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Call for papers: Respectful care during childbirth at health facilities

Series Editors: Dr. José M. Belizán, Prof. Suellen Miller

Reproductive Health invite you to submit to our new special series: Respectful care during childbirth at health facilities.

The scope of this on-going series includes both preventing and eliminating the mistreatment of women during childbirth and the promotion of respectful maternity care. A lack of respectful care during childbirth is now recognized as both an indicator of poor quality of care as well as an obstacle to obtaining maternal/newborn health. In this series we aim to publish high-quality results from primary qualitative and quantitative research, as well as commentaries from both the research community and from less heard voices in maternal health, such as human rights activists, advocacy groups, and grassroots organizations.

Manuscripts should be formatted according to the Reproductive Health submission guidelines and submitted via the online submission system. All articles will undergo the journals full standard peer-review process and will be published upon acceptance. In the submission system please select the correct series title and also indicated in the covering letter that the manuscript is to be considered for this special series. More information about the series and the journal, including full aims & scope and Editorial Board, can be found on the journal website: http://reproductive-health-journal.biomedcentral.com. For submission enquiries please contact the Editors at reproductivehealthjournal@biomedcentral.com.

  1. Healthcare providers have a responsibility to provide pain management support to women during labor. Labor pain management in low and middle income countries primarily relies on non-pharmacological methods, as...

    Authors: Almaz Aklilu Getu, Simegnew Asmer Getie, Getahun Belay Gela, Eleni Admassu Maseresha, Birhanu Elifu Feleke and Alemtsehay Mekonen Muna
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2020 17:183
  2. Effective communication and respect for women’s autonomy are critical components of person-centered care. Yet, there is limited evidence in low-resource settings on providers’ perceptions of the importance and...

    Authors: Patience A. Afulani, Laura Buback, Ann Marie Kelly, Leah Kirumbi, Craig R. Cohen and Audrey Lyndon
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2020 17:85
  3. Improving the quality of maternal health care is critical to reduce mortality and improve women’s experiences. Mistreatment during childbirth in health facilities can be an important barrier for women when con...

    Authors: Thae Maung Maung, Kyaw Lwin Show, Nwe Oo Mon, Özge Tunçalp, Nyein Su Aye, Yin Yin Soe and Meghan A. Bohren
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2020 17:56
  4. Non- pneumatic anti-shock garment is a unique, life -saving first -aid device made of neoprene and velcro, which is used for treatment of women with postpartum hemorrhage. Maternal mortality in the world still...

    Authors: Gadisa Bekele, Gemechu Terefe, Makeda Sinaga and Sena Belina
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2020 17:37
  5. Globally, every minute, at least one woman dies from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth. The situation is more serious for women in Sub-Saharan Africa which also include Ethiopia. Birth preparedn...

    Authors: Ayelech Kidanemariam Mulugeta, Berhanu Wordofa Giru, Balcha Berhanu and Tefera Mulugeta Demelew
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2020 17:15
  6. Recent evidence suggests that mistreatment of women during childbirth is a global challenge facing health care systems. This study seeks to explore the prevalence of mistreatment of women in public health faci...

    Authors: Ephrem D. Sheferaw, Young-Mi Kim, Thomas van den Akker and Jelle Stekelenburg
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2019 16:130
  7. In the past decade, the negative impact of disrespectful maternity care on women’s utilisation and experiences of facility-based delivery has been well documented. Less is known about midwives’ perspectives on...

    Authors: Susan Bradley, Christine McCourt, Juliet Rayment and Divya Parmar
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2019 16:116
  8. To investigate the nature and context of mistreatment during labour and childbirth at public and private sector maternity facilities in Uttar Pradesh, India.

    Authors: Gaurav Sharma, Loveday Penn-Kekana, Kaveri Halder and Véronique Filippi
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2019 16:7
  9. The increase in global health networks as mechanisms for improving health and affecting social change has been recognized as a key component of the global health landscape today. To successfully raise awarenes...

