ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the strategic management practice for malaria control in the Dangme West district. Methods: Strategic management (SM) practice was assessed in all HCFs both in the public and private and some chemical shops within the Dangme West district using semistructured questionnaires and question guides. In-depth interviews were carried out with healthcare providers in their clinical setting. The status of key malaria control indicators was assessed by interviewing 385 hea...
ABSTRACT Adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health is a top priority of policy makers around the world. However, risks associated with their sexual behaviour continue to increase. Adolescents engage in sexual intercourse before finishing high school. In the era of HIV/AIDs and other STIs, it is found that either not using condom or having had multiple sexual partners is a significant problem among adolescents. Adolescents are increasingly learning about sexual issues from their peers but ...
ABSTRACT Underpinned by the Synthesis Theory of Implementation and Malhora et al. Multidimensional Empowerment Framework, this study sought to examine the prospects, successes and implementation challenges of women’s economic empowerment programmes and policies (LEAP and MASLOC) in the Chereponi District of Ghana. A qualitative research approach adopting a case study design was employed to carry out this research work. Fifty respondents were sampled from both MASLOC and LEAP programmes in t...
ABSTRACT Leprosy is a special public health problem because of its potential for social consequences and permanent disabilities. The multidrug therapy has been efficacious in the treatment of leprosy, including prevention of disability when initiated early. However, adherence rates to the MDT have been below expectations in Nigeria. The objective of this study was to determine the factors influencing MDT adherence in Qua Iboe Church leprosy Hospital, Southern Nigeria. This was a cross section...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Adolescent obesity and hypertension have reached alarming levels and their prevalence continues to rise to the extent that WHO has labeled them as epidemics. Adolescent obesity and hypertension are of importance because adolescents carry these diseases into adulthood and are likely to develop non-communicable diseases in their early years of adulthood. Despite this challenge, the burden of obesity among adolescents and its relationship with hypertension among adolescent...
ABSTRACT Background: Exposure to Household Air Pollution (HAP), produced from the use of the biomass fuel for cooking possesses a lot of health problems to its users. The most commonly used biomass fuel includes but not limited to; wood, straws, crop residues and animal dung. With over fifty percent of the world’s population relying on biomass fuel to generate energy for household purposes, mostly those in the developing countries, there is the need to study the health effect of the gases (...
ABSTRACT Background: Uptake of skilled delivery is identified to be the best pointer of advancement concerning decreasing maternal mortality globally. Also 50% or more pregnant women deliver yearly without a skilled birth attendant worldwide .Maternal mortality Ratio (MMR) in Ghana is currently 319 per 100,000 live births. Majority of the women in the Ada-Foah sub-district do not utilize skilled delivery services according to the District Health Information Management System figures. Mater...
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Food is susceptible to contamination taking the food chain into consideration. In Ghana, food products are mostly purchased in an open market where people can display their bargaining skills therefore meat and other animal products are hardly bought from well designed and state-of-the-art outlet. Meat is improperly handled and is exposed to all forms of hazards which may pose health threat to the consumer. Food safety practices is of great concern to public health. OBJECT...
ABSTRACT Background: Noncompliance to antihypertensive medication is a big public health problem to the management of high blood pressure and predisposes majority of the hypertension patients to cardiovascular complications. According to World Health Organization (WHO) report, the problem of uncontrolled blood pressure, which is estimated to be 52-74% of patients, is largely because of poor compliance to prescribed antihypertensive medication. The purpose of this study was to determine the...
ABSTRACT Background: Hawkers constitute mobile population who are at increasing risk of being infected with malaria. They move around the city to carry out their duties. Most of them have no accommodation. They sleep wherever they find themselves in the evening and do not benefit from most of the malaria intervention programs such as the use of long lasting insecticide net. Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine factors associated with malaria infection among hawkers in the ...
ABSTRACT Background: The opening of a Bone Marrow Transplant centre at the Greater Accra Regional hospital, the first centre in Ghana, provides an opportunity for caregivers to access the option of Bone Marrow Transplant as a cure to sickle cell disease. Since it is a new service, it is important to estimate how much caregivers are willing to pay for it. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine caregivers’ willingness to pay for Bone Marrow Transplant as a cure to Sickle Cell...
ABSTRACT Background: Growth Monitoring and Promotion (GMP) is a preventive programme that targets the reduction of malnutrition in children in the early periods of their lives. GMP targets the caregiver and family decisions for positive child growth outcomes and has a great potential to contribute to improving child survival if well implemented. For a GMP programme to achieve its intended objective, the following conditions need to be met; proper implementation of GMP activities by skilled he...
ABSTRACT Introduction: In the past two decades, maternal mortality ratio in Ghana has been on the decline but rather at a slow pace. Patronage of skilled birth assistance is still met with skepticism and this brings about gaps in maternity care. Pregnant women still seek care from the informal health sector while evidence suggests that some pregnant women changed their regular antenatal care provider during ANC and delivery. However, factors that influence continuity of care and the reasons ...
ABSTRACT Id: Men's involvement in maternal health is highly recommended as one of the 15 to improve maternal and newborn health. However, there have been challenges in is objective. The aim of this study is therefore to identify the factors affecting men's It in maternal health at the Kpone-Katamanso district so as to inform policy makers on interventions to actively involve men in maternal healthcare. rhe stud y design was a cross sectional survey. S imp Ie random samp ling techniques was l...
ABSTRACT Background: Buruli ulcer (BU) is commonly found in waterlogged areas, and its prevalence is high among farmers, especially rice farmers, illegal miners (galamsey) and children who engage in fishing activities (Huygen et al., 2013). Public health interventions for all diseases including Buruli ulcer, seek to persuade cases to report to the health facility early, as this will potentially reduce the cost of treatment and prevent disabilities. Unfortunately, most BU affected individuals...