SMS reminders for monitoring tuberculosis treatment among women in Greater Accra region, Ghana.

Tuberculosis (TB) disease has been of public health interest for decades. Its effect on women is more pronounced in their reproductive years. Nonadherence to treatment among people with TB undermines treatment outcomes and worsens the disease.

Associated factors of diet quality among people living with HIV/AIDS in Ghana.

Introduction: Nutrition is a very important element of a comprehensive care for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV), especially in resource-constrained settings where malnutrition and food insecurity are common. Dietary diversity is a useful indication of nutritional adequacy (diet quality) in people of all ages. An optimally diverse diet strengthens the body's immune system.

Modeling clinical and non-clinical determinants of intrapartum stillbirths in singletons in six public hospitals in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana: a case-control study.

The Greater Accra Region (GAR) of Ghana records 2000 stillbirths annually and 40% of them occur intrapartum. An understanding of the contributing factors will facilitate the development of preventive strategies to reduce the huge numbers of intrapartum stillbirths. This study identified determinants of intrapartum stillbirths in GAR.

Pregnant adolescents' lived experiences and coping strategies in peri-urban district in Southern Ghana.

Background: Adolescence, a transition period from childhood to adulthood forms the foundation of health in later life. The adolescence period which should have been characterised by good health is often marred with life-threatening and irreparable consequences of public health concern. Teen pregnancy is problematic because it could jeopardise adolescents' safe transition to adulthood which does not only affect adolescents, but also their families, babies and society.

A qualitative assessment of the health systems factors influencing the prevention of malaria in pregnancy using intermittent preventive treatment and insecticide-treated nets in Ghana.

Background: Ghana has adopted and implemented intermittent preventive treatment using sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) and insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) in an antenatal care (ANC) context to prevent malaria among pregnant women. However, the increased ANC attendance and its frequency facilitated by a free maternal health care policy in Ghana does not correspond with the uptake of IPTp-SP and ITN use among pregnant women. This study sought to elucidate the contextual health system factors influencing the delivery of IPTp-SP and ITN from a related quantitative study conducted in Ghana.

Ways of coping among women with infertility undergoing assisted reproductive technologies in Ghana.

Introduction: infertility remains a public health challenge, especially among women in low- and middle-income countries. Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) provide effective remedies to infertility problems. Despite the use of these technologies in many countries, not much empirical studies have examined the coping strategies infertile women accessing ART adopt.

Fear of infertility limits contraceptive usage among first-time mothers in Ghana: A cross-sectional study.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine postpartum modern contraceptive use among first-time young mothers attending child welfare clinics in the Eastern Region of Ghana and explore factors that influence family planning uptake after the first delivery, including fear of infertility.

Methods: This facility-based, cross-sectional study used interviewer-administered structured questionnaires. The study recruited 422 first-time young mothers aged 15-24 years, with 6- to 18-month-old babies attending child welfare clinics.

Beliefs about children and the psychosocial implications of infertility on individuals seeking assisted fertilization in Ghana.

Infertility presents challenges to individuals and couples, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to document beliefs about childbearing/children and the psychosocial implications of infertility in individuals seeking assisted fertilization in the Ghanaian context. The study had an exploratory descriptive qualitative design.

Challenges experienced by clients undergoing assisted reproductive technology in Ghana: An exploratory descriptive study.

Objective: To explore the experiences of clients accessing assisted reproductive technology (ART) services in selected health facilities in Greater Accra, Ghana.

Methods: An exploratory, descriptive, qualitative design using a purposive sampling technique was employed. Overall, 12 women and six men participated in the study.

Barriers and facilitators to the implementation of a community-based hypertension improvement project in Ghana: a qualitative study of ComHIP.

Background: Globally, hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease and mortality, with the majority of deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Because the burden of hypertension is increasing in low resource settings with restricted infrastructure, it is imperative that new models for hypertension care are realised. One such model is the Community-based Hypertension Improvement Project (ComHIP) which employs a community-based method of task-shifting for managing hypertension.

Womens' experiences of living with obstetric fistula in Ghana-time for the establishment of a fistula centre of excellence.

Objective: To explore the experiences of women living with Obstetric Fistula in Ghana.

Design: A descriptive qualitative design involving face-to-face semi-structured interviews following institutional ethical approval.

Setting: Urban and rural setting in the Mfantseman Municipal Area (MMA) in the Central Region (CR) of Ghana PARTICIPANTS: A purposive sample of thirty- two women who had experienced obstetric fistula (OBF) FINDINGS: Three core themes emerged and these were i) Women's perceptions of OBF, ii) Experiences of women living with OBF iii) Coping strategies of women living with OBF CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: There is a need for a multi-agency coordinated approach to the treatment and management of OBF in Ghana.

Health system challenges to hypertension and related non-communicable diseases prevention and treatment: perspectives from Ghanaian stakeholders.

Background: Hypertension, itself a cardiovascular condition, is a significant risk factor for other cardiovascular diseases. Hypertension is recognized as a major public health challenge in Ghana. Beginning in 2014, a collaborative team launched the community-based hypertension improvement program (ComHIP) in one health district in Ghana.

"No visible signs of pregnancy, no sickness, no antenatal care": Initiation of antenatal care in a rural district in Northern Ghana.

Background: Attending antenatal care (ANC) early contribute to better birth outcomes. Studies have shown that many pregnant women in Sub-Saharan Africa do not initiate ANC early (i.e.

Factors That Influence Enrolment and Retention in Ghana' National Health Insurance Scheme.

Background: The government of Ghana introduced the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2004 with the goal of achieving universal coverage within 5 years. Evidence, however, shows that expanding NHIS coverage and especially retaining members have remained a challenge. A multilevel perspective was employed as a conceptual framework and methodological tool to examine why enrolment and retention in the NHIS remains low.

An Exploration of Edible Palm Weevil Larvae (Akokono) as a Source of Nutrition and Livelihood: Perspectives From Ghanaian Stakeholders.

Background: Meeting the nutritive needs of infants and young children is a challenge in Ghana. Alternative animal source foods, including insects, could enhance infant and young child dietary quality while also improving livelihoods.

Objective: To investigate the perspectives of Ghanaian stakeholders on the acceptability of the palm weevil larvae ( akokono) as a food source and the feasibility of micro-farming this local edible insect as a complementary food for infants and young children.

Why are the poor less covered in Ghana's national health insurance? A critical analysis of policy and practice.

Background: The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was introduced in Ghana to ensure equity in healthcare access. Presently, some low and middle income countries including Ghana are using social health insurance schemes to reduce inequity in access to healthcare. In Ghana, the NHIS was introduced to address the problem of inequity in healthcare access in a period that was characterised by user-fee regimes.

Community concepts of poverty: an application to premium exemptions in Ghana's National Health Insurance Scheme.

Background: Poverty is multi dimensional. Beyond the quantitative and tangible issues related to inadequate income it also has equally important social, more intangible and difficult if not impossible to quantify dimensions. In 2009, we explored these social and relativist dimension of poverty in five communities in the South of Ghana with differing socio economic characteristics to inform the development and implementation of policies and programs to identify and target the poor for premium exemptions under Ghana's National Health Insurance Scheme.