ABSTRACT Background Diarrhoea in children under five years has become a major public health concern worldwide. It is possible that diarrhoea will remain a leading cause of child mortality worldwide in the future. World Health Organisation has indicated that children under five years are vulnerable to diarrhoeal disease especially Sub-Saharan Africa, it is therefore important for a study to be conducted to examine factors influencing health care utilisation in children under five years ...
ABSTRACT Background: Micronutrient deficiencies are a public health concern worldwide negatively affecting maternal and child health outcomes. Globally, micronutrient deficiencies have been found to be the major leading cause of maternal and child mortality. Deficiencies of these same nutrients are the most common among Women of Reproductive Age (WRA) and are associated with increased risk of adverse consequences such as anaemia during pregnancy and maternal mortality, low birth weight infant...
ABSTRACT The migration of health professionals after completion of medical school causes the health system in Ghana to be less resourced in terms of human capital. The role of doctors is very essential in health care delivery as it is reflective in the quality of services given. It is in view of this that the study was done to find out the migration intentions of final year medical students and the factors that influence their intentions. The research further identifies some of the retention ...
ABSTRACT Following the persistent high prevalence of malnutrition in children 0-5 years in the Birim south district over the pass years, this study set out to find why this problem exist despite continuous health education on malnutrition. With the permission of the District Health Management Team the study was conducted in response to a felt need. A comparative cross sectional study was conducted using structured questionnaires and observation methods to interview mothers with children...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Stillbirth remains a serious public health problem globally with an estimated annual death of 2.6 million. Although stillbirth rates have declined especially in the developed countries, Africa and south Asia have the slowest rate of decline. In 2015, the rate of stillbirth in Ghana was 22.7 per 1000 births. However, in Kintampo the stillbirth rate was 24 per 1000 births. The actual causes of stillbirth remain unknown. This study was conducted to assess the socio-demogra...
ABSTRACT Background Surgery is vital, resolving much of the global burden of disease. In spite of improvements in surgical care there are still risks of harm to patients due to non- adherence to surgical safety standards. In Ghana, data on surgery related adverse events are scanty. Few studies done in Ghana estimates surgery related adverse events at 19% and prevalence of surgical site infections (SSIs) ranges from 9.6% to 40%. Successive peer review assessments in the Western reg...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection which is still a global public health concern. It affects both sexes and all ages but mostly prevalent among the sexually active age group (15-49 years). It results in diverse complications and also promote the contraction of other sexually transmitted infection including the potential of increasing the risk of contracting HIV / AIDs by two to five folds. Its prevalence in developed countries is far lower compared to d...
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (MRDTs) are important for malaria disease management. However, performance of the RDTs is affected when the targeted antigens in the parasite have a variation or are altogether absent. The most common parasite target antigen in RDTs, Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2), has been reported to be absent in some P. falciparum parasites. Loss of the pfhrp2 in P. falciparum parasites affects the accuracy of PfHRP2 based RDT ...
ABSTRACT In recent years, as the world is becoming a global economy with the influx of foreign companies into many developing countries like Ghana, managers face the challenge of having to address retention problems in the context of increasing competition in the global marketplace. It is against this background that this study aims at examining the effect of talent management on employees’ retention in the Ministry of Roads and Highways, Ghana. The study was quantitative and employed a cro...
ABSTRACT Background: Medication adherence directly influences the attainment of treatment goals. In spite of this, approximately 50% of patients do not adhere to prescribed medication regimen. Poor adherence to medicines is a global health challenge that needs attention as it leads to increased healthcare costs, poor clinical outcomes, increased morbidity and mortality. Text message reminders have been found to be a useful tool for improving adherence to medicines in several parts of the...
ABSTRACT This study explored the management of chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCDs) at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in Ghana, using phenomenology as the study design. Using purposive and accidental sampling procedures, I interviewed 82 patients receiving care for CNCDs as well as 30 health professionals managing their conditions, using in-depth interview guides. Data collected were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The study re...
ABSTRACT Background: Globally, breast cancer is a major public health problem in terms of morbidity and mortality. In Ghana, breast cancer constitutes 15% of all cancers and 40% of female cancers and is reported to be the second commonest cancer among women in Ghana. Over 60% of breast cancer patients present late with advanced stages of breast cancer despite the many awareness campaigns to promote early reporting and detection. This study therefore sought to find out and document reasons for...
ABSTRACT Background: Household and Community Care has increasingly been recognized by the Ghana Health Service and the mental health sector as a means of promoting mental health in Ghana. However, household and community attitudes and perceptions towards mental illness and mental health affect the effectiveness of community-based care. Objective: The main objective of this study was to assess household and community perceptions on the integration of persons with mental illness in the Te...
ABSTRACT Exposure to percutaneous injuries and blood/body fluids are serious occupational hazards that contribute to the transmission of a variety of blood borne pathogens. The study was conducted to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with percutaneous injuries and exposure to patients’ blood and other body fluids among nurses in the Tamale metropolis. A cross-sectional design was adopted for the study. A total population of 572 was targeted with a sample size of 224 nurse...
ABSTRACT The first two years of a child’s life are particularly important, as optimal nutrition during this period lowers morbidity and mortality. Many factors account for the inability of children to receive adequate nutrition from caregivers. It is known that mothers play key roles in children’s nutrition. In Ghana, studies relating empowerment to feeding practices have emphasized decision-making and maternal dietary diversity. Earlier studies focused largely on nutritional knowledge, s...