Community health worker knowledge and perceptions of neonatal jaundice in Kumasi, Ghana.

Background: This study sought to understand community health workers' (CHW) knowledge and perceptions of community beliefs surrounding neonatal jaundice (NNJ), a treatable but potentially fatal condition prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods: In this cross-sectional qualitative study, CHWs in Kumasi, Ghana, completed in-depth interviews with trained research assistants using a semi-structured interview guide. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using grounded theory methodology.

Analysis of the UDP-Glucosyltransferase () Gene Family and Its Functional Involvement in Drought and Salt Stress Tolerance in .

Uridine diphosphate glycosyltransferases (UDP-GTs, UGTs), which are regulated by genes, play a crucial role in glycosylation. In vivo, the activity of genes can affect the availability of metabolites and the rate at which they can be eliminated from the body. genes can exert their regulatory effects through mechanisms such as post-transcriptional modification, substrate subtype specificity, and drug interactions.

Could Less Be More? Accounting for Fractional-Dose Regimens and Different Number of Vaccine Doses When Measuring the Impact of the RTS,S/AS01E Malaria Vaccine.

Background: The RTS,S/AS01E (RTS,S) malaria vaccine is recommended for children in malaria endemic areas. This phase 2b trial evaluates RTS,S fractional- and full-dose regimens in Ghana and Kenya.

Methods: In total, 1500 children aged 5-17 months were randomized (1:1:1:1:1) to receive RTS,S or rabies control vaccine.

Adequacy of haemodialysis and associated factors among patients with end-stage kidney disease in Tanzania.

Objectives: Adequate haemodialysis helps maintain normal renal function by removing toxins and other waste products in patients with end-stage kidney disease. This study was aimed at determining the prevalence and predictors of adequacy of haemodialysis and outcomes in patients with end-stage kidney disease.

Methods: This longitudinal analytical hospital-based study was conducted at two dialysis centres in Dodoma city, Tanzania, between February and July of 2020.

A Qualitative Study on Barriers to COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake among Community Members in Tanzania.

The use of vaccines is one of the key tools in reversing the COVID-19 pandemic; however, various reports reported the low uptake of the vaccines. This study explored the barriers to the COVID-19 vaccine uptake among community members in Tanzania. A qualitative explorative study was conducted in December 2021 and April 2022 in eight regions of Tanzania.

Impact of an Online Program of Bubble Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Education in a Resource-Constrained Setting.

Background: Respiratory distress is a leading cause of preterm infant mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Bubble continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is emerging as a potentially safe, cost-effective way of delivering noninvasive respiratory support in low-income and middle-income countries. However, without healthcare providers who are knowledgeable and skilled in the use of this technology, suboptimal neonatal care and related health disparities are likely to persist.

Confidence in COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness and safety and its effect on vaccine uptake in Tanzania: A community-based cross-sectional study.

COVID-19 is a major public health threat associated with increased disease burden, mortality, and economic loss to countries and communities. Safe and efficacious COVID-19 vaccines are key in halting and reversing the pandemic. Low confidence in vaccines has been one of the factors leading to hesitancy.

COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake and Associated Factors in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from a Community-Based Survey in Tanzania.

COVID-19 is a major public health threat associated with the increased global burden of infectious diseases, mortality, and enormous economic loss to countries and communities. Safe and efficacious COVID-19 vaccines are crucial in halting the pandemic. We assessed the COVID-19 vaccine uptake and associated factors among community members from eight regions in Tanzania.

Provider Perceptions on Bereavement Following Newborn Death: A Qualitative Study from Ethiopia and Ghana.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore how clinicians in low- and middle-income countries engage and support parents following newborn death.

Study Design: Qualitative interviews of 40 neonatal clinicians with diverse training were conducted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Kumasi, Ghana. Transcribed interviews were analyzed and coded through the constant comparative method.

Viability of an urban maternity waiting home in Kumasi, Ghana: A qualitative needs assessment.

Background: Maternity waiting homes, usually located in rural, low-resource settings, may increase access to skilled care during delivery and ultimately improve maternal-newborn outcomes. Although there are studies exploring maternity waiting homes in rural settings, little is known about interest in and viability of maternity waiting home use in urban environments.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to conduct a qualitative needs assessment about establishing a maternity waiting home as a health system strengthening intervention in urban Kumasi, Ghana.

Perspectives on Resuscitation Decisions at the Margin of Viability among Specialist Newborn Care Providers in Ghana and Ethiopia: A Qualitative Analysis.

