Marie Laurette Agbre-Yace

Bio: Marie Laurette Agbre-Yace is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Health facility & Randomized controlled trial. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 3 publications receiving 1 citations.

Barriers and facilitators to kangaroo mother care implementation in Cote d'Ivoire: a qualitative study

Abstract: Background Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) is a high impact, low technology and cost-effective intervention for the care of preterm and low birth weight newborn. Cote d'Ivoire adopted the intervention and opened the first KMC unit in 2019. This study aimed to assess barriers and facilitators of KMC implementation in Cote d'Ivoire, a year after its introduction, as well as proposed solutions for improving KMC implementation in the country. Method This was a qualitative study, using semi-structured interviews, carried out in September 2020 in the first KMC unit opened at the Teaching Hospital of Treichville. The study involved healthcare providers providing KMC and mothers of newborn who were receiving or received KMC at the unit. A thematic analysis was performed using both inductive and deductive (Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research-driven) approaches. NVivo 12 was used to assist with coding. Results A total of 44 semi-structured interviews were conducted, 12 with healthcare providers and 32 with mothers. The barriers identified were lack of supplies, insufficiency of human resources, lack of space for admission, lack of home visits, lack of food for mothers, lack of collaboration between health services involved in newborn care, increased workload, the beliefs of carrying the baby on the chest, father's resistance, low rate of exclusive breastfeeding, lack of community awareness. Facilitators identified were training of healthcare providers, strong leadership, the low cost of KMC, healthcare providers' perceived value of KMC, mothers-healthcare providers' relationship, mothers' adherence to KMC and the capacity of the KMC unit to network with external organizations. The proposed solutions for improving KMC implementation were volunteer staff motivation, intensifying education and counselling of mothers and families, the recruitment of a psychologist and the involvement of all stakeholders. Conclusion Our study highlighted the challenges to implement KMC in Cote d'Ivoire with unique and specific barriers to implementation. We recommend to researchers and decision makers to respectively design strategies and adopt intervention that specifically address these barriers and facilitators to a better uptake of KMC. Decision makers should also take into account the proposed solutions for a better implementation and scaling up of KMC.

Quality of maternal and newborn care in limited-resource settings: a facility-based cross-sectional study in Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire.

Abstract: Objective To assess and compare the quality of intrapartum and immediate postpartum care across levels of healthcare in Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire using validated process indicators. Design Health facility-based cross-sectional study with direct observation of healthcare workers’ practices while caring for mother–newborn pairs during intrapartum and immediate postpartum periods. Setting Primary healthcare facilities and their corresponding referral hospitals in the Central-North region in Burkina Faso and the Agneby-Tiassa-Me region in Cote d’Ivoire. Participants Healthcare providers who care for mother–newborn pairs during intrapartum and immediate postpartum periods, the labouring women and their newborns after childbirth. Main outcome measure(s) Adherence to essential best practices (EBPs) at four pause points in each birth event and the overall quality score based on the level of adherence to the set of EBPs observed for a selected pause point. Results A total of 532 and 627 labouring women were included in Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire, respectively. Overall, the compliance with EBPs was insufficient at all the four pause points, even though it varied widely from one EBP to another. The adherence was very low with respect to hand hygiene practices: the care provider wore sterile gloves for vaginal examination in only 7.96% cases (95% CI 5.66% to 11.06%) in Burkina Faso and the care provider washed hands before examination in 6.71% cases (95% CI 3.94% to 11.20%) in Cote d’Ivoire. The adherence was very high with respect to thermal management of newborns in both countries (>90%). The overall mean quality scores were consistently higher in referral hospitals in Burkina Faso at all pause points excluding immediate post partum. Conclusions Women delivering in healthcare facilities do not always receive proven EBPs needed to prevent poor childbirth outcomes. There is a need for quality improvement interventions.

Effectiveness of the World Health Organization Safe Childbirth Checklist (WHO-SCC) in preventing poor childbirth outcomes: a study protocol for a matched-pair cluster randomized control trial.

