ABSTRACT Introduction: Prostate cancer is of increasing public health concern and often predisposed by some risk factors such as age, race, family history of cancer, and dietary. It is one of the leading causes of cancer death among men in Ghana. Men diagnosed with prostate cancer are affected sexually, psychologically, socially and in many forms. Objectives: The main objective of the study is to examine aggressive prostate cancer and associated factors among patients attending the oncology c...
ABSTRACT Background: The HIV/AIDS epidemic remains a public health concern in Africa particularly Sub-Saharan Africa. As at the end of 2017, among the 36.9 million people living with HIV world-wide, 1.8 million were under 15years of age. HIV infection prevention, particularly mother-to-child transmissions are key models of reducing the infection. The purpose of this study was to assess the implementation of the National Guidelines for PMTCT of HIV in selected districts in the Eastern Region ...
ABSTRACT Background: Arsenic (As), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) are toxic heavy metals that occur naturally in the environment. However, their levels are on the rise due to anthropogenic activities posing threat to aquatic wildlife and humans. Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess As, Hg and Pb concentrations in sediment, water and fishes from the Ankobra and Tano River in the Western Region of Ghana, where human activities; especially the artisanal gold mining have been suspected of g...
ABSTRACT Background: The use of biomass fuel for cooking leads to the production of air pollutants which could be deleterious to human health. Some studies have reported decreased pulmonary function and prevalence of certain respiratory symptoms among biomass fuel users. However, no study has been conducted to investigate the relationship between Ga-kenkey making, an activity heavily reliant on use of biomass fuel and respiratory health of Ga-kenkey makers. Objective: The primary objective ...
ABSTRACT Background Cervical cancer is a Public Health threat. The disease imposes economic burden on resources in the form of medical and non-medical expenditure and loss of productivity. Cervical cancer cases are expected to increase in 2030 by 1.5-fold in view of the rising world population. A woman who develops cervical cancer in sub-Saharan Africa has at least 79 percent chance of dying from this malignancy. Cervical cancer risk can be reduced by 80 percent through regular screening. Gen...
ABSTRACT In 2003, Ghana Health Service (GHS) introduced an appraisal system with the aim of improving performance of its employees and also link both individual and organizational performances to achieving critical health targets. Using performance indicators, this thesis assessed the perception of selected health workers on performance appraisal in GHS and its implications for organizational commitment and achievement of the three health related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Data were...
iv ABSTRACT Background: Globally, adolescent period is a critical developmental phase where many preventable health problems are acquired. However, studies have shown that parent adolescent sexual communication is protective against risky sexual behaviours. Nationally, parent adolescent communication on Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) rarely occurs. Furthermore, anecdotal evidence along the coastal towns/suburbs shows a high prevalence of risky sexual behaviours and its associated consequenc...
ABSTRACT Background Rabies remain a public health threat although can be eliminated by vaccinating dogs which are major reservoirs of the disease and through pre and post-exposure prophylaxis in humans. Rabies is a fatal viral encephalitis disease which is untreatable when clinical symptoms develop. It is a neglected and old infectious zoonotic disease with fatality rate of 100%, worldwide distributed but more endemic area being in developing countries of Asia and Africa. In Ghana from 2000 t...
ABSTRACT Introduction: HIV/AIDS remains one of the world’s most important Public Health issue according to WHO (2014). The Ghana AIDS Commission (2014) reports a linear downward trend of HIV since the year 2008. Several studies report different prevalence of sexual risk behavior among PLWHA, but very few studies have been conducted in Ghana. The primary mode of HIV transmission is through sexual contact, which accounts for a greater number of new HIV cases (Ghana AIDS Commission, 2013). Hen...
ABSTRACT Background: Youth sexuality is of paramount interest to many stakeholders, since potential negative consequences may occur. These include HIV/AIDS, other STIs, and unintended pregnancies. Studies elsewhere indicate that sexting increases risky sexual behaviour among the youth. In Ghana however, there is no empirical evidence about sexting behaviours among the youth and the extent to which sexting influences risky sexual behaviours. This study, sought to examine the influence of sexti...
ABSTRACT Purpose: In Ghana the available statistics on unsafe abortions could only be gathered from the hospitals and the clinics especially in the major cities, leaving out the numerous cases of self –induced abortions in the rural communities where the women privately indulged in induced abortion without it being recorded in any hospital records. The purpose of this study was to investigate methods of self –induced abortion, one of the causes of maternal mortality in Ghana. This study s...
ABSTRACT Background Malaria in pregnancy is a public health problem especially in sub-Saharan Africa. “Intermittent Preventive Treatment in pregnancy using Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine” (IPTp-SP) is one of the proven interventions for preventing malaria in pregnancy. The WHO policy on IPTp-SP recommends a universal coverage of four or more doses per pregnancy. However, in 2014, only 17% of eligible pregnant women received three or more doses of IPTp-SP in the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana. Mal...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Cancer of the cervix is said to be the commonest cancer second to breast cancer worldwide yet it causes the highest cancer deaths occurring among women. Cervical cancer prevalence rate remains very high in most developing countries including Ghana despite the introduction of its prevention as well as treatment options. The study therefore sought to assess the knowledge and awareness of cervical cancer and cervical cancer screening among these women in the Asante ...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Infertility is the inability of a couple to conceive after one year of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. In the Ghanaian society women bear the brunt for a couple’s inability to have children. Studies put male factors and female factors on the same level of causation. There seem to be little knowledge about male infertility in our communities. This study sought to assess knowledge about male infertility, identify some of the factors associated with knowledge abo...
ABSTRACT Background World Health Organisation Global malaria programme recommends three primary interventions that must be scaled up in countries to effectively respond to malaria control and management towards achieving the millennium development goals for malaria by 2015 and one of these is Indoor Residual Spraying. The Indoor Residual Spraying programme was started in the Obuasi Municipality in 2006 by the AngloGold Ashanti Mining Company as a measure to reduce the expenditure in...