Background: In high income countries, guidelines exist recommending gestational age thresholds for offering and obligating neonatal resuscitation for extremely preterm infants. In low- and middle- income countries, this approach may be impractical due to limited/inconsistent resource availability and challenges in gestational dating. Scant literature exists on how clinicians in these settings conceptualize viability or make resuscitation decisions for premature infants.

Phenotypic profile and antibiogram of biofilm-producing bacteria isolates from diabetic foot ulcers in Zaria, Nigeria.

Background: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) present with high morbidity and reduce patient's quality of life. There is a gross paucity of data on biofilm-producing bacteria in DFU Infection in North-Western Nigeria. The study sought to determine the biofilm-forming ability of bacteria isolates from DFUs and determine their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern in Zaria, North-Western Nigeria.

Clinical and biochemical correlates of hypogonadism in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Introduction: there is an association between hypogonadism and obesity, chronic hyperglycaemia, and ageing in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). T2DM is known to be associated with low testosterone. There is a paucity of data on the risk factors of hypogonadism in Nigerian men with T2DM.

Provider perspectives on in Ghana.

Neonatal mortality is one of the leading causes of under-five mortality globally, with the majority of these deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. In Ghana, there is a belief in an array of newborn conditions, called Asram, that are thought to have a spiritual, rather than physical, cause. These conditions are predominantly managed by traditional healers as they are considered unable to be treated by allopathic medical providers.

Stigma Associated With Sickle Cell Disease in Kumasi, Ghana.

Introduction: People with sickle cell disease (SCD) often face stigmatization in Ghana and elsewhere in Africa. Research is needed to understand whether it is necessary to design an SCD stigma reduction program in the Ghanaian setting. The aim of this study was to explore the perception of stigmatization for adults with SCD in Kumasi, Ghana.

Self-reported medicinal plant use by Ghanaian women during pregnancy is associated with poor neonatal health.

Background: More than a third of pregnant women in Africa use medicinal plants (hereafter, 'herbs') during pregnancy, yet little is known about herb use among urban African women, or about the potential impact on newborns.

Methods: This cross-sectional study of 504 women giving birth at an urban government hospital in Kumasi, Ghana (May-July 2018) collected data via chart reviews and maternal interviews. Data were analyzed using conditional logistic regression.

The Call for Global Health Research Mentorship for Doctorally Prepared Nurses in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Limited research about nursing mentorship in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is holding science back. This article describes the strengths and challenges associated with global health research mentorship for doctorally prepared nurses whose scholarship focuses on LMICs. Using reflexive narrative accounts from current and former nurse mentors and nurse mentees who participated in a NIH-funded global health doctoral research program, emerging themes revealed the perspectives of mentors and mentees, producing a global health mentoring model for nursing research mentorship relevant to LMICs.

Feasibility of establishing a network of community health workers to support care of people with sickle cell disease in Kumasi, Ghana.

Globally, sickle cell disease (SCD) is a common, yet often neglected, non-communicable disease. Community health worker (CHW) interventions have been shown to improve outcomes for chronic diseases but have not been evaluated with SCD. This study assessed the interest in and feasibility of establishing a network of CHWs to support care of people with SCD in Kumasi, Ghana.

Caregiver Perception of Sickle Cell Disease Stigma in Ghana: An Ecological Approach.

Introduction: Sickle cell disease (SCD) stigma is a major community health issue. The challenges of caring for someone with SCD can be overwhelming. We explored stigma and related factors for caregivers of pediatric patients with SCD in Kumasi, Ghana.

' is really killing us here': attribution for pregnancy losses and newborn mortality in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.

While overall neonatal mortality rates are improving in Ghana, the Ashanti Region has the highest mortality rate in the country. The clinical causes of newborn deaths are well known, yet local beliefs about illness aetiology, cause of death and care-seeking are less well understood. This exploratory qualitative study sought to understand how community members perceive and respond to neonatal illness.

Prevalence of Pre-Diabetes, Diabetes and Associated Cardiovascular Risk Amongst Healthcare Workers in Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria using Glycated Haemoglobin.

Background: There is a global rise in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and pre-diabetes is a fore-runner to type-2 diabetes. Pre-diabetes is reversible, therefore, measures should be taken to halt or slow down its progression to frank diabetes.

Aim: The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of pre-diabetes and diabetes amongst staff of ABUTH, Zaria and identify some cardiovascular risks associated with them.

Distribution of hepatitis B virus-positive individuals in Zaria, Nigeria, according to risk-associated practices.

Background: An estimated 75% of Nigerians are at risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV) exposure. In an attempt to reduce the menace, the assessment of risk factors associated with HBV infection and general perception of infected individuals is a step in that direction.

Aim Of The Study: This study, therefore, identified exposure to risk factors and general perceptions associated with HBV infection in infected individuals in Zaria, Nigeria.