Abstract: Background Women delivering in health facilities in sub-Saharan Africa and their newborns do not always receive proven interventions needed to prevent and/or adequately manage severe complications. The gaps in quality of care are increasingly pointed out as major contributing factor to the high and slow declining perinatal mortality rates. The World Health Organization Safe Childbirth Checklist (WHO-SCC), as a quality improvement strategy, targets low cost and easy to perform interventions and suits well with the context of limited resource settings. In this matched-pair cluster randomized controlled trial, we assess the effectiveness of the WHO-SCC in improving healthcare providers' adherence to best practices and ultimately improving childbirth outcomes. Methods This is a multi-country study. In each country we will carry out a matched-pair cluster randomized controlled trial whereby four pairs of regional hospitals will be randomized on a 1:1 basis to either the intervention or control group. A context specific WHO-SCC will be implemented in the intervention facilities along with trainings of healthcare providers on best childbirth practices and ongoing supportive supervisions. The standard of care will prevail in the control group. The primary outcome is a summary composite metric that combine the following poor childbirth outcomes: stillbirths, maternal deaths, early neonatal deaths, severe postpartum hemorrhage, maternal infections, early neonatal infections, prolonged obstructed labor, severe pre-eclampsia, uterine rupture in the health facility, eclampsia and maternal near miss. The occurrence of these outcomes will be ascertained in a sample of 2530 childbirth events in each country using data extraction. A secondary outcome of interest is the adherence of healthcare providers to evidence best practices. This will be measured through direct observations of a sample of 620 childbirth events in each country. Discussion Our study has the potential to provide strong evidence on the effectiveness of the WHO-SCC, a low cost and easy to implement intervention that can be easily scaled up if found effective. Trial registration The trial was registered in the Pan-African Clinical Trials Registry on 21st January 2020 under the following number: PACTR202001484669907. https://pactr.samrc.ac.za/TrialDisplay.aspx?TrialID=9662.

We are facing some barriers: A qualitative study on the implementation of kangaroo mother care from the perspectives of healthcare providers

Abstract: Health systems at all levels are under pressure to provide comprehensive and high quality of care based on the best evidencebased interventions. The kangaroo mother care (KMC) is one way to care for Low Birth Weight babies (LBW) especially in developing country where the rates of preterm and LBW neonates are higher and the resources are limited. The purpose of this paper is to explore healthcare providers’ perspectives of kangaroo mother care implementation in perinatology ward in the rural surgical hospital of East Java Province, Indonesia. We conducted an in-depth interviews to identify KMC implementations. Ten healthcare providers engaged with KMC were interviewed. Data was analyzed using a thematic analysis. Healthcare providers reported positives perceptions of KMC and acknowledged their important roles to give education. The barriers in implementing the KMC including the level of knowledge and the age of the mother of LBW babies. KMC as a method of treating LBW babies is effective intervention care of preterm and LBW babies. This research provides information regarding the need of supports from all levels in KMC implementation.

Strengthening Kangaroo Mother Care at a tertiary level hospital in Zambia: A prospective descriptive study

Abstract: Background Globally, complications due to preterm birth are the leading contributor to neonatal mortality, resulting in an estimated one million deaths annually. Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) has been endorsed by the World Health Organisation as a low cost, safe, and effective intervention in reducing morbidity and mortality among preterm infants. The objective of this study was to describe the implementation of a KMC model among preterm infants and its impact on neonatal outcomes at a tertiary level hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. Methods We conducted a prospective descriptive study using data collected from the KMC room at the University Teaching Hospital between January 2016 and September 2017. Mothers and government nurses were trained in KMC. We monitored skin-to-skin and breastfeeding practices, weight at admission, discharge, and length of admission. Results We enrolled 573 neonates into the study. Thirteen extremely low weight infants admitted to the KMC room had graduated to Group A (1,000g-1,499g) at discharge, with a median weight gain of 500g. Of the 419 very low weight neonates at admission, 290 remained in Group A while 129 improved to Group B (1,500g-2,499g), with a median weight gain of 280g. Among the 89 low weight neonates, 1 regressed to Group A, 77 remained in Group B, and 11 improved to Group C (≥2,500g), individually gaining a median of 100g. Of the seven normal weight neonates, 6 remained in Group C individually gaining a median of 100g, and 1 regressed to Group B. Among all infants enrolled, two (0.35%) died in the KMC room. Conclusions Based on the RE-AIM metrics, our results show that KMC is a feasible intervention that can improve neonatal outcomes among preterm infants in Zambia. The study findings show a promising, practical approach to scaling up KMC in Zambia. Trial registration The trial is registered under ClinicalTrials.gov under the following ID number: NCT03923023.

Competent and deficient provision of childbirth services: a descriptive observational study assessing the quality of intrapartum care in two provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Abstract: A majority of women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) give birth in a health facility, but maternal and newborn mortality remains high. In rural areas, the quality of facility-based delivery care is often low. This study examines clinical quality of intrapartum care in two provinces of the DRC.We observed process and input elements of delivery care provision at 29 facilities in Kwilu and Kwango provinces. Distinguishing non-performance attributable to provider behavior vs. input constraints, we compared both providers' adherence to clinical standards ("competent care") and non-adherence to processes for which required inputs were available ("deficient care").Observing a total of 69 deliveries, care was most competent for partograph use (75% cases) and hemorrhage prevention (73%), but least for postpartum monitoring (4%). Competent care was significantly associated with higher case volumes (p = ·03), skilled birth attendance (p = ·05), and nulliparous women (p = ·02). Care was most deficient for infection prevention (62%) and timely care (49%) and associated with cases observed at hospitals and lower delivery volume.Low quality was commonly not a result of missing equipment or supplies but related to providers' non-adherence to standard protocols. Low case volumes and the absence of skilled attendants seemed to be main factors for sub-standard quality care. Birth assistance during labor stage 2 was the only intrapartum stage heavily affected by the unavailability of essential equipment. Future interventions should strengthen links between birth attendants' practice to clinical protocols.

