Economic burden and coping mechanisms by tuberculosis treatment supporters: a mixed method approach from Bono Region, Ghana.

Background: The Directly Observed Therapy Short Course (DOTS) strategy recommended by World Health Organization for tuberculosis control requires multiple clinic visits which may place economic burden on treatment supporters especially those with low socio-economic status. The End tuberculosis goal targeted eliminating all tuberculosis associated costs. However, the economic burden and coping mechanisms by treatment supporters is unknown in Ghana.

Determinants of tuberculosis treatment support costs to the treatment supporters in rural Ghana.

Background: The Ghana Health Service has been implementing the Directly Observed Therapy Short Course (DOTS) strategy for decades now, to cure and reduce the transmission of tuberculosis. DOTS strategy requires TB patients and their treatment supporters to make multiple clinic visits in the course of treatment, and this may place financial burden on treatment supporters with low socio-economic status. However, the determinants of tuberculosis treatment support costs to treatment supporters are unknown in Ghana.

Power sources among district health managers in Ghana: a qualitative study.

Background: In Ghana district directors of health services and district hospital medical superintendents provide leadership and management within district health systems. A healthy relationship among these managers is dependent on the clarity of formal and informal rules governing their routine duties. These rules translate into the power structures within which district health managers operate.

Facilitators and Barriers to Health Seeking among People Who Use Drugs in the Sunyani Municipality of Ghana: An Exploratory Study.

Drug use is one of the global public health issues, and its accompanying disorders have consequences on people's mental, physical, and environmental health. Nevertheless, the majority of people who use drugs have never been treated for drug dependence and other health conditions whilst others discontinue their treatment for drug use disorder. Using the health belief model, the study aimed at exploring facilitators and barriers to health-seeking among people who use drugs in the Sunyani Municipality of Ghana.

Rural healthcare providers coping with clinical care delivery challenges: lessons from three health centres in Ghana.

Background: Rural settings in low- and middle-income countries are bedeviled with poverty and high disease burden, and lack adequate resources to deliver quality healthcare to the population. Drug shortage and inadequate number and skill-mix of healthcare providers is very common in rural health facilities. Hence, rural healthcare providers have no choice but to be innovative and introduce some strategies to cope with health delivery challenges at the health centre levels.

Maternal birth preparedness and complication readiness in the Greater Accra region of Ghana: a cross-sectional study of two urban health facilities.

Background: High maternal mortality ratios remain a critical public health concern in Ghana. Birth preparedness and complication readiness (BP/CR), which is a component of focused antenatal care, is a safe motherhood strategy intended to promote skilled birth attendance by helping women and their families plan for pregnancy and childbirth, thereby reducing maternal mortality. The objective of this study was to determine the level of BP/CR and to assess factors associated with maternal BP/CR in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.

Access to a quality healthcare among prisoners - perspectives of health providers of a prison infirmary, Ghana.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of health system factors on access to a quality healthcare among prisoners in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach: Data were gathered using different qualitative methods (interviews and participant observation) with staff of the James Camp Prison, Accra. Findings were analyzed using a framework method for the thematic analysis of the semi-structured interview data; and interpreted with the theoretical perspective of health systems thinking and innovation.

Modern contraceptive use among reproductive-aged women in Ghana: prevalence, predictors, and policy implications.

Background: Modern contraceptive use remains an important public health intervention and a cost-effective strategy to reduce maternal mortality, avert unintended pregnancies and to control population explosion, especially in developing countries. Despite these benefits, there are reports of low usage among reproductive-aged women in most developing countries. This study examined the prevalence and predictors of use of modern contraceptive among reproductive-aged women in an urban center with a high density population in Ghana.

Relationship marketing strategy.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how strategies are put in place to formulate policies regarding the introduction and implementation of relationship marketing (RM) in the health sector, and how RM strategies are designed as part of the curricula for the training of prospective health professionals in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered using interviews and documentary review. A purposive sampling technique was used to recruit policy makers and health educationists in Accra for in-depth interviews.

The role of government and community in the scaling up and sustainability of mutual health organisations: An exploratory study in Ghana.

Governments of many developing countries, including those in Sub-Saharan Africa have embraced the community-based health insurance schemes phenomenon under the health sector reforms with optimism. Ghana has introduced a National Health Insurance Scheme, which is amalgamated with social health insurance and community-based health insurance schemes. The aim of this study was to explore the role of the Ghana government and community in the scaling-up and sustainability of mutual health organisations.

"When I am with my husband, I do not feel mosquito bite".

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how socio-cultural beliefs and practices could influence the knowledge, attitude and perception of insecticide-treated net (ITN) use in the control of malaria amongst pregnant women attending antenatal clinic. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered using interviews and documentary review. Framework analysis was applied to classify emerging themes and the findings interpreted using the health belief model.

Health providers' perception of quality of care for neonates in health facilities in a municipality in Southern Ghana.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess available human resources for neonatal care and their skills, in order to explore health providers' perceptions of quality of neonatal care in health facilities in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered using qualitative interviews with health providers working in the maternity and paediatric wards and midwives; direct observation; and documentary review at a regional hospital, a municipal hospital and four health centres in a municipality in a region in Southern Ghana. Data were analysed using thematic framework through the process of coding in six phases to create and establish meaningful patterns.

The contribution of community leadership upon the performance of mutual health organisations in Ghana.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of social dynamics on the performance of mutual health organisations (MHOs) exploring the influence of community wealth and community leadership on policy implementation.

Design/methodology/approach: Four operating district mutual health insurance schemes were selected using geographical locations, among other criteria, as case studies. Data were gathered through interviews and documentary review.

The challenges to performance and sustaining mutual health organisations/health institutions: an exploratory study in Ghana.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore challenges to the performance and sustainability of mutual health organisations (MHOs) and health institutions towards enhancing access to quality health care (HC) in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach: Data were gathered through interviews and documentary review.

Findings: Problems with late release of reimbursement funds for discharging with claims by the central government has impacted heavily on the financial and strategic management and decision-making processes of the MHOs and health institutions.