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IntroductionThe World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that every woman be checked after the delivery of a child. However, only 42% of Malawian women are checked by a skilled health worker within 48 hours after delivery. This study aimed at identifying factors associated with postnatal care (PNC) utilization among Malawian women by using nationally representative data. MethodsSecondary data from the 2015-2016 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS) was used for the study. A logistic regression model was used to find the adjusted odds of utilizing PNC services among the women. All the analyses controlled for the survey clusters and weighting. All the analyses were conducted in STATA version 14 at a significance level of 5%. ResultsOut of the 6,693 women who had a live birth 24 months prior to the 2015-2016 MDHS, only 48.4% were checked by a skilled health worker within 42 days after delivery. Uptake of PNC was significantly associated with older age, being employed, living in an urban area, delivery through caesarean section, a timely first antenatal care (ANC) visit, uptake of recommended number of ANC visits, and receiving the adequate number of tetanus injections. Conclusion Interventions to increase utilization of PNC services should be tailored to appropriate populations. Particularly, special focus has to be made towards younger women, the women who reside in the rural areas, who are not employed, and who are generally not well to do. Behavioural change interventions must also target women with low perceived risk after delivery. Information should also be consistently provided by health workers in communities and health facilities to women on perinatal care in order to change the women's risk perception on all levels of pregnancy care and to encourage utilization of relevant health services.

Children who experience violence from a parent are more likely to experience and perpetrate intimate partner violence (IPV) later in life. Drawing on cross-sectional data among married women enrolled in the baseline of a randomized control trial in Afghanistan, we assess risk factors for women’s use of violence against their children, focused on women’s own adverse childhood experiences and experiences of IPV, poverty, poor mental health and gender attitudes. Analysis uses logistic regression and structural equation modelling (SEM). In total 744 married women reported on their use of violence against a child, with 71.8% (n = 534) reporting this in the past month. In regression models, their own experiences of witnessing their mother being physically abused, poverty during childhood, current food insecurity, their husband using corporal punishment on their child, current IPV experience, and other violence in the home were all associated with increased likelihood of women reporting corporal punishment. In the SEM, three pathways emerged linking women’s childhood trauma and poverty to use of corporal punishment. One pathway was mediated by poor mental health, a second was mediated by wider use of violence in the home and a third from food insecurity mediated by having more gender inequitable attitudes. Addressing the culture of violence in the home is critical to reducing violence against children, as well as enabling treatment of parental mental health problems and generally addressing gender equity.

Weather and climate numerical models have been in use in South Africa for many decades, both in operational and research mode.1 All the models currently in use for operational purposes in the country were developed in developed countries. South African scientists started participating in the development or improvement of weather and climate numerical models in 2002, after being inactive in the area for over a decade.2 The regeneration of model development activities started at the University of Pretoria through a Water Research Commission funded project in which a dynamical core of a non-hydrostatic sigma coordinate model (NSM) was developed from scratch.3 These activities served to encourage others in the country to also contribute in the model development space. The NSM was later extended to include moisture and microphysics schemes at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in collaboration with the University of Pretoria.4,5 This model is currently only available for use in research mode; however, the underlying dynamics are similar to those used in an operational model used at CSIR.

Weather and climate numerical models have been in use in South Africa for many decades, both in operational and research mode. 1 All the models currently in use for operational purposes in the country were developed in developed countries. South African scientists started participating in the development or improvement of weather and climate numerical models in 2002, after being inactive in the area for over a decade. 2 The regeneration of model development activities started at the University of Pretoria through a Water Research Commission funded project in which a dynamical core of a non-hydrostatic sigma coordinate model (NSM) was developed from scratch. 3 These activities served to encourage others in the country to also contribute in the model development space. The NSM was later extended to include moisture and microphysics schemes at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in collaboration with the University of Pretoria. 4,5 This model is currently only available for use in research mode; however, the underlying dynamics are similar to those used in an operational model used at CSIR.