Effectiveness of the World Health Organization Safe Childbirth Checklist (WHO-SCC) in preventing poor childbirth outcomes: a study protocol for a matched-pair cluster randomized control trial.

Abstract: Background Women delivering in health facilities in sub-Saharan Africa and their newborns do not always receive proven interventions needed to prevent and/or adequately manage severe complications. The gaps in quality of care are increasingly pointed out as major contributing factor to the high and slow declining perinatal mortality rates. The World Health Organization Safe Childbirth Checklist (WHO-SCC), as a quality improvement strategy, targets low cost and easy to perform interventions and suits well with the context of limited resource settings. In this matched-pair cluster randomized controlled trial, we assess the effectiveness of the WHO-SCC in improving healthcare providers' adherence to best practices and ultimately improving childbirth outcomes. Methods This is a multi-country study. In each country we will carry out a matched-pair cluster randomized controlled trial whereby four pairs of regional hospitals will be randomized on a 1:1 basis to either the intervention or control group. A context specific WHO-SCC will be implemented in the intervention facilities along with trainings of healthcare providers on best childbirth practices and ongoing supportive supervisions. The standard of care will prevail in the control group. The primary outcome is a summary composite metric that combine the following poor childbirth outcomes: stillbirths, maternal deaths, early neonatal deaths, severe postpartum hemorrhage, maternal infections, early neonatal infections, prolonged obstructed labor, severe pre-eclampsia, uterine rupture in the health facility, eclampsia and maternal near miss. The occurrence of these outcomes will be ascertained in a sample of 2530 childbirth events in each country using data extraction. A secondary outcome of interest is the adherence of healthcare providers to evidence best practices. This will be measured through direct observations of a sample of 620 childbirth events in each country. Discussion Our study has the potential to provide strong evidence on the effectiveness of the WHO-SCC, a low cost and easy to implement intervention that can be easily scaled up if found effective. Trial registration The trial was registered in the Pan-African Clinical Trials Registry on 21st January 2020 under the following number: PACTR202001484669907. https://pactr.samrc.ac.za/TrialDisplay.aspx?TrialID=9662.

Health system intervention packages on improving coverage of kangaroo mother care for preterm or LBW infants: a mixed-methods systematic review

Abstract: Introduction. Global coverage of Kangaroo mother care (KMC) remains low and health system intervention strategies that may improve coverage are not known. Methods. We conducted a systematic review of studies evaluating the effect of health system intervention strategies for KMC implementation compared to no or different interventions, on KMC coverage in preterm or LBW infants. KMC coverage achieved by various studies was summarized. All included studies were classified as those that achieved increased KMC coverage (defined as [≥]25% increase from baseline, with final coverage [≥]50%) or low KMC coverage (defined as <25% increase from baseline or final coverage <50%). Studies that achieved increased KMC coverage were further classified based on the mean duration of skin-to-skin contact (SSC; hours per day) achieved. Health system interventions in different categories were summarized by WHO health system building blocks to understand factors linked to increased KMC coverage. Findings. We identified 16 studies evaluating 15 health system intervention packages for KMC implementation that applied interventions in one or more health system building blocks that reported KMC coverage. All three studies that applied interventions across 5-6 building blocks (100%), two of the four studies that applied interventions across 3-4 building blocks (50%), and three of the nine studies that applied interventions across 1-2 building blocks (33%), achieved increased KMC coverage. Studies that did not achieve increased coverage had interventions primarily targeting health workforce and service delivery and were weak on leadership and governance, financing, and health information systems. All three studies that achieved increased KMC coverage with mean SSC [≥]8h/d (100%), three of the five studies that achieved increased KMC coverage with mean SSC <8h/d (60%), and three of the eight studies with low KMC coverage (38%) had high-intensity interventions in at least one health system building blocks. High-level leadership engagement, KMC supportive policies, staff licensing, and facility standards regulations, strengthened numbers and capacity of nursing staff, government funding and expanded health insurance, wards with conducive environment, and recording KMC-specific indicators in clinical registers were key factors among studies that achieved increased KMC coverage. Conclusion. High-intensity interventions across multiple health system building blocks should be used for equitable scale-up of KMC.