ABSTRACT Background Male involvement in maternal healthcare has become critical given that men as the heads of the family control the finances, are decision-makers and provide emotional and social support which directly influence the antenatal, delivery, and post-natal care. Male involvement can, therefore, have diverse positive effects on maternal health in the form of reduction of maternal morbidity and mortality. In Kpone Sub-Municipality where poor maternal outcomes are still recorded, i...
ABSTRACT Background: There has been a reduction in HIV and AIDS associated morbidity and mortality since the introduction of antiretroviral therapy. However, in contrast to the developed world, very little is documented about the influence of Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART) on the Quality of Life of HIV patients in developing countries. In Ghana Quality of Life is rarely assessed. This highlights an important gap in the assessment of the health status of HIV and AIDS affected p...
ABSTRACT Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease resulting from the body’s inability to produce and utilize insulin effectively. Living with type -2 diabetes mellitus has been associated with several challenges. Identification of these challenges would help in holistic healthcare provision for persons living with type-2 diabetes mellitus. This study explored the lived experiences of persons living with type-2 diabetes mellitus in Accra by examining their psychosocial experiences as well a...
Abstract The need for effective client education is an important component in midwifery practice. The benefits include a decrease in maternal mortality and morbidity. The purpose of this study was to explore the learning needs of multigravid women. The study was qualitative in nature and an exploratory- descriptive design was adopted. Eighteen multigravid women were selected for the study through a purposive convenience sampling technique. Eight women were interviewed individually and ten en...
ABSTRACT Background: Micronutrients are extremely important components of a high-quality diet and even though they are required in very small amounts, they are important in the building of healthy brains, bones and body. Micronutrient deficiency is a problem as its effects are irreversible. In Africa, vitamin A deficiency is reported to be the cause of about 6% of deaths of children under the age of 5 years, and a major public health issue in Ghana. Inadequate dietary intake of vitamin A-ric...
ABSTRACT Sulphadoxine-Pyremethamine (SP) has been an ideal choice of drug for Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT) of malaria; however, due to widespread resistance of the malaria parasite to this drug, there has arisen need to find alternative anti-malarial drugs for IPT to replace it. It has been suggested that short-acting drugs are unsuitable for IPT. A longitudinal cohort study of the epidemiology of pediatric malaria was conducted in Kombewa Division, Western Kenya between 2003 and ...
ABSTRACT Men who have sex with men (MSM) suffer disproportionate burden of HIV which is often associated with stigma and discrimination. HIV stigma is believed to be associated with negative psychosocial consequences that affects treatment outcomes. This study sought to explore the psychosocial experiences of key population (MSM) living with HIV using the socio-ecological model. A qualitative interpretive descriptive -approach was employed. Snowballing sampling technique was used to select f...
ABSTRACT The Primary Health Care in Ghana which started as fa r back as 1978 is based on the three tier structure namely the District; subdistrict and community levels. The Subdistrict level is to act as a link between the District level and the Community level. However, the subdistrict level was recognised as a weak link in translating policies into significant health impact by the Ministry o f Health, (MOH). In an attempt to address these problems, subdistrict health systems were form ed ...
ABSTRACT In rural savannah areas of Nigeria, Echics ocellatus (Carpet viper) is responsible for high incidence of snakebite morbidity and mortality. The snakebites are commonly treated with plant extracts in form of traditional medicine. The antivenom activity of Paullinia pinnata Linn and Detarium microcarpum Guill and Perr, popular herbs used in the treatment of Echis ocellatus bites are of great interest and were investigated in vivo and in vitro against the venom (2mg/kg) of Echis carniat...
ABSTRACT Background: Malaria associated anemia is a major problem in malaria endemic areas, especially among children five years and below. Studies have shown that treating children with uncomplicated malaria with efficacious antimalarial drugs clears parasites, which prevents the depletion of red blood cells and thereby improving the Hb concentration levels. No study has been conducted in the Kassena-Nankana District of northern Ghana to determine the effect of antimalarial on the Hb of chi...
ABSTRACT The main purpose of this study was to examine the moderating effects of religious orientation and locus of control on the psychological phenomenon called learned haplessness. Six hundred (600) new entrant students into the Diploma in Applied Psychology programme of the University of Jos participated in the study. The study utilized the experimental design. Word anagram was used to induce and assess learned helplessness. It was hypothesized that, 1.participants who were externally con...
ABSTRACT Cryptosporidium is an intracellular zoonotic protozoan parasite that causes cryptosporidiosis, a diarrheal disease of humans and domestic animals. The parasite has been reported in a variety of domestic animals including dogs. Several species of Cryptosporidium infecting animals have also been reported in humans highlighting the zoonotic nature of the disease. This prospective cross-sectional study was carried out from January -: May, 20 1 8 in Six Area Councils of the FCT. Three war...
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The importance of disease surveillance in any health system is not debatable. For the continued health of a community the ability to detect single diseases or outbreaks, both potentially harmful to the population in general, is fundamental to maintaining a healthy community. A novel surveillance system called the Community Based Surveillance system (CBSS), started in the Northern Region of Ghana in January 1998. The guiding principle in the development of the CBSS is “the ...
ABSTRACT Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one cause of death globally: more people die annually from CVDs than from any other cause. An estimated 17.3 million people died from CVDs in 2008, representing 30% of all global deaths. In Africa, CVDs are the main non-communicable disease and account for 9.2% of total deaths in the region. In Accra, CVDs increased from being the 10th most frequent cause of death in 1966, to the number 1 cause of death for the years 1991 and 200...
ABSTRACT Background: Gestational age (GA) assessment is an essential tool used to monitor the proper growth and development of fetuses. Obstetricians therefore depend on estimated GA to correctly diagnose either pre-term or post-term labour and to distinguish between preterm birth and intrauterine growth restriction. Aim: The aim of study was to evaluate the accuracy of symphysis-fundal height (SFH) in comparison to ultrasound scan for the assessment of gestational age. Methodology: The cross...