest ANC guidance recommends eight or more ANC contacts. The aim of this analysis is to investigate the prevalence and socio-economic differences of eight or more Ghanaian ANC contacts. Methods: A total sample of 1404 women of reproductive age who had given birth after eight or more ANC contacts had been initiated, taking into account 9 months of gestation, was studied. The Ghana Malaria Indicator Survey of 2019 (GMIS) was used. In the univariate analysis, percentage was used. The curve and concentration index of Lorenz were used to assess socio-economic disparities for eight or more ANC contacts. Statistical significance was set at 5%. Results: The weighted prevalence of eight or more ANC contacts was 41.9% (95% CI: 37.9– 45.9%). The prevalence of eight or more ANC contacts among the poorest, poorer, middle, richer and richest households was 34.0%, 36.1%, 35.8%, 42.4% and 59.6%, respectively. Similarly, 33.0%, 37.7% and 42.6% prevalence of eight or more ANC contacts were estimated among women with no formal education, primary, secondary or higher, respectively. In addition, women from rich household had greater coverage of eight or more ANC contacts (Conc. Index= 0.089; SE= 0.019) and educated women had greater coverage of eight or more ANC contacts in Ghana (Conc. Index= 0.053; SE= 0.017) (all p< 0.001). Conclusion: Eight or more ANC contacts from the WHO in 2016 have yet to be fully institutionalized in Ghana. In order to increase access to the recommended prenatal care and for a healthy pregnancy experience, measures that resolve disparities in healthcare usage need to be prioritized for the country. Efforts should be made to expand the health insurance services available, as well as to enact policies that will increase free health care particularly among the poor and uneducated women.

Background: Globally, over 40 million people are estimated to be living with sexually transmitted infection/diseases (STI/Ds), including HIV/AIDS. It is said that sub-Saharan Africa accounts for over a half of that figure, making it the continent most affected with HIV/AIDS and other STI/Ds. This study was designed and conducted to assess the knowledge and prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases, and factors that are associated with it, among female students of a university in southern Nigeria. Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among female students in five faculties in the University of Benin, Benin City. The instrument used for the collection of data was a self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed with the aid of SPSS, version 22.0. A level of significance was set at p < 0.05 and descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. An odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval for prevalence and factors associated with STI/Ds was computed using binary and multinomial logistic regression models. Results: A total of 423 female students participated in the study. Over half (224, 53.0%) of the participants have had sexual intercourse. The results show that majority of the respondents (95.3%) were aware of STIs and 83.1% had good knowledge of STIs. The prevalence of STI/Ds among the participants was 27.7%, with gonorrhea being the most frequent STI/D that the respondents reported testing positive for. Conclusion: The present study was able to ascertain a higher prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases among female students. To this end, it is imperative that families and agencies (both government and private agencies) should synergize to remove the embargo seemingly placed on women by our cultures and faith-based institutions regarding sexuality. This may help to improve access to sexual and reproductive health education and commodities for women, thereby play a vital role in reducing the transmission of STI/Ds.

Background: Self-testing for HIV is an effective and alternative method of increasing HIV testing rates and a strategy for reaching populations that are underserved by HIV testing services. Nonetheless, many resource-constrained settings are yet to adopt HIV self-testing (HIVST) into their national HIV programmes.Objectives: This study aimed to examine the association between socio-economic factors and HIVST knowledge amongst South African women.Method: We used nationally representative data from the 2016 South African Demographic and Health Survey. A sample of 8182 women of reproductive age was analysed. The outcome variable was HIVST knowledge. This was measured dichotomously; know versus do not know about HIVST. The multivariable logistic model was used to examine the measures of association, with the level of significance set at P 0.05.Results: The prevalence rate of HIVST knowledge was found to be approximately 24.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 22.9–26.1) amongst South African women. Women with tertiary education were 3.93 times more likely to have HIVST knowledge, when compared with those with no formal education (odds ratio [OR]: 3.93; 95% CI: 1.37–11.26). Rural residents had a 33% reduction in HIVST knowledge when compared with those residing in urban areas (OR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.51–0.89). The odds of interaction between the richer and richest women who have good knowledge of HIV infection were 1.88 and 2.24 times more likely to have HIVST knowledge, respectively, when compared with those from the poorest wealth household who have good knowledge of HIV infection.Conclusion: Based on the low level of HIVST knowledge, the findings emphasise the importance of developing effective HIVST educational campaigns. Moreover, programmes should be designed to address the unique needs of the socio-economically disadvantaged women.

