Diwakar Mohan
Datos Biográficos
| ID | 6334159 |
|---|---|
| NOMBRE | Diwakar Mohan |
| NOMBRES | Diwakar |
| APELLIDO | Mohan |
| FIRMA | MOHAN D |
| AFILIACIONES | Johns Hopkins University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-7532-366X |
| VERIFICADO | Sí |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 30 |
| TOTAL DE CITAS | 1 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 30 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMER AÑO DE PUBLICACIÓN | 2015 |
| AÑO MÁS RECIENTE DE PUBLICACIÓN | 2026 |
| ÍNDICE H | 1 |
Newborn screening in Karnataka
Newborn screening (NBS) using dried blood spot (DBS) analysis is an important public health intervention to detect serious congenital disorders early, and reduce childhood mortality, and lifelong disabilities. While institutionalized for decades in high-income countries, NBS remains limited in low- and middle-income countries such as India. Despite recommendations in national child healthcare policies, few Indian states have adopted NBS. Even Kar…
Untargeted and targeted fortified balanced energy-protein (BEP) dietary supplementation during pregnancy and birth outcomes
Antenatal balanced energy-protein (BEP) dietary supplementation is a WHO recommendation in undernourished settings, but limited evidence exists on targeting individuals based on nutritional status. We assessed the impact of untargeted and targeted fortified BEP supplementation during pregnancy on birth outcomes, compared with multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) as control. In a four-arm, cluster-randomised controlled trial pregnant women rec…
Persistent postpartum depressive symptoms and developmental impairment in Bangladeshi children
Background: Optimal child development across cognitive, language, and motor domains is essential for long-term health and well-being. Postpartum depression has been linked to adverse child developmental outcomes, but evidence on the impact of persistent postpartum depressive symptoms (PPDS) across these domains and over time remains limited, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Methods: We retrieved data from the Alliance for Materna…
Prevalence and risk factors for anaemia during pregnancy in Sylhet district of Bangladesh
Background: Anaemia during pregnancy poses a major public health problem globally, with reported prevalences ranging from approximately 5.2% to 65.7%. A significant portion of this burden is borne by low- and middle-income countries. We aimed to determine the prevalence of anaemia during pregnancy and identify the factors associated with anaemia in the third trimester of pregnancy in a cohort of women in the rural Sylhet district, Bangladesh. Met…
WHO launches global network of institutes to strengthen capacity for health inequality monitoring
This article introduces the global WHO-managed Health Inequality Monitoring Network, which is dedicated to strengthening and expanding health inequality monitoring practices at global, regional and country levels. Launched in 2025, the Health Inequality Monitoring Network consists of 12 inaugural institutional members, represented by over 140 affiliated individuals spanning all world regions. The Network aims to: strengthen capacities for health …
Cost-effectiveness of a direct to beneficiary mobile communication programme in improving reproductive and child health outcomes in India
INTRODUCTION: Kilkari is the largest maternal messaging programme of its kind globally. Between its initiation in 2012 in Bihar and its transition to the government in 2019, Kilkari was scaled to 13 states across India and reached over 10 million new and expectant mothers and their families. This study aims to determine the cost-effectiveness of exposure to Kilkari as compared with no exposure across 13 states in India. METHODS: The study was con…
Everyday capabilities were a path to resilience during Covid-19
COVID-19 demanded urgent responses by all countries, with wide variations in the scope and sustainability of those responses. Scholarship on resilience has increasingly emphasized relational considerations such as norms and power and how they influence health systems’ responses to evolving challenges. In this study, we explored what influenced countries’ national pandemic responses over time considering a country’s capacity to test for COVID-19. …
Optimising the reach of mobile health messaging programmes
Kilkari is an outbound service that makes weekly, stage-based, prerecorded calls about reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health directly to families’ mobile phones, starting from the second trimester of pregnancy and until the child is 1 year old. Since its initiation in 2012–2013, Kilkari has scaled to 13 states across India. In this analysis article, we explored the subscriber’s journey from entry to programme to engagement with calls.…
The impact of a direct to beneficiary mobile communication program on reproductive and child health outcomes
BACKGROUND: Direct-to-beneficiary communication mobile programmes are among the few examples of digital health programmes to have scaled widely in low-resource settings. Yet, evidence on their impact at scale is limited. This study aims to assess whether exposure to mobile health information calls during pregnancy and postpartum improved infant feeding and family planning practices. METHODS: We conducted an individually randomised controlled tria…
