ABSTRACT Background: Quality of life (QOL) assessment is recommended to better plan and distribute health care resources with the aim of achieving a better quality of life. Chronic diseases adversely affect the quality of life, and there is also generally an increase of herbal medicine use in chronic disease patients. However, it is unclear whether there is a direct link between the use of herbal medicines and quality of life, particularly among patients with chronic diseases. Objective: The ...
ABSTRACT Background Infants who acquire HIV infection vertically experience rapid deterioration, usually leading to death. Early initiation of ART can reverse this trend. The WHO therefore recommends virological HIV testing in all exposed infants by six weeks, and if positive, promptly initiate ART. Despite the implementation of early infant testing in Ghana, coverage among eligible infants remains low and infants are tested late, resulting in erosion of possible benefits. Study Objectives Th...
ABSTRACT Cervical cancer (CC) is a severe disease and one of the most prevailing and dreaded conditions which affect women all over the world with devastating effects, particularly in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). To prevent and reduce the morbidity and fatality linked with CC, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended cervical cancer screening (CCS). However, screening uptake in Ghana is low. Male participation in women’s health issues and CCS is a significant factor i...
ABSTRACT Background: Anemia, defined as blood hemoglobin level below established cut-off points, is a pervasive global public health problem. An estimated 2 billion people are affected globally. Anemia prevalence is highest in developing countries but also high in developed countries. Worldwide, over 30% of all women suffer from anemia, with abnormal uterine bleeding being a risk factor for anemia. Uterine fibroids are the most common benign gynecologic tumors affecting premenopausal women, w...
ABSTRACT Introduction and Objectives: The second cycle institution corresponds with late adolescents. Adolescence is a period marked by increasing participation in health risky behaviors such as alcohol use. The use of alcohol at this critical age can lead to serious health outcomes such as causing harm to body organs such as the liver and sometimes injuries. It is also associated with negative social and behavioral consequences such as unsafe sexual behavior. This study therefore aims to det...
ABSTRACT Malaria remains a major public health problem in Africa. An estimated 525,600 people died of malaria in 2013. The burden of malaria is heaviest in children less than 5 years who account for about 78 percent of all deaths. There was an increasing trend of reported severe malaria cases at the Kintampo Municipal hospital since 2012. This study was done to determine the association between household and community factors and severe malaria in children less than five years using a case co...
Abstract Background Healthcare staff work in an environment considered to be one of the most hazardous occupational settings. This is especially true in developing countries where health service delivery is fraught with inadequate protection against exposures to numerous fomites and pathogens. Studies have shown that inadequate knowledge of occupational hazards and unavailability of safety measures contribute greatly to the increased incidence of occupational accidents and injuries among heal...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Obesity has been described as an epidemic with more than one-third of children aged of 2 to 19, said to be overweight or obese. Adult obesity has been strongly linked to obesity in childhood and adolescence. It is therefore imperative to tackle this problem in the adolescent stage, to prevent entering adulthood with one of the major risk factors for Non-Communicable Diseases. Known immediate consequences of obesity include self-esteem, reduced cognitive capabilities, an...
ABSTRACT Background The street food industry is one of the means of income generation in most developing countries. Due to the afTordability, accessibility and availability of a wide variety offoods, millions of people depend on street foods on daily basis. For this reason, the safety and hygienic practices adopted during the production -to- consumption stage should not be undermined. Every year, millions of people worldwide suffer from food borne illnesses making it a major public health con...
ABSTRACT Background In 2005, Ghana started implementing a National Health Insurance Scheme with the aim o f removing cost as a barrier to accessing healthcare. The Scheme had as an important component, the Claims Process through which services rendered by providers could be reimbursed by the Scheme. Right from its inception, the Claims Process has been dogged with challenges: from lack o f compliance by providers and Scheme M anagers with the original tariff structure developed to outstanding...
ABSTRACT A study on assessment of X-ray radiation among X-ray workers and associated potential health problems in Owerri was carried out with the thermolumolunescent dosimeter between 12th April to 30th December 2011. A total of 50 workers were used for the study. Comprising 24 male X-ray workers and 26 female X-ray workers. The mean X-ray dose below permissible doses is 9.4.7 the T-test is -4.29; the P-value is 0.000. The mean exposure factor is 20msv upto six test which involve 3 male x-ray...
ABSTRACT Background: The suppression of the immune system by persistent exposure to organic pollutants can induce or exacerbate airway inflammation, which can be a predictor of respiratory infections. Objective: The study examined the association between exposure to pesticides and symptoms of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) among children under five years in the Offinso North District in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Methodology: The study population was derived from a population-based cro...
ABSTRACT Background: Adverse pregnancy outcomes have devastating effects on the survival of both the mother and the infant. There is widespread adverse pregnancy outcomes in developing countries. About 5.4 million children die before their 5th birthday and 46% are neonatal deaths. Another 830 women die every day from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. Several factors can lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes. These include socio-cultural factors, health facility related factors a...
Abstract Background: Measles (Rubeola) remains one of the leading causes of death among children under the age of 5 years globally, and Ghana is no exception. Despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine approximately, 134, 200 people died from measles in 2015 globally. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology and genetic diversity of measles virus in Ghana. Materials and Methods: This study was a cross sectional study using archived samples stored at the Nat...
ABSTRACT Introduction Morbidity and mortality of tuberculosis is a rising public health issue worldwide. The Sawla-Tuna-Kalba district of the Northern Region recorded cure rate of 46.4% and completed treatment rate of 22.8%., in 2016. This culminates into a TB treatment success rate of 69.2% (Northern Regional Health Directorate Annual Report, 2016). This is below the WHO sets standards of 85%. This study aimed at assessing the factors that influence ineffective and effective TB treatment out...