ABSTRACT Background: In 2009, when the UNAIDS called for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (MTCT) by 2015, Ghana was found to be one of 20 countries accounting for 80% of the global burden of prevention of MTCT (PMTCT). MTCT is the main source of pediatric HIV, accounting for over 90% of cases worldwide. This study contributes to the assessment of Ghana‟s performance towards achieving the elimination of MTCT. The study described the coverage and outcomes of the PMTCT in...
ABSTRACT Sickle Cell Disease is the most common life-threatening hematologic disorder found in Ghanaian children. The present system of care of these children relies mostly on their parents. Studies have shown that caring for a child with SCD is associated with numerous hardships. However, there is a dearth of literature on the experiences of parents of children with SCD in Ghana. Therefore, this study explored the experiences of parents of children with SCD at the 37 Military Hospital, Ghana...
ABSTRACT The initiation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and particularly MDG 4 and 5, was a wake-up call for all nations of the world, especially developing countries, to take proactive measures to improve the health status of women and children. While few developing countries have made significant strides in achieving MDG 5, most countries are however off- track and its clear they may not be able to meet the target by 2015. This realization led to the MDG Acceleration Framework ...
Abstract Clinical supervision of nursing students serves as a tool to bridging the theory and practice gap and promoting clinical competencies in nursing students. Despite its importance, there are concerns of inadequate clinical supervision of nursing students. This study sought to explore and describe nursing students’ experiences regarding clinical supervision, using Proctor’s functional interactive model. An exploratory descriptive approach was used to explore and describe nursing s...
ABSTRACT Background: In Ghana, waste management authorities need to know the characteristics of waste. However, little or no research has been done on e-waste characterization thus, presenting a big challenge to any plans for design and implementation of recycling and management programs. Characterization of e-waste involves identifying and quantifying the types of waste, as well as the valuable and hazardous components, and understanding the nature of the waste. This study, therefore, char...
ABSTRACT The sawmill business is a thriving business in Ghana because of the availability of Timber and a high demand for the product in the export market. Exposure of sawmill workers to saw dust is a major occupational hazard facing the industry (Rastogi, 2009) as chronic respiratory symptoms are quite common. METHOD: This study looked at the respiratory health of sawmill workers. It was carried out at the Timber Market, Accra, with a sample size of 155 sawmill workers. Data was collect...
ABSTRACT The intense extraction of fuelwood and its use in Traditional Three-Stone Stoves (TTSS) for cooking by riparian communities along the Volta Lake is deemed to be linked with deforestation and the release of harmful gases that influence household air pollution and water level of the Volta Lake which is vital to hydropower generation. This study evaluated the impact of introduced improved local cookstoves christened “Climate-Smart Stoves” (CSS) on household air pollution, fuelwood ...
ABSTRACT The number of adolescents becoming pregnant is on the increase. They are physically and psychologically immature to withstand the stress of pregnancy yet, society does not give them the necessary support they need to go through this stressful situation. The pregnant adolescents often end up with complications which increase maternal morbidity and mortality in Ghana. The purpose of this qualitative inquiry was to explore the psychosocial experiences of pregnant adolescents in the Te...
ABSTRACT Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infection which mainly affects the lungs. Due to the current Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) pandemic, TB has become a leading cause of mortality and morbidity, being the most common fatal opportunistic disease among PLHIV although curable. Five years after the revised policy on execution of joint TB/HIV activities was rolled out in Ghana with a yearly target of 100% HIV testing and Antiretrovira...
ABSTRACT Introduction Epidemics can be lethal and if not approached appropriately, it may take away many lives and even disrupt the stability of a nation. In most cases, Children (0 - 59months) are found to be one of the most susceptible populations. In Africa, childhood immunization remains a critical health service. Outbreak of the Ebola virus disease led to collapse of health services including immunization services. Hence, this study seeks to investigate factors influencing health seeki...
ABSTRACT Background: Air pollution has become one of the most serious environmental concerns in cities throughout the world – especially in developing countries. Increase in human and vehicular population has left many streets of developing countries with high levels of congestion and an indiscriminate release of vehicular exhaust emissions polluting ambient air flow and exposing populations to severe health outcomes. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the diurnal rhythms ...
ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to fabricate a solid ankle cushion heel (SACH foot) and comparison of the differences and effect of this SACH foot on the cardiovascular responses and gait efficiency of fifteen unilateral transtibial amputees with foreign SACH foot and Single axis foot. The SACH foot was fabricated using available local materials. The patients were recruited from Royal Prosthetic and Orthotic Clinic, Egbu, Owerri. The systolic, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate of the...
ABSTRACT A major rehabilitation goal in the care of limb amputees is to minimize the negative effects of this type of disability by using prosthesis, thereby improving the quality of life (QoL). Studies on QoL of amputees are sparse in Nigeria. Studies on the adoption and use of Post Operative Prosthesis are inexistent. The present study designed and fabricated a post-operative prosthesis and as well researched on the QoL of prosthesis-using-amputees using the Trinity Amputation Prosthesis E...
ABSTRACT Pain is a worldwide problem and is associated with most disease conditions. The properties of herbs used to treat pain were investigated with the aim of confirming their use and finding out some pharmacological properties that may augment their analgesic activity. A total of eighteen plants (Erythrina senegalesis, Nauclea latifollia, Kizelia africana, Pseudocedrela kotchyi, Crotalaris spp., Boswellia dalzielli, Khaya senegalensis, Annona senegalensis, Xylopia aethiopica, Ficus thonn...
ABSTRACT Microsphere drug delivery systems are used to protect sensitive drugs from enzymatic degradation in the body, for controlled release and tissue targeting of the drug of interest. Starch and products derived from starch modification, are increasingly gaining acceptance in microsphere drug delivery. They are less expensive, non-toxic, readily available, bio-compatible and bio-degradable. The aim of the study was to formulate sustained release pantoprazole microspheres and enteric-coate...