ABSTRACT Background and Objectives: People with disabilities have special healthcare needs that usually remain unmet. Studies have identified barriers encountered by people with disabilities in accessing healthcare. This study was aimed at identifying factors that both facilitate and hinder access to healthcare for children with disabilities [with focus on Autism, cerebral palsy (CP) and Down syndrome (DS)] in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Method: The study employed a cross sectional stu...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Teenage pregnancy is the situation in which a teenage girl, usually between the ages of 10 and 19 years, becomes pregnant Most teenagers do not plan becoming pregnant but they may do. These girls who have become pregnant are faced with the numerous challenges associated with parenthood. The study, however, aimed at estimating the economic burden of teenage pregnancy on households in Elmina community. Method: The study adopted the cross-sectional survey which makes ...
ABSTRACT Introduction Satisfactory allocation of resources is essential as far as efforts to combat HIV/AIDS menace, especially in Africa. In determining HIV patients location, the nature of services must be in line with the behavioral, geographic and the social characteristics of the patients. This study, therefore, examined the spatial distribution of HIV cases and accessibility to treatment centers in the Sunyani Municipality. Methods To enable spatial analysis of HIV patterns, the locatio...
ABSTRACT Perceptions of the causes of Cerebrospinal Meningitis, its treatment and prevention, as well as reasons for the blatant refusal by some sections of the communities to vaccinate against the disease in the wake of the big epidemic of the meningitis belt (1996-1997) to which the district falls, were investigated. About 150 knowledgeable people of various age groups, Kasena Nankani were interviewed in Key informant, In depth interviews, Focus Group discussion, case interview of surv...
ABSTRACT Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a devastating health condition that affects every sphere of society including workplaces. A number of occupational exposures to patients‟ blood and body fluids occur each year in health-care settings putting healthcare workers (HCWs) at a high risk of several blood-borne infections including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B (HBV), and hepatitis C (HBC). This study investigated the health care provider's risk perception of HIV, kn...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Medication adherence is an integral component in the management of hypertension. Poor adherence to medications is one of the major public health challenges. Sub optimal adherence to antihypertensive medication is a major risk factor for many cardiovascular diseases. Good medication adherence would ensure adequate blood control and therefore reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The objective was to measure adherence levels amongst hypertensive patients and to d...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Self-medication is the prolonged use of medicines to treat any symptom or illness without medical prescriptions. The emergence of resistant bacteria strains is mainly associated with antimicrobial self-medication. Aim: Self-medication with antimicrobial is a health problem globally especially in low-andmiddle income countries (LMIC) like Ghana, so this study investigated the prevalence and factors associated with antimicrobial in three rural communities (Akyem-...
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: HIV/AIDS is a disease of public health importance. HIV related stigma is a process of devaluing the people living with or associated with HIV/AIDS. “Courtesy stigma” comprises of public negative judgment as a result of associating with a stigmatized individual or group. There are arguments that formal HIV care providers experience stigma as a result of taking care of the people living with HIV/AIDS though it is part of their work schedule in the hospital or health cen...
ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of tuberculosis (TB) care rendered to TB patients within Tema Metropolis. The study examined three domains within which quality of care is assessed namely: structural factors, process factors and client satisfaction with services. Using a concurrent mixed method design, data was gathered through a survey among 113 TB clients and, by means of an interview among four healthcare professionals who provide care for TB patients. Pu...
Whole-foods plant-based diets (WFPBD) have surged in popularity secondary to the recognition that it is a healthier alternative to the standard Western diet which is characterised by high-intakes of animal-products. In recent years, research has suggested that a WFPBD offers an array of health benefits. This includes, but is not limited to, the reversal and prevention of chronic diseases such as coronary artery disease (CAD) (Tuso et al., 2015). Atherosclerosis, a main component in the pathog...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Tuberculosis and Human Immuno- deficiency Virus (HIV) infections represent two of the greatest threats in African prison. They are both endemic diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa. They have been associated with poor sanitation, overcrowding, poor ventilation, sharing of sharps and other body fluids. Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria whilst HIV is caused by a virus. Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB)...
ABSTRACT Background: Unsafe abortion is a significant public health problem. It accounts for 13% of maternal mortality worldwide and 11% in Ghana. Currently, Misoprostol is a drug used in the provision of medical abortion. Community pharmacies in Ghana are regularly the first port of call for most Ghanaians seeking healthcare advice or treatment, but little research has been done to assess community pharmacists‘ attitudes and prescribing regarding the use of misoprostol for medical...
ABSTRACT Background: The use of herbal products has gained popularity especially in developing countries. A number of patients are known to take these herbal products concurrently with conventional drugs. Concomitant use of herbal preparations and conventional drugs may result in herb-drug interactions, often via modulation of drug metabolizing enzymes, in particular, Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. Swedish bitters is one of such herbal preparations on the market which may be concomitan...
ABSTRACT Perilipins are phosphoproteins that are found in fat cells where they are restricted at the uppermost layer of lipid droplets. Over-expression of perilipin proteins in fat cells cause the storage of triacylglyceride (TAG) to increase in connection with a reduction in fats and lipd breakdown that causes increases in weight and type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. There are two types of perilipin which have a common N-teminal amino acids sequence which are perilipin A (P...
ABSTRACT Malaria is one of the major public health problems in developing countries and its prevalence in Nigeria is dependent on the vector, Anopheles gambiae. The control of Anopheles is a major component of vector management but effectiveness has been limited by factors like insecticide resistance, cost, toxicity on non-target organisms and environmental pollution concerns. There is an increasing interest in developing plant-based insecticides as sustainable alternatives to chemical insec...