ABSTRACT Climate change has the potential to increase food insecurity and exacerbate malnutrition in small scale farming households through its impacts on crop yield and income. Using a mixedmethods design, a cross-sectional study was carried out in the Bibiani-Anhwiaso Bekwai District in the Western Region of Ghana among 210 farming households with children less than 5 years old with the objective of examining associations between perceived climate change and food and nutrition security. A s...
ABSTRACT Pain associated with sickle cell disease can be very severe with debilitating effect on the sufferer. This study sought to gain an in-depth understanding of the experiences of individuals who suffer sickle cell pain. The study employed qualitative methodology using exploratory descriptive design to achieve the purpose of the study. Participants were purposively recruited from the Accra Metropolis. Data saturation was achieved with fifteen (15) participants. One-on-one interviews were...
ABSTRACT This study explored the implementation challenges of decentralization at Dormaa Presbyterian Hospital and Sampa Government Hospital. Data were collected using qualitative research approach using interviews guide. Key informants who had in-depth knowledge and play role(s) in the implementation of decentralization at the district level were purposively selected. In all, 22 key informants were interviewed from the two districts (11 in each district).In addition, extensive analysis of ke...
ABSTRACT There is a crucial need to develop novel anthelminthic drugs due to the mounting disease burden and increasing evidence of hookworm resistance to drugs such as albendazole and mebendazole, which for decades have been used to treat the infection. Consequently, it is exigent to develop alternative drugs with improved therapeutic efficacy. Natural products due to their unique active ingredients have been shown to possess exceptional structures with chemical diversity that is unmatched b...
ABSTRACT An appraisal of intersectoral collaboration on PHC in the Asante-Akim North District in October 1995 revealed that though PHC is high amongst the developmental priorities of the Assembly, there is hardly any effort to coordinate the activities of the various sectors engaged in the promotion of PHC. Despite much common ground for collaboration, horizontal linkages amongst the decentralised departments engaged in PAC. activities remain weak or nonexistent An analytical framework adapte...
ABSTRACT Birth preparedness (BP) is a major factor to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality. The main purpose of the study was to determine factors that influence birth preparedness among pregnant women. A quantitative cross-sectional design was used with a sample size of 395 pregnant women in their third trimester recruited for the study at the Offinso South Municipal. A multistage sampling strategy was used for the study. First, the computed sample size was divided equally among the five ...
ABSTRACT Background: Chronic diseases such as type-2 diabetes require continuous medical care and ongoing patient self-management education and support to prevent multiple complications and premature mortality. Adequate nutrition knowledge and appropriate dietary habits play key roles in the nutritional management of type-2 diabetes. Therefore, providing adequate nutrition information and skills on indicators such as good diet, physical activity, and health have been shown to improve the well...
ABSTRACT Over the years, different societies combine traditional and orthodox medicines in different proportions in the treatment of ailments. While some societies have well developed combination of the two, others are not. This study examines the integration of traditional and orthodox medicines in WM. The purpose was to examine; the relationship between educational level and place of residence and medical systems use and as well the challenges of integrating traditional and orthodox medicin...
ABSTRACT The aim of the study was to explore and describe the psychological, physical, financial and social experiences of family caregivers in caring for patients with dementia using the qualitative approach in the Tema Metropolis. Purposive sampling technique was used to select a sample size of ten participants who were family caregivers caring for patients diagnosed with dementia. Data was collected by audiotaped interview and transcribed verbatim, coded and data analysis was done using th...
In rural savannah areas of Nigeria, Echics ocellatus (Carpet viper) is responsible for high incidence of snakebite morbidity and mortality. The snakebites are commonly treated with plant extracts in form of traditional medicine. The antivenom activity of Paullinia pinnata Linn and Detarium microcarpum Guill and Perr, popular herbs used in the treatment of Echis ocellatus bites are of great interest and were investigated in vivo and in vitro against the venom (2mg/kg) of Echis carniatus. ...
ABSTRACT Globally, children are believed to have strong value especially among African societies. Therefore, the inability to bear children is a stressful situation that affects women socially, and psychologically, and puts them in a serious life crisis. Women with infertility have different experiences which vary from one country to the other including Nigeria, and that determine their psychosocial health. However, little is known about women`s experiences of infertility in Zamfara state. Th...
ABSTRACT Background Globally over 195 million pre-school children are vitamin A deficient, whilst in Ghana, it was estimated that 72 % of pre-school children are vitamin A deficient. Periodic administration of high dose vitamin A capsules is currently used as a prevention strategy, but this requires appropriate healthcare infrastructure and is donor dependent, hence may not be sustainable if donor support is withdrawn. Inadequate dietary intake of vitamin A-rich foods is a major etiological f...
ABSTRACT The peri-urban community of Prampram is characterized by filthy and choked open drains, indiscriminate waste disposal and open defecation. Waste handlers engage in different types of activities such as sweeping, collection, transportation and disposal with little or no personal protection and thus are often confronted with serious public health problems related to their work. The purpose for this study was to assess the different degrees of health risks associated with different acti...
ABSTRACT Background: The availability of skilled care during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period ensures the best chances of delivering a healthy infant with no complication to the mother. Huge disparities in health exist between urban and rural dwellers but recent research has shown that the urban poor sometimes have worse maternal health outcomes than rural dwellers. Community-based interventions have been shown to foster interactions between pregnant women and health care prov...
ABSTRACT Accommodating patients‘ preference for nurses‘ gender in health care is vital in the provision of patient centred care and ensuring patient satisfaction and better health outcome. The study aimed at exploring patients‘ preference for nurses‘ gender in nursing care at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi. Rooted in the Rational Choice Theory, the study adopted and used the qualitative exploratory descriptive design. Participants were recruited using purposive sampling te...