A cross-sector approach to explore socio-ecological associations with treatment engagement behaviours in Northern Ghana.

Background: Cancer presents a growing global burden, not least in African countries such as Ghana where high cancer treatment dropouts has been identified due to numerous social, cultural and financial reasons. There is little understanding regarding patterns of treatment access behaviour, especially in Northern Ghana, which this study was designed to explore.

Methods: Through cross-sector collaboration, we extracted and clinically validated cancer patient records available in the Tamale Teaching Hospital.

Beliefs about antibiotics, perceptions of antimicrobial resistance, and antibiotic use: initial findings from a multi-country survey.

Objectives: To examine public beliefs about antibiotics, AMR, and knowledge of antibiotic use, and how these relate to self-reported antibiotic use.

Methods: Two hundred and fifty participants from 23 countries completed a cross-sectional, online survey assessing beliefs about antibiotics and AMR, knowledge of antibiotics, and antibiotic use. Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U tests and Spearman's ρ correlations were used to understand relationships between outcomes.

A critical review and analysis of the context, current burden, and application of policy to improve cancer equity in Ghana.

Background: Cancer causes a major disease burden worldwide. This is increasingly being realised in low and middle-income countries, which account disproportionately for preventable cancer deaths. Despite the World Health Organization calling for governments to develop policies to address this and alleviate cancer inequality, numerous challenges in executing effective cancer policies remain, which require consideration of the country-specific context.

Tackling antimicrobial resistance: developing and implementing antimicrobial stewardship interventions in four African commonwealth countries through a health partnership model.

In recent years, health partnerships have shared infection prevention and control innovations between United Kingdom hospitals and Low-Middle-Income Countries. However, none had focused on antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), a core component of tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This paper documents an effective approach to developing a program to increase AMS capacity in four African countries: Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia as part of the Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS) program.

Medical pluralism, healthcare utilization and patient wellbeing: The case of Akan cancer patients in Ghana.

Purpose: As cancers increase in Ghana and in many low-and middle-income countries, healthcare utilization has become critical for disease management and patients' wellbeing. There is evidence that medical pluralism is common among cancer patients in Ghana and many other African countries, which results in lack of adherence to and absconding from hospital treatments. The objective of this study was to examine ways in which beliefs in disease causation influence medical pluralism among Akan cancer patients in Ghana.

What influences cancer treatment service access in Ghana? A critical interpretive synthesis.

Objectives: Multiple social-cultural and contextual factors influence access to and acceptance of cancer treatment in Ghana. The aim of this research was to assess existing literature on how these factors interplay and could be susceptible to local and national policy changes.

Design: This study uses a critical interpretive synthesis approach to review qualitative and quantitative evidence about access to adult cancer treatment services in Ghana, applying the socioecological model and candidacy framework.

Development and Implementation of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Checklist in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Co-Creation Consensus Approach.

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) initiatives promote the responsible use of antimicrobials in healthcare settings as a key measure to curb the global threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Defining the core elements of AMS is essential for developing and evaluating comprehensive AMS programmes. This project used co-creation and Delphi consensus procedures to adapt and extend the existing published international AMS checklist.

Scoping Review of National Antimicrobial Stewardship Activities in Eight African Countries and Adaptable Recommendations.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health problem threatening safe, effective healthcare delivery in all countries and settings. The ability of microorganisms to become resistant to the effects of antimicrobials is an inevitable evolutionary process. The misuse and overuse of antimicrobial agents have increased the importance of a global focus on antimicrobial stewardship (AMS).

Pharmacist beliefs about antimicrobial resistance and impacts on antibiotic supply: a multinational survey.

Background: Pharmacists have important antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) roles yet limited literature exists on pharmacists' knowledge and beliefs about antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antimicrobials and how these beliefs influence antimicrobial supply in different countries.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was disseminated to pharmacists around the world via the Commonwealth Pharmacists' Association and related networks. Data were collected on demographics, antibiotic supply practices, and knowledge and beliefs about AMR.

Advancing health system strengthening through improving access to medicines: A review of local manufacturing policies in Ghana.

Providing access to quality-assured medicines is a fundamental component of strengthening health systems. Yet, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 13.6% of all medicines in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC's) may be substandard or falsified (SF) impeding patient outcomes, imposing financial burden, and contributing to antimicrobial resistance.

Improving Access to Antimicrobial Prescribing Guidelines in 4 African Countries: Development and Pilot Implementation of an App and Cross-Sectional Assessment of Attitudes and Behaviour Survey of Healthcare Workers and Patients.

Smartphone apps have proven to be an effective and acceptable resource for accessing information on antimicrobial prescribing. The purpose of the study is to highlight the development and implementation of a smartphone/mobile app (app) for antimicrobial prescribing guidelines (the Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship-CwPAMS App) in Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia and to evaluate patients' and healthcare providers' perspectives on the use of the App in one of the participating institutions. Two structured cross-sectional questionnaires containing Likert scale, multiple-choice, and open-ended questions were issued to patients and healthcare workers six months after the introduction of the app at one of the hospital sites.

Together we unite: the role of the Commonwealth in achieving universal health coverage through pharmaceutical care amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

The world currently faces unprecedented health challenges as COVID-19 poses a huge threat to health systems, economies and societies as we know it. The events of the current COVID-19 pandemic have further emphasised existing issues within our health systems. There is no better time than now to come together in global solidarity to tackle these evolving threats of COVID-19 pandemic.

Editorial: Medicines pricing, access and safety in Morocco.

Unregulated supply of medicines compromises quality assurance and risks patient safety. The emergence of illegal medicines trafficking in Morocco presents a major health threat, which highlights the need for region-wide alignment in policies to drive stringent regulatory enforcement and robust health systems that ensure population- wide access to safe medicines. Herein, we draw on insights from a situational analysis in Morocco, as a lower- middle income setting, to present access to medicines through regulated supply procedures as a vital prerequisite for quality assurance and patient safety.

Publisher Correction: A DHODH inhibitor increases p53 synthesis and enhances tumor cell killing by p53 degradation blockage.

The original PDF version of this Article listed the authors as "Marcus J.G.W.

Weaving the health and pharmaceutical care agenda through the themes of the commonwealth heads of government meeting (CHOGM), London 2018.

The biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) this year is based around four key themes: prosperity, fairness, sustainability and security. This is an opportune time to consider the role of pharmacists in healthcare delivery, and particularly their contribution to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As a member of the Commonwealth Health Professions Alliance (CHPA), the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association (CPA) has been working to ensure that pharmacy-related aspects of health are represented in the advocacy papers submitted by Civil Society.

A DHODH inhibitor increases p53 synthesis and enhances tumor cell killing by p53 degradation blockage.

The development of non-genotoxic therapies that activate wild-type p53 in tumors is of great interest since the discovery of p53 as a tumor suppressor. Here we report the identification of over 100 small-molecules activating p53 in cells. We elucidate the mechanism of action of a chiral tetrahydroindazole (HZ00), and through target deconvolution, we deduce that its active enantiomer (R)-HZ00, inhibits dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH).

Robust mitotic entry is ensured by a latching switch.

Cell cycle events are driven by Cyclin dependent kinases (CDKs) and by their counter-acting phosphatases. Activation of the Cdk1:Cyclin B complex during mitotic entry is controlled by the Wee1/Myt1 inhibitory kinases and by Cdc25 activatory phosphatase, which are themselves regulated by Cdk1:Cyclin B within two positive circuits. Impairing these two feedbacks with chemical inhibitors induces a transient entry into M phase referred to as mitotic collapse.