Neha Batura
Biographic Data
| ID | 4100064 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Neha Batura |
| GIVEN NAMES | Neha |
| FAMILY NAME | Batura |
| SIGNATURE | BATURA N |
| AFFILIATIONS | University College London |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-8175-8125 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 27 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 1 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 23 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 4 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2014 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Unpacking postpartum depression in rural India
This is among the first Indian studies to longitudinally examine the association between postpartum depression at 12 months and child development at 18 months, addressing a major evidence gap in rural settings. The study identified a distinct risk profile for postpartum depression shaped by socioeconomic and maternal adversity. Postpartum depression showed domain-specific associations with language delays, explained by contextual factors. These f…
Economic evaluation
Background: The Nurture Early for Optimal Nutrition (NEON) programme was designed to promote equitable early childhood development by educating mothers of South Asian origin in two boroughs (Newham and Tower Hamlets) in East London on optimal feeding, care, and dental hygiene practices. The study found that the adapted Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) approach was highly acceptable and well-received by participants, with improvements in ma…
Association of remittances with skilled delivery in Uganda, 2019/2020
There are significant disparities in maternal and child mortality ratios between high-income and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite large decreases in maternal and child mortality in recent decades, with programs such as the Safe Motherhood Initiative, the Sustainable Development Goals and the Millennium Development Goals in LMICs, these differences remain large. The objective of this study is to examine the association between the…
Stepping Stones and Creating Futures Plus
Marginalised young women and men in South Africa experience and perpetrate high rates of intimate partner violence (IPV), shaped by their contexts and life histories. To address this, we co-developed Stepping Stones and Creating Futures Plus (SSCF+) with young women and men living in marginalised communities to reduce IPV, strengthen livelihoods and improve mental health. We assessed the intervention’s feasibility, acceptability and potential imp…
Estimated cost-savings from integrated care for HIV, diabetes and hypertension in sub-Saharan Africa
Background In a cluster-randomised trial in Uganda and Tanzania, we showed that integrated management, compared with standard vertical care, could achieve a high standard of care for diabetes and hypertension without adversely affecting outcomes for HIV. However, evidence on the value for money of integrated care is needed to inform policy.Objective Our economic evaluation aimed to establish the value for money of integrated care compared with ve…
A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of the Mencap Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) Approach in Newham
The impact of a multi-faceted intervention on non-prescription dispensing of antibiotics by urban community pharmacies in Indonesia
Introduction Non-prescription antibiotic dispensing is prevalent among community pharmacies in several low- and middle-income countries. We evaluated the impact of a multi-faceted intervention to address this challenge in urban community pharmacies in Indonesia. Methods A pre-post quasi-experimental study was carried out in Semarang city from January to August 2022 to evaluate a 7-month long intervention comprising: (1) online educational session…
Health and economic impact of caregiving on informal caregivers of people with chronic diseases in sub-Saharan Africa
With a disproportionate burden of chronic diseases and severe shortage of health workers in sub-Saharan Africa, the region implicitly relies on informal caregivers (ICGs) to support the patients both within and outside the health facilities. The aim of this review is to systematically summarise evidence on the health and economic impact of caregiving on informal caregivers of patients with chronic diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. Medline (Ovid), C…
Exploring the association between multidimensional poverty and antenatal care utilization in two provinces of Papua New Guinea
This study indicated high levels of multidimensional poverty in PNG and that ANC utilization was regressive; highlighting the need to encourage pregnant women, especially those who are economically more vulnerable to visit clinics regularly throughout pregnancy
Health policy and planning
The contribution of drug import to the cost of tuberculosis treatment
Tuberculosis (TB) programs depend on a continuous supply of large amounts of high-quality TB drugs. When TB programs procure TB drugs from international suppliers, such as the Global Drug Facility, they can incur import costs for international transport, customs clearance, and national transport. We assessed the drug costs and import costs of 18 longer (≥18 months), 10 shorter (9–12 months), and 8 short (≤6 months) drug regimens for drug-sensitiv…
