Availability of published evidence on coverage, cost components, and funding support for digitalisation of infectious disease surveillance in Africa, 2003-2022: a systematic review.

Background: The implementation of digital disease surveillance systems at national levels in Africa have been challenged by many factors. These include user applicability, utility of IT features but also stable financial support. Funding closely intertwines with implementations in terms of geographical reach, disease focus, and sustainability.

Facilitators and Barriers in the Implementation of a Digital Surveillance and Outbreak Response System in Ghana Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Qualitative Analysis of Stakeholder Interviews.

Background: In the past 2 decades, many countries have recognized the use of electronic systems for disease surveillance and outbreak response as an important strategy for disease control and prevention. In low- and middle-income countries, the adoption of these electronic systems remains a priority and has attracted the support of global health players. However, the successful implementation and institutionalization of electronic systems in low- and middle-income countries have been challenged by the local capacity to absorb technologies, decisiveness and strength of leadership, implementation costs, workforce attitudes toward innovation, and organizational factors.

Formal support services and (dis)empowerment of domestic violence victims: perspectives from women survivors in Ghana.

Background: As part of efforts to prevent violence against women, several countries have institutionalized formal support services including legislations to prevent, protect victims, and deter perpetrators of domestic violence (DV). Prior research on formal support service utilization shows that DV survivors do not get the necessary services they deserve. However, much remains to be known about the experiences of women survivors of DV who accessed a range of formal support services and how their experiences (dis)empowered them.

Post introduction evaluation of the malaria vaccine implementation programme in Ghana, 2021.

Background: Malaria remains a public health challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa with the region contributing to more than 90% of global cases in 2020. In Ghana, the malaria vaccine was piloted to assess the feasibility, safety, and its impact in the context of routine use alongside the existing recommended malaria control measures. To obtain context-specific evidence that could inform future strategies of introducing new vaccines, a standardized post-introduction evaluation (PIE) of the successes and challenges of the malaria vaccine implementation programme (MVIP) was conducted.

A Novel Tool for Real-time Estimation of Epidemiological Parameters of Communicable Diseases Using Contact-Tracing Data: Development and Deployment.

Background: The Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System (SORMAS) contains a management module to support countries in their epidemic response. It consists of the documentation, linkage, and follow-up of cases, contacts, and events. To allow SORMAS users to visualize data, compute essential surveillance indicators, and estimate epidemiological parameters from such network data in real-time, we developed the SORMAS Statistics (SORMAS-Stats) application.

Seeking healthcare at their 'right' time; the iterative decision process for women with breast cancer.

Background: About 85% of breast cancer patients attending Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Ghana, present with stage III/IV disease. In spite of great investments into the early diagnosis and management of breast cancer, late presentation persists and poses a barrier to realising the possible benefits of the gains made in breast cancer management. This study assessed the symptom appraisal and medical health seeking behaviour of women with either locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer attending breast clinic at KATH.

Influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 outbreak of unknown source in a Ghanaian senior high school.

Background: Influenza is an acute viral respiratory tract infection caused by influenza virus and transmitted from person to person. Though usually seasonal in temperate climates, influenza occurs throughout the year in the tropics with outbreaks occurring at irregular intervals. On February 6, 2018, a number of students from a Senior High School (SHS) in Accra reported to a district hospital with cough, fever and other respiratory symptoms.

Antimicrobial resistance and molecular detection of extended spectrum β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli isolates from raw meat in Greater Accra region, Ghana.

Background: Typically, raw meat can be contaminated with antibiotic resistant pathogens at unhygienic slaughter and sale points. Consumption of meat contaminated with antibiotic resistant E. coli is associated with grave health care consequences.

Psychological working conditions and predictors of occupational stress among nurses, Salaga Government Hospital, Ghana, 2016.

Introduction: Occupational stress is a recognized health problem among nurses. Globally, its prevalence varies between 9.2% and 68.

Outbreak of scabies among preschool children, Accra, Ghana, 2017.

Background: Scabies occurs worldwide with a prevalence between 0.3 and 46.0%.

Evaluation of bacterial meningitis surveillance data of the northern region, Ghana, 2010-2015.

Introduction: Bacterial meningitis is a disease of major public health importance especially for countries such as Ghana; whose northern part lies within the meningitis belt. The Northern region of Ghana has been recording cases with outbreaks over the years. In order to generate evidence to improve surveillance, we described the epidemiology of bacterial meningitis using surveillance data of the northern region.

Evaluation of the enhanced meningitis surveillance system, Yendi municipality, northern Ghana, 2010-2015.

Background: Meningitis is the inflammation of the meninges of the brain and or spinal cord. Global mortality rates vary from 2% to 30%. Epidemic meningitis remains a public health concern along the meningitis belt of Africa.