Measuring Quality of Maternal, Neonatal, Child, Reproductive Health and Nutrition Care with tools developed by the Radar project and tested in Sub Saharan Africa
Increasing coverage of evidence-based maternal, neonatal, child, reproductive health and nutrition (MNCRHN) programs in low- and middle-income countries has coincided with dramatic improvements in health despite variable quality of implementation. Comprehensive evaluation to inform program improvement requires standardized but adaptable tools, which the Real Accountability, Data Analysis for Results (RADAR) project has developed. To inform select…
Comparing program supervision with an external Radar evaluation of quality of care in integrated community case management for childhood illnesses in Mali
BACKGROUND: Many countries have adopted integrated community case management (iCCM) to reduce mortality among children under five years from common childhood illnesses. The 2016-2020 Malian Red Cross iCCM program trained 441 Community Health Workers (CHWs) to treat malaria, pneumonia, diarrhea, and malnutrition for children under five years of age in six districts. Implementation strength and quality of care (QoC) were assessed through the progra…
Factors Beyond Compensation Associated with Uptake of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision in Zambia
Maximizing the Impact of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision for HIV Prevention in Zambia by Targeting High-Risk Men
A well-documented barrier to voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) is financial loss due to the missed opportunity to work while undergoing and recovering from VMMC. We implemented a 2-phased outcome evaluation to explore how enhanced demand creation and financial compensation equivalent to 3 days of missed work influence uptake of VMMC among men at high risk of HIV exposure in Zambia. In Phase 1, we implemented human-centered design-informe…
Does exposure to health information through mobile phones increase immunisation knowledge, completeness and timeliness in rural India
INTRODUCTION: Immunisation plays a vital role in reducing child mortality and morbidity against preventable diseases. As part of a randomised controlled trial in rural Madhya Pradesh, India to assess the impact of Kilkari, a maternal messaging programme, we explored determinants of parental immunisation knowledge and immunisation practice (completeness and timeliness) for children 0-12 months of age from four districts in Madhya Pradesh. METHODS:…
Connecting the dots
Digital tools are increasingly being applied to support the response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in India and elsewhere globally. This article draws from global frameworks to explore the use of digital tools in the state of Kerala across the domains of communication, surveillance, clinical management, non-clinical support, and core health system readiness and response. Kerala is considered India’s first digital state, with the highest percen…
SMS feedback system as a quality assurance mechanism
The increasing use of digital health solutions to support data capture both as part of routine delivery of health services and through special surveys presents unique opportunities to enhance quality assurance measures. This study aims to demonstrate the feasibility and acceptability of using back-end data analytics and machine learning to identify impediments in data quality and feedback issues requiring follow-up to field teams using automated …
Examining the reach and exposure of a mobile phone-based training programme for frontline health workers (Ashas) in 13 states across India
Mobile phones are increasingly used to facilitate in-service training for frontline health workers (FLHWs). Mobile learning (mLearning) programmes have the potential to provide FLHWs with high quality, inexpensive, standardised learning at scale, and at the time and location of their choosing. However, further research is needed into FLHW engagement with mLearning content at scale, a factor which could influence knowledge and service delivery. Mo…
Another voice in the crowd
INTRODUCTION: Kilkari is one of the world's largest mobile phone-based health messaging programmes. Developed by BBC Media Action, it provides weekly stage-based information to pregnant and postpartum women and their families, including on infant and young child feeding (IYCF) and family planning, to compliment the efforts of frontline health workers. The quantitative component of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) in the Indian state of Madhya …
Assessing exposure to Kilkari
The Kilkari programme is being implemented by the Government of India in 13 states. Designed by BBC Media Action and scaled in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare from January 2016, Kilkari had provided mobile health information to over 10 million subscribers by the time BBC Media Action transitioned the service to the government in April 2019. Despite the reach of Kilkari in terms of the absolute number of subscribers, n…
Can health information through mobile phones close the divide in health behaviours among the marginalised? An equity analysis of Kilkari in Madhya Pradesh, India
Kilkari is one of the largest maternal mobile messaging programmes in the world. It makes weekly prerecorded calls to new and expectant mothers and their families from the fourth month of pregnancy until 1-year post partum. The programme delivers reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health information directly to subscribers’ phones. However, little is known about the reach of Kilkari among different subgroups in the population, or the diff…
