An inherent challenge from reliance on a non-logistical data collection system to guide logistical implementation is that, as the logistical system matured, the program often lacked microlevel data common to logistical planners that are used to identify logistical bottlenecks.
This evaluation provided useful feedback that, with some minor logistical adjustments, data collection was feasible in participating centers.
For logistical reasons, data collection by the different teams largely occurred simultaneously, which limited the opportunity to analyse data during collection.
Data quality since 2006 improved alongside the logistical capacity supporting data collection and supervision.
We are also grateful to Richard Rimba and Francis Kombe for providing logistical support during data collection.
We also kindly thank all the Congolese researchers for logistical assistance in data collection and data entry.
MR and GC participated in the design of the study, provided help and logistical support with data collection and analyses, and helped to draft the manuscript.
Although ecological studies using time series analysis can serve as a cost-effective design for examining associations, the logistical challenges of data collection often preclude development of an analytical framework.
These models, requiring important human and logistical resources for data collection and implementation, are difficult to be used for a continuous surveillance system and for early detection, particularly in developing countries.
As a sub-study of a secondary outcome, sample size was determined by the maximum processing capacity of our laboratory and logistical feasibility of data collection; no power and sample size calculations were performed.
The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6874/10/2/prepub wouldulikeike to thank all the participating women for their precious time and the staff of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the College of Health Sciences of Zimbabwe for technical and logistical support during data collection.