Socioeconomic inequality is a major factor to consider in the prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission. The aim of this study was to investigate socioeconomic inequalities in HIV prevalence among Namibian women. Data from a population-based household survey with multistage-stratified sample of 6501 women were used to examine the link between socioeconomic inequalities and HIV prevalence. The weighted HIV prevalence was 13.2% (95% CI: 12.1–14.3%). The HIV prevalence among the poorest, poorer, middle, richer, and richest households was 21.4%, 19.7%, 16.3%, 11.0%, and 3.7%, respectively. Similarly, 21.2%, 21.7%, 11.8%, and 2.1% HIV prevalence was estimated among women with no formal education and primary, secondary, and higher education, respectively. Women from poor households (Conc. Index = −0.258; SE = 0.017) and those with no formal education (Conc. Index = −0.199; SE = 0.015) had high concentration of HIV infection, respectively. In light of these findings, HIV prevention strategies must be tailored to the specific drivers of transmission in low socioeconomic groups, with special attention paid to the vulnerabilities faced by women and the dynamic and contextual nature of the relationship between socioeconomic status and HIV infection.

Background: Overweight and obesity in adults are on the rise around the world, contributing significantly to noncommunicable disease deaths and disability. Women bear a disproportionate burden of obesity when compared with men, which has a negative impact on their health and the health of their children. The objective of this study was to examine the country-level prevalence of overweight and obesity among women of reproductive age in sub-Saharan countries. Methods: A total of 504,264 women from 2006 to 2021 were examined using cross-sectional Demographic and Health Surveys data. The outcome variables for this study include: (a) women who are overweight according to body mass index (BMI) (25.0–29.9kg/m²); (b) women who are obese according to BMI (≥30.0 kg/m²). Results: Eswatini (28%), Mauritania (27%), South Africa (26%), Gabon, Lesotho and Ghana (25% each) had the highest prevalences of overweight. In addition, obesity prevalence was highest in South Africa (36%), Mauritania (27%), Eswatini (23%), Lesotho (20%), Gabon (19%) and Ghana (15%), respectively. Overweight and obesity were more prevalent among older women, those living in urban areas, women with secondary/higher education and those in the richest household wealth quintiles. Conclusion: The risk factors for overweight and obesity, as well as the role that lifestyle changes play in preventing obesity and the associated health risks, must be made more widely known. In order to identify those who are at risk of obesity, we also recommend that African countries regularly measure their citizens’ biometric characteristics.

Maternal mortality ratios in sub-Saharan Africa remain high and worrisome. Moreover, maternal health indicators have remained poor despite large efforts in the last two decades. This study assesses maternal mortality patterns by age and country. The demographic and health survey data were used for the study. Based on the results, countries with the lowest adult female mortality rate include Senegal, Comoros, Rwanda, Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, Gambia, and Ethiopia. In addition, Chad (44.7%), Niger (38.7%), the Congo Democratic Republic (34.8%), Nigeria (34.2%), Mauritania (32.0%), Senegal (29.2%), Liberia (28.8%), Benin (27.8%), and Guinea (27.5%), respectively, reported the highest female deaths that are pregnancy-related. Overall, Lesotho (1024; 95% CI: 731–1318), Liberia (913; 95% CI: 638–1189), Chad (860; 95% CI: 728–993), Congo Democratic Republic (846; 95% CI: 690–1003), Sierra Leone (796; 95% CI: 632–960) and Guinea (724; 95% CI: 531–916) had the leading pregnancy-related mortality ratio per 100,000 live births. The study found that the patterns of death vary across different countries. There is a need for concerted efforts to reduce pregnancy-related deaths in sub-Saharan countries.