Exploring Reproductive Health Among Women in Somaliland

Sponsor
University of Hargeisa
Study ID
NCT07438379
Status
Enrolling By Invitation

Conditions

  • Antenatal Care
  • Contraception
  • Gestatiaonl Diabetes Mellitus
  • Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy
  • Reproductive Health

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
FEMALE
Age
N/A - N/A
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Study Details

Somaliland faces persistently high burdens of maternal and perinatal mortality, with limited population-based data on pregnancy complications, sociocultural influence on maternal health, and women's reproductive health needs across the continuum of pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. Existing maternal near-miss (MNM) tools are largely facility-based, and evidence of postpartum contraceptive uptake and interventions remains scarce. In response, the objective of this study is to unfold the physical, cultural, and psychosocial strengths and challenges experienced by women in Somaliland during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period; to examine how these factors interact to influence pregnancy outcomes and women's ability to achieve future reproductive health goals; and to pilot how these insights can inform the co-creation of context-appropriate health materials. The PROMISE study is a community-based longitudinal pregnancy cohort in Hargeisa, Somaliland, including approximately 800 pregnant women \<28 weeks of gestation recruited from randomly selected sub-districts. Women will be followed up at three time points (early pregnancy, late pregnancy, and postpartum) using questionnaires and clinical measurements. A MNM tool will be adapted through a Delphi process, and its validity will be tested using the cohort. The cohort findings will inform a co-creation process to develop postpartum contraceptive counselling materials to be pilot-tested for feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects. This protocol responds to major evidence gaps in fragile and low-resource contexts, and aims to generate contextually grounded knowledge and co-created interventions to strengthen maternal health policy, practice, and reproductive agency in Somaliland and beyond.

Key Dates

First listed
Feb 27, 2026
Start date
Jan 1, 2025
Status verified
Feb 2026
Primary completion
Mar 31, 2026
Completion
Mar 31, 2026

Study Design

Enrollment
808 participants (estimated)

Primary Outcome Measure

Adverse birth outcomes [ Time Frame: Assessed 1 to 3 months post partum ]

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