ABSTRACT Stigma complicates the prevention and control of HIV worldwide as it adversely affects the care seeking practices among People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). In Nigeria HIV stigmarelated practices experienced by PLWHA have not been adequately investigated. This study therefore focused on HIV-related stigma, discrimination and coping mechanisms among PLWHA receiving treatment at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria. The study was a cross-sectional survey. Systematic r...
Summary 15 patients with ocular disease, in whom views of posterior segment of the eyes could not be obtained underwent ultrasonography of the eyes to aid in the diagnosis and further management of the patients. In some cases the ultrasound was then compared with the histological diagnosis when the eye was removed and in other cases to the ophthalmoscopic examination when a better view of the posterior segment could be obtained. This was done as a pilot study to ascertain the level of accurac...
ABSTRACT Allium ascalonicum L. (Shallot) was one of the herbs repeatedly identified from the result of our ethnobotanical survey for the treatment of tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacteria diseases. It has been reported to show inhibitory potentials against several pathogens. This plant is also known to form part of the diet of many people across the world. In the quest for a more active and body-friendly therapeutic agents, extracts of Allium ascalonicum (whole plant) were screened aga...
Abstract Background: Interest in the reproductive health of adolescents continues to grow throughout the world. Few studies had explored the reproductive health knowledge, sexual behavior and experience of sexual coercion among secondary school students in North Eastern states of Nigeria. The objectives of this descriptive survey were to collect data to plan appropriate interventions that meet the reproductive health knowledge, service and skills needs of students in Bauchi, Borno and Gombe s...
Abstract Background: Effective prevention and control of malaria during pregnancy include prompt and effective case management of malaria combined with prevention of infection by the use of insecticide-treated nets and intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp). Care givers knowledge and practice of malaria control is pivotal to effective implementation of these guidelines. The objective of this study was to determine the awareness of care providers in facilities offering maternity...
ABSTRACT Background: Cognitive dysfunction, presenting as learning and memory impairment, is a common manifestation in many chronic diseases, including depression, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease. It could also be present without any known underlying medical condition. Till date, no drug has shown convincing efficacy in improving learning and memory deficits in these conditions although some medicinal plants are demonstrating promising effects. The aim of the study was to investigate the e...
ABSTRACT Many women lose their lives annually during childbirth and a high proportion of the deaths happen in Sub Saharan Africa. Consequently, maternal mortality remains a pressing issue and poor person- centered maternity care contributes both directly and indirectly to it. Personcentered Maternity Care (PCMC) is defined as maternity care that is deferential and responsive to the needs, values and preferences of prospective mothers. Growing evidence suggests that quality of maternal care re...
ABSTRACT Background: HIV/AIDS was discovered as far back as 1981; however, a cure for it is yet to be found. The only remedy currently is to manage using Antiretroviral Therapy (ART). Standard ART consists of the combination antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to suppress the HIV virus and stop the progression of HIV disease. ART can limit transmission of HIV. Non-adherence to ART is a growing concern to clinicians, healthcare systems, and other stakeholders. Objective: To determine the factors associ...
ABSTRACT Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a global health problem and its symptoms impose a substantial burden on the individual. Despite its chronicity and adverse outcome, allergic rhinitis remains neglected, unrecognized and mismanaged and there is scarce scientific knowledge on how allergic rhinitis impact on the quality of life of individuals in Ghana. This study explored the experiences of patients with allergic rhinitis on their quality of life. The study used descriptive qualitative study ...
ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of Ghanaian women living with advanced breast cancer in the Kumasi Metropolis. The study employed a qualitative exploratory descriptive design. A purposive sampling was used and data was saturated with 10 participants varying in age between 32 years and 65 years. All interviews were audio-taped and transcribed. Data was analyzed based on the techniques of content analysis. During the study, anonymity and confidenti...
ABSTRACT Leprosy is a disabling disease that has struck fears into humans for thousands of years. The World Health Organization targeted the disease for elimination by the year 2000 and many countries adopted strategies for its elimination as a public health problem. One major obstacle to achieving this objective is the stigma associated with the disease. The Upper West Region was the only region in Ghana, with all its five districts that had not achieved the elimination target of one case pe...
ABSTRACT Background: Ramadan is the ninth month of the lunar calendar during which fasting is prescribed for every healthy adult Muslim. Intermittent fasting and caloric restriction, or alternate-day feeding, had been shown to have effect on some physiological and biochemical parameters in the body. Ramadan fasting is considered a unique model of intermittent fasting as food and fluid intake becomes exclusively nocturnal without restriction on the type or amount of food intake. During this fa...
ABSTRACT The use of modern contraceptives is still a challenge in many low income countries like Ghana. Amidst the low level of uptake of contraceptive use and increasing teenage pregnancies in the Northern region of Ghana, few studies have addressed the reasons why adolescents refuse to use modern contraceptive and go ahead to engage in unsafe sex. A cross-sectional study design was used. Well-structured close and open ended questionnaire was used to collect data on proportion of adolescents...
ABSTRACT Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN), a diabetes-induced nerve damaging effect on the kidney structure and function due to hyperglycaemia is a major microvascular complication. Hyperglycaemia causes uremia, hypercreatininemia, declined glomerular filtration rate, and decreased levels of serum protein and albumin. This condition leads to progressive decline in renal function resulting in renal insufficiency and End-Stage Renal Disease. The prevalence of DN in Africa has increased sig...
ABSTRACT Background: Hypertension is a chronic asymptomatic disease condition which affect every part of the world and has no respect for age and often, increases with age. The Objective of this study was to estimate the economic burden of hypertension among patients attending Nsawam Government Hospital in the Nsawam- Adoagyiri Municipality of the Eastern Region, Ghana. Method A descriptive cross sectional Cost of Illness (COI) survey which relied on quantitative data was conducted among 202 ...