Economic evaluation of a conditional cash transfer to retain women in the continuum of care during pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period in Kenya
There is limited evidence on the cost and cost-effectiveness of cash transfer programmes to improve maternal and child health in Kenya and other sub-Saharan African countries. This article presents the economic evaluation results of the Afya trial, assessing the costs, cost-effectiveness and equity impact of a demand-side financing intervention that promotes utilisation of maternal health services in rural Kenya. The cost of implementing the Afya…
“We face the same risk as the other health workers”
In many countries, community pharmacies have played an important role during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing essential medicines and personal protective equipment (PPE), disseminating information on disease prevention and management, and referring clients to health facilities. In recognition of this, there are increasing calls for an improved understanding of the challenges and experiences faced by these providers during the COVID-19 pandemic, w…
Geospatial mapping of timely access to inpatient neonatal care and its relationship to neonatal mortality in Kenya
Globally, 2.4 million newborns die in the first month of life, with neonatal mortality rates (NMR) per 1,000 livebirths being highest in sub-Saharan Africa. Improving access to inpatient newborn care is necessary for reduction of neonatal deaths in the region. We explore the relationship between distance to inpatient hospital newborn care and neonatal mortality in Kenya. Data on service availability from numerous sources were used to map hospital…
Developing a community facilitator‐led participatory learning and action women's group intervention to improve infant feeding, care and dental hygiene practices in South Asian infants
INTRODUCTION: The Nurture Early for Optimal Nutrition (NEON) study is a multiphase project that aims to optimize feeding, care and dental hygiene practices in South Asian children <2 years in East London, United Kingdom. The multiphase project uses a participatory learning and action (PLA) approach facilitated by a multilingual community facilitator. In this paper, we elaborate on the process and results of the Intervention Development Phase in t…
Factors associated with women’s healthcare decision-making during and after pregnancy in urban slums in Mumbai, India
Exclusion of women from maternal healthcare decision-making threatens the effectiveness of health interventions. Factors such as age, employment, education, and household size need to be considered when designing health interventions targeting new mothers living in challenging conditions, such as urban slums in low- and middle-income countries
Prevalence and determinants of inappropriate antibiotic dispensing at private drug retail outlets in urban and rural areas of Indonesia
INTRODUCTION: The aim of this mixed-method study was to determine the extent and determinants of inappropriate dispensing of antibiotics by licensed private drug retail outlets in Indonesia. METHODS: Standardised patients (SPs) made a total of 495 visits to 166 drug outlets (community pharmacies and drug stores) between July and August 2019. The SPs presented three clinical cases to drug outlet staff: parent of a child at home with diarrhoea; an …
Online community engagement in response to Covid‐19 pandemic
Community participatory research is a method of active engagement between community members to develop interventions that catalyse social change and improve health outcomes.1 Increasingly, particularly in low-middle-income countries (LMICs), participatory research is used to co-develop low-cost community interventions. UK health policy and providers are also placing increasing emphasis on strengthening community services to equitably optimize hea…
Improving antibiotic use through behaviour change
Antibiotic resistance (ABR) has been identified as a critical threat to global health at the highest policy fora. A leading cause of ABR is the inappropriate use of antibiotics by both patients and healthcare providers. Although countries around the world have committed to developing and implementing national action plans to tackle ABR, there is a considerable gap in evidence about effective behaviour change interventions addressing inappropriate…
Exploring the Associations between Early Childhood Development Outcomes and Ecological Country-Level Factors across Low- and Middle-Income Countries
A poor start in life shapes children's development over the life-course. Children from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are exposed to low levels of early stimulation, greater socioeconomic deprivation and persistent environmental and health challenges. Nevertheless, little is known about country-specific factors affecting early childhood development (ECD) in LMICs. Using data from 68 LMICs collected as part of the Multiple Indicator Clus…
Community pharmacies, drug stores, and antibiotic dispensing in Indonesia
