ABSTRACT Introduction Onchocerciasis is one of the debilitating neglected tropical diseases that manifests in blindness at later stages. Ivermectin has been proven to clear microfilariae and is therefore being distributed in endemic communities. Adherence to ivermectin treatment is a major challenge in the implementation of the community directed treatment strategy. Some individuals do not adhere to the bi-annual treatment accounting for the continuity of onchocerciasis transmission. Objectiv...
ABSTRACT Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have become major players in Community Development Agenda and perform intermediary roles between donors and intended beneficiaries. Unfortunately, highly publicized corruption scandals are discovered in literature often associated with the activities of NGOs especially in developing countries. To sanitize the aid delivery chain, NGOs are required to be accountable to donors (upward accountability) and beneficiaries (downward accountability). Howe...
ABSTRACT Background: The 21st century has witnessed more efficacious and effective health interventions than ever, yet the proportion of effective coverage of these interventions remain poor. The interconnectedness of the health system is central for an effective delivery of interventions. Delivering malaria interventions to achieve desired health system effectiveness has remained a challenge without the understanding of the contribution of each building block indicator to effectiveness. Effi...
ABSTRACT Researches in communities are usually concentrated on the objectives of projects and may not address the felt-needs of the people involved. A project which administered Vitamin A Supplementation to children at the time they received their immunizations was carried out in the Kintampo District of Ghana. It was known as the Kintampo Vitamin A EPI -Plus Project (KTVAP EPI-PLUS). For the success of the project, the communities were educated on the importance of Vitamin A through meetings...
ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) is the occurrence of more than three episodes of Candida infection in the vulva and vaginal area of women in a year. Candida infection is a yeast infection caused by various fungal species in the Candida family. RVCC is a global health problem of women with higher burdens in women with immunocompromising comorbidities and those with low occupational, environmental and personal health hygiene. AIM: This study aimsat assessing the...
ABSTRACT Background Health information plays a pivotal role in ensuring the success of health systems. It ensures the health system blocks receive the needed information for effective decision-making. Improving data reporting systems can, therefore, strengthen the delivery of health programmes and health systems. Information Communication Technology (ICT), particularly mobile phone applications (mHealth) have become pivotal in the delivery of quality health data. The Neglected Tropical Diseas...
ABSTRACT Background: Contraceptive use is an essential and highly beneficial component of family planning. Most people across the globe know at least one method of contraceptive but its use is very low. It is therefore necessary to encourage its use especially among married women of child-bearing age as it is beneficial to the welfare of both mothers and their children. The study sought to identify the barriers to contraceptives use among married women in Paga. Methodology: This was a descrip...
ABSTRACT Alcohol consumption is a known modifier of human behaviour that affects the decision-making process and reduces inhibitions. This leads to individuals taking risks they would normally not engage in such as unprotected sex and having multiple sexual partners. These behaviours could expose individuals to sexually transmitted infections. This study investigates the association between alcohol consumption and risky sexual behaviour. A secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study that to...
ABSTRACT Aedes-borne viral diseases mainly Dengue (DEN), Zika (ZIK) and Chikungunya (CHK) have contributed to mortality and morbidity in the world especially in Africa. There have been major outbreaks recorded in West Africa. Ghana has not recorded any outbreak of these diseases but the country is at risk of future outbreaks due to its proximity to West African countries where outbreaks have been recorded. This study assessed the risk of transmission of Dengue (DENV), Chikungunya (CHKV) and Z...
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: The global incidence of hypertension is fast rising and has become a challenge to both developed and developing countries; it is one of the most prevalent non– communicable diseases accounting for a greater burden of diseases in Ghana. Several factors have been noted in the literature to possibly account for low compliance especially for chronic diseases such as hypertension. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to determine the patient, health system, disease and ...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Malaria is a major cause of ill-health and death particularly among pregnant women and children under 5 years. Every year about 300 to 500 million cases of malaria and 1 to 3 million deaths are reported globally of which 90% occurs in sub-Saharan Africa. Prompt and accurate diagnosis is key in managing malaria. Drawbacks regarding microscopy use have made the introduction of malaria RDT key in the strategy for scaling up malaria control. Objectives: The objective of the...
ABSTRACT Background: Prostate cancer is the number one cancer afflicting men in Africa and a leading cancer killer among Ghanaian men. Although there is scarcity of information on the disease in African men, higher awareness with related low levels on knowledge, attitudes and perception of self-risk to the disease is established among urban men in West Africa. Objective: This study seeks to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of men in the Awutu-Senya East Municipality on prostate c...
ABSTRACT Background: Ghana has made significant progress in maternal health over the past decades but failed to attain Millennium Development Goal 5 by the end of 2015 that sought to reduce the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) by three-quarters between 1990 and 2015, and achieve universal access to reproductive health by 2015. Consequently, nearly 358 Ghanaian women per 100,000 live births die annually from preventable (or at least reducible) maternal deaths in spite of massive investments by g...
ABSTRACT Background: The natural surroundings of every school is an area that is very important to understand as children spend a significant portion of their lives there and also because they are more susceptible to health implications due to their age and health status. The health implications resulting from some environmental factors like smoke, dust and noise can ultimately affect the academic progress of students. Objective: This study mainly examined the determinants (socio-demographic,...
ABSTRACT The World Health Organization in 2009 extrapolates that 10% of the world’s population representing 650 million people live with some form of disability. The Ghana Statistical Survey report in 2012 revealed that over 700 thousand people live with disability in Ghana. The findings of Groce in 2014 and the World Health Organization earlier in 2009 show that persons with disabilities in developing countries are plagued with limited access to sexual and reproductive health information ...