ABSTRACT Background: Solid waste generated from activities involving health protection, medical diagnosis and treatment, known as solid medical waste (SMW), is increasing in households due to home based care, treatment of chronic diseases, shortened lengths of hospital stay, and home management of illnesses such as malaria. The hazardous properties of SMW require specific management to minimize potential harm to human health and the environment, which is often undertaken in healthcare facilit...
ABSTRACT Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mood disorder that affects 10 - 20 % of women after child birth. It has been observed that gestational iron deficiency which affects mostly mothers and their infants causes a deficit in behavioural, cognitive and affective functions precipitating depressive symptoms in both mothers and their infants during the postpartum period. The present work examined the role of iron in depression during the postpartum period in animal models. Method: ...
ABSTRACT Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is one of the seven neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as controllable and potentially eliminable with effective interventions. It is a vector borne parasitic infection transmitted by mosquitoes which belong to the Anopheles, Culex, Aedes, Mansonia, Coquillettidia and Ochlerotatus genera. The nematode parasites responsible for causing the disease are Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi and Brugia timori. Thes...
Abstract Mutualisms, where organisms benefit from cooperation, are common in nature, but payoffs are dynamic and mutualists can incur costs as well as benefits from their association. Nevertheless, selection can favour the coevolution of behaviour that increases benefits. Such coevolution can potentially result in new mutualistic behaviours. Our study considered associations between Fork-tailed Drongos (Dicrurus adsimilis), birds which use both false alarms and aggression to steal food from o...
ABSTRACT Mining in Ghana is an important economic activity that can be traced back to the colonial times. Although it has contributed substantially to the national income purse, its benefits to the local populace have been of contestation because of the negative impact on the livelihoods of people who live close to mining areas. In order to mitigate the negative impacts of mining, an administrative fiat in 1992 created the Mineral Development Fund (MDF) as a way of redistributing part of mine...
ABSTRACT Background: Current conventional antidepressant drugs have delayed onset of action, significant adverse effects, are costly and about 30-40% of patients are non-responsive, underscoring the need for alternative therapies for depression. Presently, no known scientific evidence exists to support the efficacy of Trichilia monadelpha in depression treatment, though used in Ghana in managing psychosis, epilepsy and mood disorders. Aim: This study investigated the antidepressant effect of ...
AOSTRACT Background: Significant increase in aged population in society has come with deteriorating health issues negating the effects of major inputs th eaged make to nation development Objectins: Thisstudyassessed factors influencing access to healtllcare among the aged in the Keta Municipality. Methods: A community-based cross-!>ectional study carried out among the aged. The Andersen's Healthcare Utilization Model was adapted for the study. A c luster and systematic random sampling approoc...
ABSTRACT Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) practice is safe and simple intervention in improving child health and growth. The study was conducted to assess breastfeeding practices among women in the Nanumba North District in Northern region of Ghana. This study employed a descriptive cross-sectional study design using a paper based self design questionnaire to collect primary data from 200 respondents. Simple random sampling technique was employed as sample respondents. Findings from the research...
ABSTRACT Background: Lupus nephritis (LN) is a common manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and is associated with end-stage renal disease, need for renal replacement therapy and death. There is no African data comparing the efficacy or outcome of patients managed with Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) or intravenous (IV) cyclophosphamide (CYC) during induction of proliferative LN. Objectives: The study aimed to assess treatment response after induction therapy with MMF or IV CYC in p...
ABSTRACT The sanitation situation in the Bawku municipality is not different from that of other parts of Ghana. Most houses in the high density areas lack toilet facilities and drains. This study was conducted to evaluate sanitation management and its implications on health in the Bawku Municipality, Ghana. The study employed an analytical cross sectional study design using questionnaire to collect data. The study applied multi-stage sampling techniques to select participating households and ...
ABSTRACT Hypertension is a major and preventable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases Khomas region has a hypertension prevalence of 57%, which is the highest in Namibia. Cardiovascular diseases related mortality is the highest among adults in Namibia. No analytical studies have been done to determine risk factors for hypertension in Namibia. We conducted a study to determine lifestyle and socio-demographic factors associated with hypertension in Khomas region. We conducted an un-matched ...
Abstract Background: Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH) and its complications contribute to a significant burden of disease both in developed and developing countries of the world. Unfortunately, PIH has no cure, the delivery of the baby and the placenta is required. Early detection of pregnancy induced hypertension and close monitoring remains the key to achieving a favourable outcome. This study aimed to determine the quality of care given to women diagnosed with Pregnancy Induced Hyperte...
Abstract Background: There is an increased awareness among women of child bearing age on the forms of contraceptives in South Africa. Despite this, there has been a steady rise in the number of induced abortions conducted in the country. The objective of this study was to assess the contraceptive knowledge , attitude and practice of women seeking induced abortion in one of the District Hospitals in Western Cape, South Africa. Methods: This was a cross sectional descriptive study which was con...
ABSTRACT Background: The concept woman-centred care is gaining currency in maternity care and is increasingly being used to guide provision of quality care. The midwifery philosophy supports woman-centred care and is associated with positive pregnancy and birth outcomes. Development of a woman-centred midwife-led model of care requires involvement of the users (women), service providers (midwives), and health administrators to ensure representativeness of the model. Purpose: The purpose of th...
Abstract Undernutrition as a problem in sub-Saharan Africa is a strong indicator of retarded growth, and leads to more than 30% of deaths in children under five annually (Mtambo, Katoma, & Kazembe, 2016). Namibia has almost twice the percentage of moderately undernourished children and three times the percentage of severely undernourished children than what is expected for a country with its level of economic development (Sengupta & Syamala, 2013). Undernutrition is a physical state whereby ...