Inappropriate dispensing of antibiotics in community pharmacies and drug stores is the outcome of complex interactions between vendors and clients, shaped by wider and changing socio-economic processes. In Indonesia, as in many other LMICs with large and informal private sectors, concerted action should be taken to engage such providers in plans to reduce AMR. This would help avert unintended effects of market competition and adverse policy outco…
Participatory learning and action cycles with women's groups to prevent neonatal death in low-resource settings
WHO recommends participatory learning and action cycles with women's groups as a cost-effective strategy to reduce neonatal deaths. Coverage is a determinant of intervention effectiveness, but little is known about why cost-effectiveness estimates vary significantly. This article reanalyses primary cost data from six trials in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Malawi to describe resource use, explore reasons for differences in costs and cost-effective…
Participatory learning and action cycles with women’s groups to prevent neonatal death in low-resource settings
WHO recommends participatory learning and action cycles with women’s groups as a cost-effective strategy to reduce neonatal deaths. Coverage is a determinant of intervention effectiveness, but little is known about why cost-effectiveness estimates vary significantly. This article reanalyses primary cost data from six trials in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Malawi to describe resource use, explore reasons for differences in costs and cost-effective…
A method for measuring spatial effects on socioeconomic inequalities using the concentration index
Our findings suggest that men from lower socioeconomic groups are more likely to receive an HIV test after adjustment for spatial effects. This study develops a novel methodological approach that incorporates estimation of spatial effects into a common approach to equity analysis. We find that a significant component of inequalities in HIV uptake in Malawi driven by non-need factors can be explained by spatial effects. When the spatial model was …
Measuring inequalities in the distribution of the Fiji Health Workforce
While populations with lower mortality tend to have a slightly greater share of health workers, the overall distribution of health workers on the basis of need is more equitable in Fiji than for many other LMICs. The overall shortage of health workers could be addressed by creating new cadres of health workers; employing increasing numbers of foreign doctors, including specialists; and increasing funding for health worker training, as already dem…
Collecting and analysing cost data for complex public health trials
BACKGROUND: Current guidelines for the conduct of cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) are mainly applicable to facility-based interventions in high-income settings. Differences in the unit of analysis and the high cost of data collection can make these guidelines challenging to follow within public health trials in low- and middle- income settings. OBJECTIVE: This paper reflects on the challenges experienced within our own work and proposes solutio…
Highlighting the evidence gap
There is growing evidence of the effectiveness of early childhood interventions to improve the growth and development of children. Although, historically, nutrition and stimulation interventions may have been delivered separately, they are increasingly being tested as a package of early childhood interventions that synergistically improve outcomes over the life course. However, implementation at scale is seldom possible without first considering …
Measuring inequalities in the distribution of the Fiji Health Workforce
While populations with lower mortality tend to have a slightly greater share of health workers, the overall distribution of health workers on the basis of need is more equitable in Fiji than for many other LMICs. The overall shortage of health workers could be addressed by creating new cadres of health workers; employing increasing numbers of foreign doctors, including specialists; and increasing funding for health worker training, as already dem…
A method for measuring spatial effects on socioeconomic inequalities using the concentration index
Our findings suggest that men from lower socioeconomic groups are more likely to receive an HIV test after adjustment for spatial effects. This study develops a novel methodological approach that incorporates estimation of spatial effects into a common approach to equity analysis. We find that a significant component of inequalities in HIV uptake in Malawi driven by non-need factors can be explained by spatial effects. When the spatial model was …
Prevalence and determinants of inappropriate antibiotic dispensing at private drug retail outlets in urban and rural areas of Indonesia
INTRODUCTION: The aim of this mixed-method study was to determine the extent and determinants of inappropriate dispensing of antibiotics by licensed private drug retail outlets in Indonesia. METHODS: Standardised patients (SPs) made a total of 495 visits to 166 drug outlets (community pharmacies and drug stores) between July and August 2019. The SPs presented three clinical cases to drug outlet staff: parent of a child at home with diarrhoea; an …
