Document is current

Article History

Received: 7 August 2024

Accepted: 12 March 2026

First Online: 17 March 2026

Declarations

:

: Ethical approval was received from the Jimma University Institutional Review Board (ref no- JUIH/IRB/358/23). Informed consent was obtained for taking part in the intervention during baseline and end-line assessments. The interviewer read the contents of the informed consent form and outlined the purpose of the study, the institutions and researchers involved. The interviewer also informed about risks and benefits associated with the trial using the local language. Women also get an explanation about their rights as a participant and had their questions answered before enrollment. Participant’s phone numbers were kept encrypted, and no one could access them without a server technician and researcher. Codes were assigned to each enrolled participant to ensure confidentiality; mobile numbers were entered into the dashboard anonymously. Despite the low-risk nature of the intervention, adverse events including maternal and newborn deaths were monitored by VHLs and reported immediately to the research team and then to IRB, which provided independent oversight. Data were shared with the research team after removing participants’ names.

: The authors declare no competing interests.