The Role of Faith-Based Organizations in Maternal and Newborn Health Care in Africa
BACKGROUND: Global disparities in maternal and newborn health represent one of the starkest health inequities of our times. Faith-based organizations (FBOs) have historically played an important role in providing maternal/newborn health services in African countries. However, the contribution of FBO...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | EN |
| Published: |
2012
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10986/5153 |
| Summary: | BACKGROUND: Global disparities in maternal and newborn health represent one of the starkest health inequities of our times. Faith-based organizations (FBOs) have historically played an important role in providing maternal/newborn health services in African countries. However, the contribution of FBOs in service delivery is insufficiently recognized and mapped. OBJECTIVES: A systematic review of the literature to assess available evidence on the role of FBOs in the area of maternal/newborn health care in Africa. SEARCH STRATEGY: MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched for articles published between 1989 and 2009 on maternal/newborn health and FBOs in Africa. RESULTS: Six articles met the criteria for inclusion. These articles provided information on 6 different African countries. Maternal/newborn health services provided by FBOs were similar to those offered by governments, but the quality of care received and the satisfaction were reported to be better. CONCLUSION: Efforts to document and analyze the contribution of FBOs in maternal/newborn health are necessary to increase the recognition of FBOs and to establish stronger partnerships with them in Africa as an untapped route to achieving Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5. |
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