Continuous support for women during childbirth.

 

Two birth doulas are assisting a labouring woman
Christy Scherrer - www.bellymotherbaby.net

UPDATE - Compared with usual care, the provision of continuous support to women during labour increases the likelihood of spontaneous vaginal birth, reduces the duration of labour and use of analgesia and lowers the incidence of caesarean section and instrumental delivery. Moreover, less babies are born with a low 5-minute Apgar score and mothers express more satisfaction with the birth experience.

 

The impact of user fees on access to health services in low- and middle-income countries

A woman paying for service at a clinic in the Philippines
Joseph Fortin, Courtesy of Photoshare

NEW - Limited evidence suggests that introduction of user fees for health care has little public health benefit, especially with regard to improving access to services in an equitable and efficient way, or to improving health-care outcomes. Studies included in this review indicate that when fees is introduced or increased, the use of preventive and curative health-care services decreases significantly. On the other hand, removal of user fee may increase the use of preventive services, but the effect on equity, outcomes and use of inpatients services is unclear.

Social marketing interventions to increase HIV/STI testing uptake among men who have sex with men and male-to-female transgender women

NEW - Limited evidence from developed countries suggests that multi-media social marking interventions can significantly increase HIV testing uptake among men who have sex with men. In the absence of studies from under-resourced settings, it is unclear whether such interventions would also promote HIV testing uptake in those settings.

Resources

Videos

A set of training videos to help clinicians master details of manual or surgical procedures

Guidelines

Health-care practice guidance from WHO and other institutions

Methodological resources

Methodological and education resources for improved understanding of the concepts and discussions related to generation of best evidence.

Effectiveness of interventions

Complete list of interventions in RHL classified by their degree of effectiveness

Previous highlights

About RHL