    Authors: Meaghan O’Connor, Kayla McGowan and R. Rima Jolivet
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2019 16:1
  10. In low resource circumstances, non-adherence for available health services is a major cause of inefficiency in health care delivery. MHealth has been projected as a possible solution to support women during pr...

    Authors: Fasil Wagnew, Getenet Dessie, Animut Alebel, Henok Mulugeta, Yihalem Abebe Belay and Amanuel Alemu Abajobir
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2018 15:191
  11. In recent years, mistreatment during childbirth has captured the public health and maternal health consciousness as not only an affront to women’s rights but also a formidable deterrent to the uptake of facili...

    Authors: Shannon A. McMahon, Rose John Mnzava, Gaudiosa Tibaijuka and Sheena Currie
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2018 15:153
  12. Person-centered care during childbirth is recognized as a critical component of quality of maternity care. But there are few validated tools to measure person-centered maternity care (PCMC). This paper aims to...

    Authors: Patience A. Afulani, Nadia Diamond-Smith, Beth Phillips, Shreya Singhal and May Sudhinaraset
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2018 15:147
  13. This paper responds to the global call to action for respectful maternity care (RMC) by examining whether and how gender inequalities and unequal power dynamics in the health system undermine quality of care o...

    Authors: Myra L. Betron, Tracy L. McClair, Sheena Currie and Joya Banerjee
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2018 15:143
  14. In Tanzania, the provision of humanized care is increasingly being emphasized in midwifery practice, yet studies regarding perceptions and practices of skilled health personnel towards the humanization of birt...

    Authors: Lilian T. Mselle, Thecla W. Kohi and Justine Dol
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2018 15:137
  15. Skilled birth attendance, institutional deliveries, and provision of quality, respectful care are key practices to improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes. In Mozambique, the government has prioritized i...

    Authors: Claire B. Cole, Julio Pacca, Alicia Mehl, Anna Tomasulo, Luc van der Veken, Adalgisa Viola and Valéry Ridde
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2018 15:132
  16. The disrespect and abuse of women during the process of childbirth is an emergent and global problem and only few studies have investigated this worrying issue. The objective of the present study was to descri...

    Authors: Marilia Arndt Mesenburg, Cesar Gomes Victora, Suzzane Jacob Serruya, Rodolfo Ponce de León, Andrea Homsi Damaso, Marlos Rodrigues Domingues and Mariangela Freitas da Silveira
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2018 15:54
  17. Lack of respectful maternity care (RMC) is increasingly recognized as a human rights issue and a key deterrent to women seeking facility-based deliveries. Ensuring facility-based RMC is essential for improving...

    Authors: M. M. Dynes, E. Twentyman, L. Kelly, G. Maro, A. A. Msuya, S. Dominico, P. Chaote, R. Rusibamayila and F. Serbanescu
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2018 15:41
  18. Despite global gains, women in hard-to-reach areas are at a relatively higher risk of death and disability related to childbirth. Traditional methods of measuring satisfaction may mask negative experiences (su...

    Authors: Emily Peca and John Sandberg
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2018 15:9
  19. Over the last two decades, facility-based childbirths in Tanzania have only minimally increased by 10% partly because of healthcare providers’ disrespect and abuse (D&A) of women during childbirth. Although nu...

    Authors: Kana Shimoda, Shigeko Horiuchi, Sebalda Leshabari and Yoko Shimpuku
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2018 15:8
  20. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for approximately 66% of global maternal deaths. Poor person-centered maternity care, which emphasizes the quality of patient experience, contributes both directly and indirectly to...

    Authors: Patience A. Afulani, Leah Kirumbi and Audrey Lyndon
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2017 14:180
  21. Instruments to assess quality of maternity care in Central and Eastern European (CEE) region are scarce, despite reports of poor doctor-patient communication, non-evidence-based care, and informal cash payment...

    Authors: Nicholas Rubashkin, Imre Szebik, Petra Baji, Zsuzsa Szántó, Éva Susánszky and Saraswathi Vedam
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2017 14:152
  22. Health professionals are striving to improve respectful care for women, but they fall short in the domains of effective communication, respectful and dignified care and emotional support during labour. This st...