Validation of community health worker identification of maternal puerperal sepsis using a clinical diagnostic algorithm in Bangladesh and Pakistan
BACKGROUND: Puerperal sepsis (PP sepsis) is a leading cause of maternal mortality globally. The majority of maternal sepsis cases and deaths occur at home and remain undiagnosed and under-reported. In this paper, we present findings from a nested case-control study in Bangladesh and Pakistan which sought to assess the validity of community health worker (CHW) identification of PP sepsis using a clinical diagnostic algorithm with physician assessm…
Does women’s mobile phone ownership matter for health? Evidence from 15 countries
Mobile phones have the potential to increase access to health information, improve patient–provider communication, and influence the content and quality of health services received. Evidence on the gender gap in ownership of mobile phones is limited, and efforts to link phone ownership among women to care-seeking and practices for reproductive maternal newborn and child health (RMNCH) have yet to be made. This analysis aims to assess household an…
How strong are Malawi’s family planning programs for adolescent and adult women? Results of a national assessment of implementation strength conducted by Malawi’s National Evaluation Platform
BACKGROUND: To assess the strength of implementation of family planning programs targeting youth (15-24) in Malawi with a specific focus on youth and the Youth-Friendly Health Services program. METHODS: We conducted 9781 mobile phone interviews with facility in-Charge Nurses and health workers (health facility workers, health surveillance assistants [HSAs] and community-based distribution agent [CBDAs]) who provide family planning (FP) services a…
Tackling socioeconomic inequalities and non-communicable diseases in low-income and middle-income countries under the Sustainable Development agenda
Impact of integrating a postpartum family planning program into a community-based maternal and newborn health program on birth spacing and preterm birth in rural Bangladesh
BACKGROUND: Short birth intervals are associated with an increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. However, reduction of rates of short birth intervals is challenging in low-resource settings where majority of the women deliver at home with limited access to family planning services immediately after delivery. This study examines the feasibility of integrating a post-partum family planning intervention package within a community-based materna…
Analysis of dropout across the continuum of maternal health care in Tanzania
The 'continuum of care' is proposed as a key framework for the delivery of maternal, neonatal and child health services. This study examined the extent of dropout as well as factors associated with retention across the MNCH continuum from antenatal care (ANC), through skilled birth attendance (SBA), to postnatal care (PNC).We analyzed data from 1931 women who delivered in the preceding 2-14 months, from a two-stage cluster sampling household surv…
Equally able, but unequally accepted
Male and female CHWs in this study have largely similar knowledge and health promotion outputs, but challenges in acceptance of CHW counseling for reproductive health and home visits by unaccompanied CHWs varied by gender. Programs that pair male and female CHWs may potentially overcome gender issues in CHW acceptance, especially if they change gender norms rather than solely accommodate gender preferences
Program synergies and social relations
While providers and pregnant women view program synergies from integrating HIV services into antenatal care positively, lack of supportive provider-patient relationships, lack of trust resulting from harsh treatment or breaches in confidentiality, and stigma still inhibit women's care seeking. As countries continue rollout of Option B+, social relations between patients and providers must be understood and addressed to ensure that integrated deli…
Diarrhea no more
BACKGROUND: India has the greatest burden of diarrhea in children under 5 years globally. The Diarrhea Alleviation through zinc and oral rehydration salts (ORS) Therapy program (2010-2014) sought to improve access to and utilization of zinc and ORS among children 2-59 months in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh (UP), India, through public and private sector delivery channels. In this analysis, we present findings on program's effect in reducing child-hea…
Analysis of dropout across the continuum of maternal health care in Tanzania
The 'continuum of care' is proposed as a key framework for the delivery of maternal, neonatal and child health services. This study examined the extent of dropout as well as factors associated with retention across the MNCH continuum from antenatal care (ANC), through skilled birth attendance (SBA), to postnatal care (PNC).We analyzed data from 1931 women who delivered in the preceding 2-14 months, from a two-stage cluster sampling household surv…
Tackling socioeconomic inequalities and non-communicable diseases in low-income and middle-income countries under the Sustainable Development agenda
Impact of integrating a postpartum family planning program into a community-based maternal and newborn health program on birth spacing and preterm birth in rural Bangladesh