Online community engagement in response to Covid‐19 pandemic
Community participatory research is a method of active engagement between community members to develop interventions that catalyse social change and improve health outcomes.1 Increasingly, particularly in low-middle-income countries (LMICs), participatory research is used to co-develop low-cost community interventions. UK health policy and providers are also placing increasing emphasis on strengthening community services to equitably optimize hea…
Improving antibiotic use through behaviour change
Antibiotic resistance (ABR) has been identified as a critical threat to global health at the highest policy fora. A leading cause of ABR is the inappropriate use of antibiotics by both patients and healthcare providers. Although countries around the world have committed to developing and implementing national action plans to tackle ABR, there is a considerable gap in evidence about effective behaviour change interventions addressing inappropriate…
Exploring the Associations between Early Childhood Development Outcomes and Ecological Country-Level Factors across Low- and Middle-Income Countries
A poor start in life shapes children's development over the life-course. Children from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are exposed to low levels of early stimulation, greater socioeconomic deprivation and persistent environmental and health challenges. Nevertheless, little is known about country-specific factors affecting early childhood development (ECD) in LMICs. Using data from 68 LMICs collected as part of the Multiple Indicator Clus…
Community pharmacies, drug stores, and antibiotic dispensing in Indonesia
Inappropriate dispensing of antibiotics in community pharmacies and drug stores is the outcome of complex interactions between vendors and clients, shaped by wider and changing socio-economic processes. In Indonesia, as in many other LMICs with large and informal private sectors, concerted action should be taken to engage such providers in plans to reduce AMR. This would help avert unintended effects of market competition and adverse policy outco…
Participatory learning and action cycles with women's groups to prevent neonatal death in low-resource settings
WHO recommends participatory learning and action cycles with women's groups as a cost-effective strategy to reduce neonatal deaths. Coverage is a determinant of intervention effectiveness, but little is known about why cost-effectiveness estimates vary significantly. This article reanalyses primary cost data from six trials in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Malawi to describe resource use, explore reasons for differences in costs and cost-effective…
Participatory learning and action cycles with women’s groups to prevent neonatal death in low-resource settings
WHO recommends participatory learning and action cycles with women’s groups as a cost-effective strategy to reduce neonatal deaths. Coverage is a determinant of intervention effectiveness, but little is known about why cost-effectiveness estimates vary significantly. This article reanalyses primary cost data from six trials in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Malawi to describe resource use, explore reasons for differences in costs and cost-effective…
The contribution of drug import to the cost of tuberculosis treatment
Tuberculosis (TB) programs depend on a continuous supply of large amounts of high-quality TB drugs. When TB programs procure TB drugs from international suppliers, such as the Global Drug Facility, they can incur import costs for international transport, customs clearance, and national transport. We assessed the drug costs and import costs of 18 longer (≥18 months), 10 shorter (9–12 months), and 8 short (≤6 months) drug regimens for drug-sensitiv…
Economic evaluation of a conditional cash transfer to retain women in the continuum of care during pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period in Kenya
There is limited evidence on the cost and cost-effectiveness of cash transfer programmes to improve maternal and child health in Kenya and other sub-Saharan African countries. This article presents the economic evaluation results of the Afya trial, assessing the costs, cost-effectiveness and equity impact of a demand-side financing intervention that promotes utilisation of maternal health services in rural Kenya. The cost of implementing the Afya…
“We face the same risk as the other health workers”
In many countries, community pharmacies have played an important role during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing essential medicines and personal protective equipment (PPE), disseminating information on disease prevention and management, and referring clients to health facilities. In recognition of this, there are increasing calls for an improved understanding of the challenges and experiences faced by these providers during the COVID-19 pandemic, w…
Geospatial mapping of timely access to inpatient neonatal care and its relationship to neonatal mortality in Kenya
