ABSTRACT Background: Adequate serum vitamin D levels in children has been proven to improve bone health, reduce the risk of type 1 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and many other diseases in life. The serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D is the best biomarker in measuring vitamin D status in the body. It is able to reflect both vitamin D levels that the body receive from sunlight and dietary sources. Little is known about the vitamin D status of the population in Ghana especially among school age child...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Sudden cardiac arrest is a gradually emerging global public health issue. Prompt administration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by a bystander is pivotal to improve the already slender chances of surviving cardiac arrest which occurs outside the premises of a health facility. In response, many nations have focused efforts on promoting CPR in the community to increase bystander CPR. Tertiary institutions are considered ideal settings for CPR promotion and training...
ABSTRACT A functional maternal referral system is important in minimizing maternal related challenges associated with antenatal care, labor and delivery; and postnatal services at primary, secondary and tertiary levels of care. The study sought to evaluate maternal referral pathways in the La Dade Kotopon Municipality by using La General Hospital and Police Hospital as cases for the study. The study adopted the Three Delays, Access Model and the System Thinking Approach to inquire into the is...
ABSTRACT Background: Blood transfusion is a life-saving practice in medicine but serves as a major route for spreading infections. It is therefore necessary to adopt sensitive screening technologies to guarantee the safety of blood. In Ghana, most districts and regional blood bank laboratories are limited in resources and resort to the use of rapid kits; a method less sensitive and liable to errors compared to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay as the gold standard. This study seeks to determi...
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Exclusive breastfeeding has been known to contribute to child survival. Despite the high rates of exclusive breastfeeding on discharge from health facilities in the Asuogyaman District, nursing mothers often discontinue the practice at home and resort to inappropriate infant feeding practices. There has been no recent study on the factors influencing exclusive breastfeeding practices in the Asuogyaman District. The study sought to describe the exclusive breastfeeding prac...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Ghana is an emerging market with high demands on its health, especially to achieve universal health coverage while maintaining quality of care. Quality of care is a standard that is measurable from different perspectives, including the patients’ perspectives. The government is pushing for private public partnership in all areas of the economy including the health sector where the state owned health facilities are inadequate to mop up all the cases reporting for health...
ABSTRACT Background: The growth of the aging population is known to lead to an upsurge in problems for the older people and to the society. A considerable proportion of older adults are experiencing added challenges in maintaining their health. With the eroded traditional family support systems and no formal institutions to take care of the elderly, it is not known what self-care interventions if any exist in the community and if so what factors influence their presence or absence. Self-care ...
ABSTRACT Modem Eye care in Ghana is making progress in prevention of blindness from cataract, onchocerciasis and trachoma, but stuck with glaucoma that remains the leading cause of permanent blindness in Ghana. This project addresses issues on the epidemiology of glaucoma by determining the magnitude of the burden of Primary Open Angle Glaucoma by a prevalence study in the Akwapim South district of Ghana. It looks at the factors related to advanced damaging effect on vision, socio-cultural an...
ABSTRACT Background: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is among the life-long disabilities that result from maternal alcohol exposure. The growing incidence of FAS globally has become a public health concern and the lack of awareness and knowledge about the condition was noted among the key drawbacks for the slow progress in its prevention. Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study that used a quantitative approach was undertaken to examine pregnant women’s knowledge on fetal alcohol syndrome....
ABSTRACT Background: Gentamicin (GM) administration generates reactive oxygen species that have long been identified with nephrotoxicity. Cocoa flavanols are powerful antioxidants that have free radical scavenging capacity in reactive oxygen species (ROS) -mediated inflammatory processes such as from GM usage. Aim: This study investigated whether regular ingestion of natural cocoa would protect renal structure and function in rats with GM-induced acute kidney injury (AKI). Methodology: Thirty...
ABSTRACT An ethnobotanical survey was conducted among residents of Gboko and Kastina Ala local government areas in Benue state located in the middle belt of Nigeria.
ABSTRACT The rising incidence o f early sexual activity among young people has become an issue o f great public health concern and is receiving attention worldwide. Many o f the youth are at risk o f unplanned pregnancy or sexually tran sm itted infection (STI) including HIV/AIDS and some may already be struggling with the consequences o f these risks. Studies conducted in Ejisu-Juabeng district have revealed the existence o f high level o f sexual activity among the youth. To minimize risks ...
ABSTRACT With the aid of an electron microscope the development of transverse tubules (T-tubules or system) was studied in pre- and post-natal hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) labelled with horse radish peroxidase (HRP). Thin sections (70-90 nm) and semi-thin sections (800-1000 nm) were cut using an ultramicrotome and examined under an electron microscope. No evidence of T-tubules was observed during the pre-natal and first week in neonatal stages of development when myocytes were characterise...
ABSTRACT Background: Breast cancer (BC) continues to remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality among women globally. There seem to be an unchanging trend in the causes of death over the past few decades as more and more women report late with BC to the hospital. Unfortunately this includes women who have a family history of the disease. Objective: To determine the level of knowledge on Breast Cancer, assess attitudes and perceptions regarding early detection practices and reporting of t...
ABSTRACT. Introduction: The advent of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) has brought a lot of hope to many afflicted with HIV. With ARTs, HIV has moved from a stage of destructive illness to that of a chronic one. As a chronic illness, it requires a lifetime management on anti-retroviral therapy hence adherence to medications is therefore very important. This study therefore was intended to find out the adherence level to anti-retroviral medications among persons living with HIV/AIDS at the St. Ma...