ABSTRACT Prenatal care provides the opportunity for early detection of pregnancy related problems for treatment to improve pregnancy outcomes. However, our knowledge is incomplete about the degree to which the content and delivery of prenatal care are associated with postpartum care practices such as infant feeding behaviors and newborn care. This study aimed at assessing the relationship between prenatal care and the adoption of newborn care practices including child feeding practices among...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Tuberculosis exacts heavy morbidity and economic tolls globally – more than ten million incident cases and $9.2 billion of tuberculosis (TB) expenditure accrued in 2017 alone. The World Health Organization introduced the Public-Private Mix (PPM) initiative in the late 1990s as part of measures to achieve TB control targets by strategically engaging all health providers. Ghana, one of the thirty high-burden TB nations implemented PPM in 2003 in urban areas of the cou...
ABSTRACT Generally, Muslims religious leaders are often viewed as potential obstacles towards family planning practices owing to their incessant condemnation of family planning. In Northern Region family planning practices is very low, especially among Muslim couples. In view of this, the study sought to examine how Muslim women and men in the Tamale Metropolis take decisions regarding family planning. The social survey was adopted as research strategy due to the larger nature of the study p...
ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: High use of antibiotics is associated with the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. Global antibiotics consumption has increased in recent years with an even more significant increase coming from developing countries. The Ministry of Health in Ghana estimates that the median prevalence of antibiotic prescribing in health facilities is 44.3% against a standard of 30%. The quarterly prevalence of antibiotic prescribing at the Sunyani Municipal Hospital outpatie...
ABSTRACT Birth weight is used as a measure of maternal health and nutritional status as well as infant growth and survival. Low birth weight and early childhood malnutrition have both been associated with increased mortality and morbidity in children. Despite interventions like the ANC and growth monitoring and promotion by the Ghana Health Service to ensure adequate birth weight and early childhood growth, the prevalence of low birth weight and poor early childhood growth in the Northern Re...
ABSTRACT Breastfeeding is one of the main modes through which HIV is transmitted from mothers to their infants. Although the rate of transmission is drastically reduced when the breastfeeding mother is managed on anti retroviral therapy, there is still a probability of transmission. This puts a considerable level of strain on breastfeeding HIV positive mothers. The purpose of this study was to explore the psychosocial experiences of breastfeeding HIV positive mothers in the Tema metropolis. T...
ABSTRACT It is over a century since the discovery of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and since then, a lot more is still being discovered about the pathophysiology of the disease. Notable amongst the various factors that affect the disease’s pathophysiology and management is red cell dehydration. Factors that affect cellular dehydration and serum osmolality in SCD patients are not very clearly understood. An objective method among of assessing SCD patient’s hydration status is by measuring the ...
ABSTRACT This thesis assesses the impact of CLTS programme as an innovation to ending open defecation in the Kumbungu District area of Ghana. The research sampled respondents using purposive sampling and convenience sampling technique was employed. Data were collected using questionnaire, observation and field notes. Major findings in the study revealed that; latrines are simply lacking and the few which are there are either poorly taken care of or over shared with several households with it...
ABSTRACT Women participation in Community-Led Total Sanitation is considered to be essential element in developing communities. (Managing the sanitation facilities effectively and sustaining it, is as a result of women active involvement throughout Community-Led Total Sanitation process) For some years now in Ghana, rural women participation in community led total sanitation seems encouraging, but yet a few are being involved in decision-making and planning. The study explored women’s role...
ABSTRACT Access to quality health service in recent times is an influencing factor in clients’ satisfaction with health service in contemporary Ghana. This study assessed the satisfaction of clients who seek medical health care at the Out Patient Department (OPD) in Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH). Through convenience and random sampling techniques, 120 respondents were involved with the help of questionnaires at the OPD in TTH. The study revealed that there were many children and teenagers...
ABSTRACT Soil and water degradation is a source of problem confronting sub-Saharan Africa with regard to improving agricultural productivity, reducing poverty and securing food insecurity. Unfortunately, many Soil and Water Conservation (SWC) programmes design to address soil and water degradation in the traditional agricultural sector have fallen far short of expectation. This study therefore assessed the effects of soil fertility and conservation technologies on farmlands in Yendi Municipa...
ABSTRACT Trachoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide with approximately 150 million people having an active ocular infection and at least 5.5 million blind due to corneal scarring. In Ghana, the disease is a public health problem in the Upper and Northern Regions. In many trachoma endemic areas factors like lack of water, lack of facial cleanliness among children, overcrowding in a household (especially of children) and poor environmental sanitation contribute to the transmis...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease of public health importance, affecting over 10 million people globally in a year. The TB disease is the single largest cause of mortality relative to communicable disease globally. TB treatment success rates have been below the WHO target of at least 85% while defaulter and failure rates have been higher than the national average since 2015 in Central Region. Ghana introduced a nationwide financial incentive known as the enablers’ packag...
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: Vegetarianism is the restriction of diet to disallow some or all foods of animal origin and consuming mainly foods of plant origin. There is paucity of data on dietary intakes of vegetarians in Ghana Vegetarian diets are typically low in certain micronutrients particularly iron, zinc and vitamin B12 but high in dietary fibre, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. The low intake of these micronutrients may affect the serum micronutrient profile of vegetarians. Folate and ...