ABSTRACT Increasing the proportion of births in health facilities is an important factor in reducing the health risks to both the mother and the baby. Proper medical attention and hygienic conditions during delivery can reduce the risks of complications and infection that can cause morbidity and mortality to both the mother and the baby. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors leading to low facility delivery in the Bilpeila sub district. The study was conducted among 450 three-...
ABSTRACT Background: Climate change with its associated weather variability affects health leading to mortality. It is estimated that climate change contributed 0.2% of the world’s annual mortality. Mortality in Ghana is mainly due to malaria, diarrhoea, acute respiratory infection, cardiovascular diseases, maternal, neonatal, and road traffic accident, most of which are weather-related. Also, a relatively high clustering of deaths in the population can hinder efforts to reduce mortality i...
ABSTRACT Snakebite poisoning is a public health concern to persons in agrarian environments and the northern region of Ghana is no exception. Youthful male agricultural and field workers have been reported to be at higher risk of snakebite, hence necessitating a study to determine the full extent of the snakebite problem in the Tamale Teaching Hospital. The objective of this study was to determine the epidemiological characteristics of the snakebite cases that were reported at the Tamale Tea...
ABSTRACT Introduction Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, has been a financial and health burden to households on a global scale. The disease has been on an exponential increase since the onset of modernization. This study sought to compare the cost of hypertension treatment using Complementary and Alternative Medicines against Conventional Medicines among hypertensive patients attending the Ledzokukukrowor (LEKMA) Hospital in Accra. Methods This was a cross sectional cost-of-ill...
ABSTRACT Studies have shown that human milk and breastfeeding of infant provides advantages with regard to general health, growth and development for infants. Mothers who breastfeed their babies may also gain health benefits. In addition to health benefits to mothers and infants, breastfeeding provides significant social and economic benefits to nations and individuals. Researchers have found out that both mother and infant can maximise the benefits if they practice exclusive breastfeeding du...
ABSTRACT Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever is a severe infection, characterized by person-to-person transmission through close contact with patients with or without haemorrhagic symptoms, dead bodies or by infected body fluids. An acute serious illness, caused by the Ebola virus is often deadly if untreated. The study assessed the level of public awareness and hospital preparedness in the prevention and management of the Ebola Virus Disease in the Tamale metropolis of the Northern region of Ghana. A ...
ABSTRACT Background: The association between chronic conditions such as Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), and common mental disorders (CMD) or psychological distress has been well established in studies all over the world. This is however expected to be moderated given the presence of social support both from literature and practice. General Objective: The study aimed at determining the prevalence of CMD, identifying factors associated with increased levels of psychological distress, and determin...
ABSTRACT Background: Home visiting has been the pivot of both the Primary Health Care (PHC) and currently the CHPS concepts in the Ghana Health Service; yet there is little information on how the home visit strategy improves maternal and newborn health. This the study aimed at assessing the implementation of the home visiting strategy and its effect on maternal and newborn health care in the Ga South Municipality in Ghana. Methods: A cross-sectional study employing a mixed-methods approach w...
ABSTRACT Introduction Childhood immunization is one of the most successful public health interventions worldwide. It has contributed enormously to public health including the eradication of small pox and near eradication of poliomyelitis. High immunisation coverage is vital in the control, elimination and eradication of vaccine-preventable diseases which accounts for many childhood morbidities and mortalities worldwide. The introduction of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) has mad...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Low vision services and devices assist rehabilitation of low vision patients, however, these facilities are not fully utilized in Ghana. These services and devices prevents visually impaired people from total blindness. Studies have indicated that, inadequate knowledge and other barriers such as inability to afford and accessibility lead to non-utilization of the services, which in turn will lead to total blindness in the low vision patients. Objective: The objective o...
ABSTRACT Socio-cultural factors play a vital role in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme (World Health Organization, 2004). These ambitious projections have been missed even after annual investments of around $15 billion, 1.2 billion people are still without access to safe water and 2.6 billion without access to safe and adequate sanitation (World Bank, 2014). The research design employed was a case study. The case study approach employed was both qualitative and quantitative metho...
ABSTRACT Background: Illicit drug use has become a major public health concern in Ghana, particularly among senior high school students in Sunyani West District. This study sought to discuss the use of illicit drug and their effects on academic performance among senior high school students in Sunyani- West District in the Brong-Ahafo Region. Methods: The study was quantitative in nature. Cluster and simple random sampling techniques were used to select 418 respondents from selected cluster s...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Currently, there is an annual decline in TB incidence rate of 1.5% globally which is lower than the expected 10%, according to the new End TB strategy which encourages innovation and improving tools that have been used to control TB to end it. A tool that has proven successful in the world is Directly Observed Therapy Short-course, which is one of the core principals of the stop TB strategy that ended in 2015. Even though there is a new strategy, the breakdown of high-...
ABSTRACT Background: Malaria is the number one cause of morbidity in Ghana, accounting for about 38% of all outpatient illnesses, 35% of all admissions and about 34% of all deaths in children. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends the spraying of at least 80% (ideally 100%) of houses, structures as well as units in target areas in any round of Indoor Residual Spraying. The Ministry of health intends to achieve at least 90% coverage in one third of the districts in Ghana by 2015. Ind...
ABSTRACT The recent emergence of concern about environmental sanitation is not a new problem in Ghana. In most third world countries provision of sanitary facilities lag behind the growing population thereby increasing the risk of sanitation-related infections among the people especially in schools. This study assessed the level of environmental sanitation and disease conditions among students on the campus of the University of Ghana, Legon. It was a cross-sectional descriptive study. Data f...