    Authors: Sarie J. Oosthuizen, Anne-Marie Bergh, Robert C. Pattinson and Jackie Grimbeek
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2017 14:151
  23. The study aims to assess the discordance between self-reported and observed measures of mistreatment of women during childbirth in public health facilities in Uttar Pradesh, India, as well as correlates of the...

    Authors: Arnab Dey, Holly Baker Shakya, Dharmendra Chandurkar, Sanjiv Kumar, Arup Kumar Das, John Anthony, Mrunal Shetye, Suneeta Krishnan, Jay G. Silverman and Anita Raj
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2017 14:149
  24. Disrespectful and abusive maternity care is a common and pervasive problem that disproportionately impacts marginalized women. By making mothers less likely to agree to facility-based delivery, it contributes ...

    Authors: Kirsten Austad, Anita Chary, Boris Martinez, Michel Juarez, Yolanda Juarez Martin, Enma Coyote Ixen and Peter Rohloff
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2017 14:148
  25. Several recent studies have attempted to measure the prevalence of disrespect and abuse (D&A) of women during childbirth in health facilities. Variations in reported prevalence may be associated with differenc...

    Authors: David Sando, Timothy Abuya, Anteneh Asefa, Kathleen P. Banks, Lynn P. Freedman, Stephanie Kujawski, Amanda Markovitz, Charity Ndwiga, Kate Ramsey, Hannah Ratcliffe, Emmanuel O. Ugwu, Charlotte E. Warren and R. Rima Jolivet
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2017 14:127
  26. Person-centered reproductive health care is recognized as critical to improving reproductive health outcomes. Yet, little research exists on how to operationalize it. We extend the literature in this area by d...

    Authors: Patience A. Afulani, Nadia Diamond-Smith, Ginger Golub and May Sudhinaraset
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2017 14:118
  27. Disrespect and abuse of women during institutional childbirth services is one of the deterrents to utilization of maternity care services in Ethiopia and other low- and middle-income countries. This paper desc...

    Authors: Ephrem D. Sheferaw, Eva Bazant, Hannah Gibson, Hone B. Fenta, Firew Ayalew, Tsigereda B. Belay, Maria M. Worku, Aelaf E. Kebebu, Sintayehu A. Woldie, Young-Mi Kim, T. van den Akker and Jelle Stekelenburg
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2017 14:60
  28. Available evidence suggests that the low use of antenatal, delivery, and post-natal services by Nigerian women may be due to their perceptions of low quality of care in health facilities. This study investigat...

    Authors: Friday Okonofua, Rosemary Ogu, Kingsley Agholor, Ola Okike, Rukiyat Abdus-salam, Mohammed Gana, Abdullahi Randawa, Eghe Abe, Adetoye Durodola and Hadiza Galadanci
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2017 14:44
  29. Disrespectful and abusive treatment during childbirth is a violation of women’s right to dignified, respectful healthcare throughout pregnancy and childbirth. Although reports point out that marginalized group...

    Authors: Nada Amroussia, Alison Hernandez, Carmen Vives-Cases and Isabel Goicolea
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2017 14:32
  30. Striking tales of people judged, disrespected, or abused in reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (RMNCAH) services are commonly exchanged among friends and families throughout the worl...

    Authors: Kelsey Holt, Jacquelyn M. Caglia, Emily Peca, James M. Sherry and Ana Langer
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2017 14:20
  31. Global efforts have increased facility-based childbirth, but substantial barriers remain in some settings. In Nigeria, women report that poor provider attitudes influence their use of maternal health services....

    Authors: Meghan A. Bohren, Joshua P. Vogel, Özge Tunçalp, Bukola Fawole, Musibau A. Titiloye, Akinpelu Olanrewaju Olutayo, Modupe Ogunlade, Agnes A. Oyeniran, Olubunmi R. Osunsan, Loveth Metiboba, Hadiza A. Idris, Francis E. Alu, Olufemi T. Oladapo, A. Metin Gülmezoglu and Michelle J. Hindin
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2017 14:9
  32. Reducing maternal morbidity and mortality remains a key health challenge in Guinea. Anecdotal evidence suggests that women in Guinea are subjected to mistreatment during childbirth in health facilities, but li...