BACKGROUND: Short birth intervals are associated with an increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. However, reduction of rates of short birth intervals is challenging in low-resource settings where majority of the women deliver at home with limited access to family planning services immediately after delivery. This study examines the feasibility of integrating a post-partum family planning intervention package within a community-based materna…
Can community action improve equity for maternal health and how does it do so? Research findings from Gujarat, India
With capacity and trust building, NGOs supporting community based collectives to monitor health services and engage with health providers and local authorities, over time overcame implementation challenges to strengthen public sector services. These accountability efforts resulted in improvements in utilisation of public sector services and a shift away from private care seeking, particularly for the marginalised
How strong are Malawi’s family planning programs for adolescent and adult women? Results of a national assessment of implementation strength conducted by Malawi’s National Evaluation Platform
BACKGROUND: To assess the strength of implementation of family planning programs targeting youth (15-24) in Malawi with a specific focus on youth and the Youth-Friendly Health Services program. METHODS: We conducted 9781 mobile phone interviews with facility in-Charge Nurses and health workers (health facility workers, health surveillance assistants [HSAs] and community-based distribution agent [CBDAs]) who provide family planning (FP) services a…
Does women’s mobile phone ownership matter for health? Evidence from 15 countries
Mobile phones have the potential to increase access to health information, improve patient–provider communication, and influence the content and quality of health services received. Evidence on the gender gap in ownership of mobile phones is limited, and efforts to link phone ownership among women to care-seeking and practices for reproductive maternal newborn and child health (RMNCH) have yet to be made. This analysis aims to assess household an…
Does exposure to health information through mobile phones increase immunisation knowledge, completeness and timeliness in rural India
INTRODUCTION: Immunisation plays a vital role in reducing child mortality and morbidity against preventable diseases. As part of a randomised controlled trial in rural Madhya Pradesh, India to assess the impact of Kilkari, a maternal messaging programme, we explored determinants of parental immunisation knowledge and immunisation practice (completeness and timeliness) for children 0-12 months of age from four districts in Madhya Pradesh. METHODS:…
Connecting the dots
Digital tools are increasingly being applied to support the response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in India and elsewhere globally. This article draws from global frameworks to explore the use of digital tools in the state of Kerala across the domains of communication, surveillance, clinical management, non-clinical support, and core health system readiness and response. Kerala is considered India’s first digital state, with the highest percen…
SMS feedback system as a quality assurance mechanism
The increasing use of digital health solutions to support data capture both as part of routine delivery of health services and through special surveys presents unique opportunities to enhance quality assurance measures. This study aims to demonstrate the feasibility and acceptability of using back-end data analytics and machine learning to identify impediments in data quality and feedback issues requiring follow-up to field teams using automated …
Examining the reach and exposure of a mobile phone-based training programme for frontline health workers (Ashas) in 13 states across India
Mobile phones are increasingly used to facilitate in-service training for frontline health workers (FLHWs). Mobile learning (mLearning) programmes have the potential to provide FLHWs with high quality, inexpensive, standardised learning at scale, and at the time and location of their choosing. However, further research is needed into FLHW engagement with mLearning content at scale, a factor which could influence knowledge and service delivery. Mo…
Another voice in the crowd
INTRODUCTION: Kilkari is one of the world's largest mobile phone-based health messaging programmes. Developed by BBC Media Action, it provides weekly stage-based information to pregnant and postpartum women and their families, including on infant and young child feeding (IYCF) and family planning, to compliment the efforts of frontline health workers. The quantitative component of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) in the Indian state of Madhya …
Assessing exposure to Kilkari
The Kilkari programme is being implemented by the Government of India in 13 states. Designed by BBC Media Action and scaled in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare from January 2016, Kilkari had provided mobile health information to over 10 million subscribers by the time BBC Media Action transitioned the service to the government in April 2019. Despite the reach of Kilkari in terms of the absolute number of subscribers, n…
Can health information through mobile phones close the divide in health behaviours among the marginalised? An equity analysis of Kilkari in Madhya Pradesh, India