Globally, 2.4 million newborns die in the first month of life, with neonatal mortality rates (NMR) per 1,000 livebirths being highest in sub-Saharan Africa. Improving access to inpatient newborn care is necessary for reduction of neonatal deaths in the region. We explore the relationship between distance to inpatient hospital newborn care and neonatal mortality in Kenya. Data on service availability from numerous sources were used to map hospital…
Developing a community facilitator‐led participatory learning and action women's group intervention to improve infant feeding, care and dental hygiene practices in South Asian infants
INTRODUCTION: The Nurture Early for Optimal Nutrition (NEON) study is a multiphase project that aims to optimize feeding, care and dental hygiene practices in South Asian children <2 years in East London, United Kingdom. The multiphase project uses a participatory learning and action (PLA) approach facilitated by a multilingual community facilitator. In this paper, we elaborate on the process and results of the Intervention Development Phase in t…
Factors associated with women’s healthcare decision-making during and after pregnancy in urban slums in Mumbai, India
Exclusion of women from maternal healthcare decision-making threatens the effectiveness of health interventions. Factors such as age, employment, education, and household size need to be considered when designing health interventions targeting new mothers living in challenging conditions, such as urban slums in low- and middle-income countries
Health policy and planning
The impact of a multi-faceted intervention on non-prescription dispensing of antibiotics by urban community pharmacies in Indonesia
Introduction Non-prescription antibiotic dispensing is prevalent among community pharmacies in several low- and middle-income countries. We evaluated the impact of a multi-faceted intervention to address this challenge in urban community pharmacies in Indonesia. Methods A pre-post quasi-experimental study was carried out in Semarang city from January to August 2022 to evaluate a 7-month long intervention comprising: (1) online educational session…
Health and economic impact of caregiving on informal caregivers of people with chronic diseases in sub-Saharan Africa
With a disproportionate burden of chronic diseases and severe shortage of health workers in sub-Saharan Africa, the region implicitly relies on informal caregivers (ICGs) to support the patients both within and outside the health facilities. The aim of this review is to systematically summarise evidence on the health and economic impact of caregiving on informal caregivers of patients with chronic diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. Medline (Ovid), C…
Exploring the association between multidimensional poverty and antenatal care utilization in two provinces of Papua New Guinea
This study indicated high levels of multidimensional poverty in PNG and that ANC utilization was regressive; highlighting the need to encourage pregnant women, especially those who are economically more vulnerable to visit clinics regularly throughout pregnancy
Economic evaluation
Background: The Nurture Early for Optimal Nutrition (NEON) programme was designed to promote equitable early childhood development by educating mothers of South Asian origin in two boroughs (Newham and Tower Hamlets) in East London on optimal feeding, care, and dental hygiene practices. The study found that the adapted Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) approach was highly acceptable and well-received by participants, with improvements in ma…
Association of remittances with skilled delivery in Uganda, 2019/2020
There are significant disparities in maternal and child mortality ratios between high-income and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite large decreases in maternal and child mortality in recent decades, with programs such as the Safe Motherhood Initiative, the Sustainable Development Goals and the Millennium Development Goals in LMICs, these differences remain large. The objective of this study is to examine the association between the…
Stepping Stones and Creating Futures Plus
Marginalised young women and men in South Africa experience and perpetrate high rates of intimate partner violence (IPV), shaped by their contexts and life histories. To address this, we co-developed Stepping Stones and Creating Futures Plus (SSCF+) with young women and men living in marginalised communities to reduce IPV, strengthen livelihoods and improve mental health. We assessed the intervention’s feasibility, acceptability and potential imp…
Estimated cost-savings from integrated care for HIV, diabetes and hypertension in sub-Saharan Africa
Background In a cluster-randomised trial in Uganda and Tanzania, we showed that integrated management, compared with standard vertical care, could achieve a high standard of care for diabetes and hypertension without adversely affecting outcomes for HIV. However, evidence on the value for money of integrated care is needed to inform policy.Objective Our economic evaluation aimed to establish the value for money of integrated care compared with ve…
Medicine (19 works) · Global Maternal and Child Health (12 works) · Economics (10 works) · Environmental health (10 works) · Political science (9 works) · Business (8 works) · Child Nutrition and Water Access (8 works) · Economic growth (8 works) · Nursing (8 works) · Psychology (8 works)