ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: In Ghana, even though the knowledge of the practice and benefits of exclusive breast feeding amongst women is very high, only 52% of babies are breastfed up to 6 months of life. In Ghana 49.52% of the work force are females, also 40.1% of workers are within the formal sector. Better educated women participate more in the formal sector and earn higher incomes. This study sought to examine exclusive breastfeeding practices amongst women in the formal sector in the Greater A...
ABSTRACT Diarrhoea is a global childhood killer, especially of children in developing countries. Eighty eight percent of all cases of diarrhoea worldwide are attributable to drinking water, human excreta disposal and hygiene risk factors. In Ghana, diarrhoea remains of public health concern because it is still a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality and exposure to the pathogens that cause diarrhoea is frequently related to drinking contaminated water, improper human excreta dispos...
ABSTRACT Background: Human immunodeficiency virus since its discovery has grown to become a public health menace. Healthcare workers are at risk of acquiring HIV infection as a result of managing HIV infected patients. Post exposure prophylaxis (PEP), a confirmed method, decreases the possibility of sero-conversion to HIV after occupational exposure. This study aimed at assessing the level of knowledge on post exposure prophylaxis, determining the level of risk to occupational injuries and to...
ABSTRACT Background: The World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics reveal that people worldwide are living longer; and currently, 125 million people are aged 80 years or older. However, the challenge is how to ensure the provision of a quality healthcare to the frail elderly. Objective: This qualitative study explored the perception of the quality of healthcare among the frail elderly in the Tema Metropolitan Assembly. Methods: A semi-structured interview guide was used to gather information...
ABSTRACT The success or otherwise of most health related programs in most developing countries are judged using many indicators, among which is the beneficiary communities’ perception of the program. This study examined or probed into the perceptions of the communities with regard to the services rendered by Community Health Officers (CHOs) as front liners in the Community Health and Family Planning (CHFP) project being executed by the Navrongo Health Research Center (NHRC) in the Kassena- ...
ABSTRACT Background: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) testing and counseling is a precarious and vital gateway to HIV prevention and treatment. Ghana has a policy of free or subsidized HIV testing and counseling services. However the utilization of the HIV testing services remains generally low. This study assessed community perceptions and factors influencing HIV testing and counseling services in the Kassena-Nankana East and West Districts of Northern Ghana. Methodology: This was an explo...
ABSTRACT HIV/AIDS is still a big public health issues as adolescents today have not known a world without AIDS. The school environment offers great opportunity for HIV high risk behaviours. Despite a great awareness of the dangers of the disease and the abundance of knowledge, young people continue to engage in behaviours that place them at risk of contracting the disease. The main objective of the study is to determine the relationship between HIV risk perception and sexual behaviours among ...
ABSTRACT Background: Routine empiric antibiotic therapy is common in patients living with HIV/AIDS. Such routine antibiotic regimen could lead to selection of multidrug resistance especially ESBLs in hitherto drug sensitive intestinal colonizing flora. There is paucity of data to describe intestinal carriage of ESBL-producing enterobacteria in HIV/AIDS patients. Aim: This study was designed to examine HIV/AIDS patients for faecal carriage with extendedspectrum beta-lactamase producing enterob...
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Plasmodium falciparum malaria throughout history has proved to be a significant menace to human health and pregnancy associated malaria (PAM) has been linked to severe consequences in terms of morbidity and mortality. P. falciparum parasites express members of the Plasmodium falciparum Erythrocyte Membrane Protein-1 (PfEMP1) on the surface of infected erythrocytes (IEs) which act as ligands binding to a number of different human vascular host receptors such as Chondroitin...
ABSTRACT In recent years, mobile phone use in healthcare delivery has been the focus of healthcare research. Of great interest to researchers is to study and understand the acceptance and use of mobile payments in health delivery since mobile payments serves as a complementary service to mobile health. Mobile payments provides a solution to the growing moral hazards and security risks associated with cash payments in healthcare delivery and also lessens the institutionalization of informal pa...
ABSTRACT Background: Malaria is a disease which is caused by the plasmodium parasites in the blood or tissues of humans. In 2012, government of Ghana distributed bednets to pregnant women in order to reduce the transmission of malaria. Though there was a massive distribution all over the country, the consistent use of the LLIN is low. Thus this study was done to find out the use of LLIN among pregnant women in the Ga- East Municipality and find out the factors that influence the use of the be...
ABSTRACT Background: Malaria remains a major cause of illness and death globally especially in malaria endemic countries. With substantial increase in funding for malaria control programs, countries in Sub Sahara Africa scaled up delivery of insecticide treated bed nets to households, increasing number of households owning ITNs and expectation of reduced malaria. ITN was identified as a verified useful and cost-effective tool for malaria prevention through consistently use by beneficiaries. H...
ABSTRACT Background: Mental illnesses attract a lot of stigma. However schizophrenia is one of the most stigmatized mental conditions because of its perceived dangerousness and unpredictability. The stigma experienced by persons with schizophrenia can hinder help-seeking behaviours further exacerbating their condition. It is therefore important to find out the experiences of stigma among the family and persons with schizophrenia in order to come up with intervention to stop such behaviours in...
ABSTRACT This comparative study investigated behavioural and emotional problems among children living in selected private, public and religiously owned orphanages in Ghana. A mixed method approach was employed to achieve research objectives. Quantitative method was used to collect information with the use of questionnaires and a qualitative method was used to explore other facets of the study objectives through individual interviews. The study was carried out at three selected orphanages: SOS...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Preterm births are deliveries that occur before 37 completed gestational weeks with its lower cut off limit of viability varying based on the geographic location. Preterm births may be as a consequence of obstetric interventions from fetal or maternal indications or spontaneous preterm labor with no apparent precursors. This study sought to determine the outcomes of preterm infants managed at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the fac...