ABSTRACT Background: Blood transfusion is a life-saving practice in medicine but serves as a major route for spreading infections. It is therefore necessary to adopt sensitive screening technologies to guarantee the safety of blood. In Ghana, most districts and regional blood bank laboratories are limited in resources and resort to the use of rapid kits; a method less sensitive and liable to errors compared to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay as the gold standard. This study seeks to determi...
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Exclusive breastfeeding has been known to contribute to child survival. Despite the high rates of exclusive breastfeeding on discharge from health facilities in the Asuogyaman District, nursing mothers often discontinue the practice at home and resort to inappropriate infant feeding practices. There has been no recent study on the factors influencing exclusive breastfeeding practices in the Asuogyaman District. The study sought to describe the exclusive breastfeeding prac...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Ghana is an emerging market with high demands on its health, especially to achieve universal health coverage while maintaining quality of care. Quality of care is a standard that is measurable from different perspectives, including the patients’ perspectives. The government is pushing for private public partnership in all areas of the economy including the health sector where the state owned health facilities are inadequate to mop up all the cases reporting for health...
ABSTRACT Modem Eye care in Ghana is making progress in prevention of blindness from cataract, onchocerciasis and trachoma, but stuck with glaucoma that remains the leading cause of permanent blindness in Ghana. This project addresses issues on the epidemiology of glaucoma by determining the magnitude of the burden of Primary Open Angle Glaucoma by a prevalence study in the Akwapim South district of Ghana. It looks at the factors related to advanced damaging effect on vision, socio-cultural an...
ABSTRACT The rising incidence o f early sexual activity among young people has become an issue o f great public health concern and is receiving attention worldwide. Many o f the youth are at risk o f unplanned pregnancy or sexually tran sm itted infection (STI) including HIV/AIDS and some may already be struggling with the consequences o f these risks. Studies conducted in Ejisu-Juabeng district have revealed the existence o f high level o f sexual activity among the youth. To minimize risks ...
ABSTRACT Background: Breast cancer (BC) continues to remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality among women globally. There seem to be an unchanging trend in the causes of death over the past few decades as more and more women report late with BC to the hospital. Unfortunately this includes women who have a family history of the disease. Objective: To determine the level of knowledge on Breast Cancer, assess attitudes and perceptions regarding early detection practices and reporting of t...
ABSTRACT. Introduction: The advent of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) has brought a lot of hope to many afflicted with HIV. With ARTs, HIV has moved from a stage of destructive illness to that of a chronic one. As a chronic illness, it requires a lifetime management on anti-retroviral therapy hence adherence to medications is therefore very important. This study therefore was intended to find out the adherence level to anti-retroviral medications among persons living with HIV/AIDS at the St. Ma...
ABSTRACT Background: Although every pregnant woman requires good maternal health care for including access to ANC services, pregnant adolescents tend to need more attention and care. This is because adolescents are still developing physiologically, thus immature to adequately carry pregnancy. It is therefore necessary for these pregnant adolescents to seek timely ANC services in order to prevent and manage fetal and maternal complications as well as equip them with health information on how t...
ABSTRACT In each year, more than 150 million women become pregnant in the world. According to WHO, 19 million of them ( more than 15% ) developed complications requiring skilled treatment. Maternal mortality in Adansi East district stands at 90 / 100,000 live births and about six out every ten deliveries occur at home. This study investigated the factors influencing women in the Adansi East to either at home or in health care facilities and reasons for their choice of place of delivery.�...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Obesity in adolescents has reached alarming levels and its prevalence is continuing to rise to the extent that WHO has labeled it as an epidemic. Obesity in adolescence is of importance because the adolescents are known to carry the obesity into adulthood and develop Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in their early years of adulthood. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors for obesity among adolescents in senior high schools in t...
ABSTRACT Background: HIV/AIDS is a threat to global development and human security, and Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region worst affected. It is estimated that 23.5 million people in this region are living with HIV, with youth accounting for 40% of new HIV infections. However, HIV Testing Counselling uptake among the youth is low. Aim: The objective of this study was to assess the factors influencing uptake of HIV testing and counselling among the youth aged 15-24 years in Kintampo South D...
ABSTRACT Introduction An increase in industrial activities without a corresponding increase in management infrastructure has significantly resulted in growing environmental and occupational health concerns. The absence of appropriate regulatory mechanisms and the requisite expertise in environmental and occupational health have mainly been responsible for most health challenges in Ghana. Objectives An investigation was therefore conducted to assess the financial, institutional and human resou...
ABSTRACT Background The concept of decentralisation has become a catch word not only within health sector reform strategies, but also in the overall policy and theoretical debates underpinning development. Community participation is a crucial ingredient for the development of responsive health-care systems both in high and low income countries. Objective(s) The study explored the administrative effects of decentralisation on the Medical sub-Budget Management Centre of the Korle Bu Teaching Ho...
ABSTRACT Introduction: According to the American Optometric Association, Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) which is also termed digital eyestrain is defined as a group of eye or vision-related problems arising from prolonged exposure to and use of digital devices such as desktop or laptop computers, tablets, smart phones, etc. Some symptoms include burning sensation on the eyes, pain in the eyes, low back pain, headaches, etc. Globally, nearly sixty million people are suffering from CVS and appr...
ABSTRACT Background: Self-medication with antibiotics is practiced all over the world. However in developing nations, this practice is much more prevalent. Antibiotics self-medication is a precursor to the misuse of antibiotics which leads eventually to antimicrobial resistance which is now a global problem. In developing counties about 38% of the proportion self-medicate with antibiotics. Antibiotic self-medication is widespread in Ghana and there are several factors that have been identifie...