    Authors: Mamadou Diouldé Balde, Abou Bangoura, Boubacar Alpha Diallo, Oumar Sall, Habibata Balde, Aïssatou Sona Niakate, Joshua P. Vogel and Meghan A. Bohren
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2017 14:4
  33. Every woman is entitled to respectful care during childbirth; so it is concerning to hear of informal reports of mistreatment during childbirth in Guinea. This study sought to explore the perceptions and exper...

    Authors: Mamadou Diouldé Balde, Boubacar Alpha Diallo, Abou Bangoura, Oumar Sall, Anne Marie Soumah, Joshua P. Vogel and Meghan A. Bohren
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2017 14:3
  34. The World Health Organization recommends good practices for the conduct of uncomplicated labor and birth, with the aim of improving the quality of and assessment by women of childbirth care. The aim of this st...

    Authors: Marcia Leonardi Baldisserotto, Mariza Miranda Theme Filha and Silvana Granado Nogueira da Gama
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2016 13(Suppl 3):124

    This article is part of a Supplement: Volume 13 Supplement 3

  35. Disrespect and abuse (D&A) during facility-based childbirth is a topic of growing concern and attention globally. Several recent studies have sought to quantify the prevalence of D&A, however little evidence e...

    Authors: Hannah L. Ratcliffe, David Sando, Mary Mwanyika-Sando, Guerino Chalamilla, Ana Langer and Kathleen P. McDonald
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2016 13:80
  36. There is emerging evidence that disrespect and abuse (D&A) during facility-based childbirth is prevalent in countries throughout the world and a barrier to achieving good maternal health outcomes. However, muc...

    Authors: Hannah L. Ratcliffe, David Sando, Goodluck Willey Lyatuu, Faida Emil, Mary Mwanyika-Sando, Guerino Chalamilla, Ana Langer and Kathleen P. McDonald
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2016 13:79
  37. Every woman has the right to dignified, respectful care during childbirth. Recent evidence has demonstrated that globally many women experience mistreatment during labour and childbirth in health facilities, w...

    Authors: Joshua P. Vogel, Meghan A. Bohren, Özge Tunçalp, Olufemi T. Oladapo, Richard M. Adanu, Mamadou Diouldé Baldé, Thae Maung Maung, Bukola Fawole, Kwame Adu-Bonsaffoh, Phyllis Dako-Gyeke, Ernest Tei Maya, Mohamed Campell Camara, Alfa Boubacar Diallo, Safiatou Diallo, Khin Thet Wai, Theingi Myint…
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2015 12:60
  38. Most complications during labour and childbirth could be averted with timely interventions by skilled healthcare providers. Yet, the quality and outcomes of childbirth care remains suboptimal in many health fa...

    Authors: Meghan A Bohren, Olufemi T Oladapo, Özge Tunçalp, Melanie Wendland, Joshua P Vogel, Mari Tikkanen, Bukola Fawole, Kidza Mugerwa, João Paulo Souza, Rajiv Bahl and A. Metin Gülmezoglu
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2015 12:50
  39. As most pregnancy-related deaths and morbidities are clustered around the time of childbirth, quality of care during this period is critical to the survival of pregnant women and their babies. Despite the wide...

    Authors: Olufemi T Oladapo, João Paulo Souza, Meghan A Bohren, Özge Tunçalp, Joshua P Vogel, Bukola Fawole, Kidza Mugerwa and A Metin Gülmezoglu
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2015 12:48
  40. According to the 2011 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey, 90.1% of mothers do not deliver in health facilities, with 29.5% citing non-customary service as causative. A low level of skilled attendance at b...

    Authors: Anteneh Asefa and Delayehu Bekele
    Citation: Reproductive Health 2015 12:33