Kilkari is one of the largest maternal mobile messaging programmes in the world. It makes weekly prerecorded calls to new and expectant mothers and their families from the fourth month of pregnancy until 1-year post partum. The programme delivers reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health information directly to subscribers’ phones. However, little is known about the reach of Kilkari among different subgroups in the population, or the diff…
Validation of community health worker identification of maternal puerperal sepsis using a clinical diagnostic algorithm in Bangladesh and Pakistan
BACKGROUND: Puerperal sepsis (PP sepsis) is a leading cause of maternal mortality globally. The majority of maternal sepsis cases and deaths occur at home and remain undiagnosed and under-reported. In this paper, we present findings from a nested case-control study in Bangladesh and Pakistan which sought to assess the validity of community health worker (CHW) identification of PP sepsis using a clinical diagnostic algorithm with physician assessm…
Optimising the reach of mobile health messaging programmes
Kilkari is an outbound service that makes weekly, stage-based, prerecorded calls about reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health directly to families’ mobile phones, starting from the second trimester of pregnancy and until the child is 1 year old. Since its initiation in 2012–2013, Kilkari has scaled to 13 states across India. In this analysis article, we explored the subscriber’s journey from entry to programme to engagement with calls.…
The impact of a direct to beneficiary mobile communication program on reproductive and child health outcomes
BACKGROUND: Direct-to-beneficiary communication mobile programmes are among the few examples of digital health programmes to have scaled widely in low-resource settings. Yet, evidence on their impact at scale is limited. This study aims to assess whether exposure to mobile health information calls during pregnancy and postpartum improved infant feeding and family planning practices. METHODS: We conducted an individually randomised controlled tria…
Measuring Quality of Maternal, Neonatal, Child, Reproductive Health and Nutrition Care with tools developed by the Radar project and tested in Sub Saharan Africa
Increasing coverage of evidence-based maternal, neonatal, child, reproductive health and nutrition (MNCRHN) programs in low- and middle-income countries has coincided with dramatic improvements in health despite variable quality of implementation. Comprehensive evaluation to inform program improvement requires standardized but adaptable tools, which the Real Accountability, Data Analysis for Results (RADAR) project has developed. To inform select…
Comparing program supervision with an external Radar evaluation of quality of care in integrated community case management for childhood illnesses in Mali
BACKGROUND: Many countries have adopted integrated community case management (iCCM) to reduce mortality among children under five years from common childhood illnesses. The 2016-2020 Malian Red Cross iCCM program trained 441 Community Health Workers (CHWs) to treat malaria, pneumonia, diarrhea, and malnutrition for children under five years of age in six districts. Implementation strength and quality of care (QoC) were assessed through the progra…
Factors Beyond Compensation Associated with Uptake of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision in Zambia
Maximizing the Impact of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision for HIV Prevention in Zambia by Targeting High-Risk Men
A well-documented barrier to voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) is financial loss due to the missed opportunity to work while undergoing and recovering from VMMC. We implemented a 2-phased outcome evaluation to explore how enhanced demand creation and financial compensation equivalent to 3 days of missed work influence uptake of VMMC among men at high risk of HIV exposure in Zambia. In Phase 1, we implemented human-centered design-informe…
Cost-effectiveness of a direct to beneficiary mobile communication programme in improving reproductive and child health outcomes in India
INTRODUCTION: Kilkari is the largest maternal messaging programme of its kind globally. Between its initiation in 2012 in Bihar and its transition to the government in 2019, Kilkari was scaled to 13 states across India and reached over 10 million new and expectant mothers and their families. This study aims to determine the cost-effectiveness of exposure to Kilkari as compared with no exposure across 13 states in India. METHODS: The study was con…
Everyday capabilities were a path to resilience during Covid-19
COVID-19 demanded urgent responses by all countries, with wide variations in the scope and sustainability of those responses. Scholarship on resilience has increasingly emphasized relational considerations such as norms and power and how they influence health systems’ responses to evolving challenges. In this study, we explored what influenced countries’ national pandemic responses over time considering a country’s capacity to test for COVID-19. …
Medicine (25 obras) · Environmental health (18 obras) · Population (17 obras) · Nursing (14 obras) · Public health (14 obras) · Business (12 obras) · Global Maternal and Child Health (11 obras) · Mobile Health and mHealth Applications (11 obras) · Economics (9 obras) · Child Nutrition and Water Access (8 obras)