ABSTRACT Background: In Africa, infectious diseases continue to be a major health problem because many of the national surveillance systems have scarce resources at their disposal and struggle to ensure timely detection or an effective response to disease outbreaks. To address this issue, in 1998 the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa approved the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) strategy for strengthening infectious disease surveillance and response capac...
ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: Adolescence is a period of biological, psychological and social transformations as a child transits to adulthood. Thus adolescents, including those in Nkwanta South district, are vulnerable to themselves and the environment. OBJECTIVES: This study identified the social determinants of non-marital adolescent pregnancy in terms of formal education, adolescent parent and peer relationships. METHODS: The study was a community based cross sectional research. Two communities ...
ABSTRACT Background: Sedentary behaviour is characterised by energy expenditure ≤ 1.5 metabolic equivalents (METs). Common sedentary activities include television viewing, video game playing, computer use, driving automobiles, and reading. In addition, children also spend time engaging in sedentary hobbies like sitting or lying to read, sitting to chat with friends, drawing, and writing. Sedentary behaviour assessment is important because of its linkages with poor health outcomes like cardi...
ABSTRACT Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) are infections or diseases that are passed on from person to person through sexual contact. The presence of an untreated ulcerative STI increases the risk of both acquisition and transmission of HIV. Low or lack of education of has been shown to be associated with low STI awareness and knowledge. In Ghana clients with STIs are mainly young people of age 19-24 years, and female porters fall within this age group. In order to protect these young a...
ABSTRACT An important component of professional nursing practice which expresses the relationship among nurses/midwives and parents in the care of the neonate is a good communication between the nurses/midwives and parents. The hospitalization of an Infant to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) inevitably causes anxiety amongst parents. The communication between nurses/midwives and parents is a critical component of the support system available to parents which can help reduce stress among ...
ABSTRACT The study was undertaken in the Gyidim community of the Agogo sub-district of the Ashanti-Akim North district of the Ashanti region. The overall objective of the study was to acquire empirical data aimed at understanding the impact of HIV/AIDS on reproductive decision-making for programme strategizing and policy decisions. The Gyidim community is largely governed by their strong religious beliefs that favour, large family 'size, promote polygynous marriages and strongly oppose contra...
ABSTRACT Background An effective Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) programme is fundamental to quality health care. The purpose of this study is to assess the knowledge of infection prevention, availability and access to materials for infection and compliance with infection prevention guidelines at Ridge Regional Hospital. This facility has staff strength of Eight hundred and seventy-two (872) comprising of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technicians and other healthcare workers...
ABSTRACT Introduction: To protect, promote and support breastfeeding, WHO/UNICEF introduced the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) to eliminate negative hospital practices that interfere with successful lactation. BFHI has been associated with increased EBF. However in Ghana, no study has been done to assess the impact of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative on breastfeeding. This study was done to determine the effect of hospital status – Baby Friendly and Non-Baby Friendly on infan...
Abstract Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs) include infections in any part of the respiratory system lasting less than 3 days. They are a major cause of childhood deaths worldwide. Though the vast majority of ARIs are harmless, there are a few severe ones, which usually cause death within a short time and must therefore be recognised early. Available evidence shows that in Akatsi District about half of ARIs are managed at home. Since this care may be inappropriate there is the need for furth...
ABSTRACT Background: Cervical cancer is the most common cancer among women in Ghana and the leading cause of cancer mortality among women in Ghana. Health care professionals are important predictors of the use of cervical cancer screening, however, there is no evidence of how health workers use cervical cancer screening services. General Objective: To assess the knowledge, perception and practices of cervical cancer screening and prevention among female doctors and nurses in Korle Bu Teaching...
ABSTRACT Background: Optimal gestational weight gain is an important factor linked with positive outcome for both mothers and their infants. Women who gain inadequate weight during pregnancy are at risk of bearing a baby with low birth weight whereas those who gain excessive weight are at increased risk of preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. In developing countries, data on gestational weight gain and its determinants are scarce as it is difficult to collect the information throughout the ...
ABSTRACT. Buruli Ulcer is becoming a Public health problem in tropical Countries prompting the establishment of a Global Buruli Ulcer Initiative by the WHO in 1998. The objectives of the study are to assess the community perception and knowledge of BU and the health-seeking behaviour of Patients. Quantitative and qualitative data were obtained by interviewing patients with this disease and control subjects in the Ga West Municipality Area. Common perceived causes were attributed to drinking f...
ABSTRACT Background: Hepatitis is a disease defined by the inflammation of the liver and it is characterized by the existence of inflammatory cells in the tissues of the liver leading to fibrosis or cirrhosis. Viral hepatitis has become a global public health threat affecting millions of people yearly, causing disability and mortality. There are an estimated five hundred million people who are chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or Hepatitis C virus (HCV). Reliable data is requi...
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...