Prevalence of Congenital Heart Disease in Children and Adolescents Under 18 in Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: There are limited population-based studies on congenital heart disease (CHD) in the pediatric population in Africa. Technological advancements in diagnostic tools have resulted in multiple echocardiographic studies in hospital settings. We aimed to determine the prevalence of CHD in both settings (population-based and hospital based) followed by comparing the two estimates for a difference.

Effect of gamma irradiation on proliferation and growth of friable embryogenic callus and nodal cuttings of ugandan cassava genotypes.

Cassava () production and productivity in Africa is affected by two viral diseases; cassava mosaic disease (CMD) and cassava brown streak disease (CBSD). Induced mutagenesis of totipotent/embryogenic tissues or plant material can lead to the generation of CMD and/or CBSD tolerant mutants. To massively produce non-chimeric plants timely and with less labor, totipotent cells or tissues are a pre-requisite.

Reproductive experiences and factors influencing contraceptive use among female head-porters in Ghana: A cross-sectional study.

Background And Aims: Female head-porters are a cohort of women who have migrated from their rural communities into commercial cities in search of better economic opportunities. These young women are vulnerable to untoward reproductive experiences. The study assesses the reproductive experiences of women and the factors influencing contraceptive use among them.

A Report of Rosai-Dorfman Disease in an Adolescent.

Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is a rare disease of unknown cause. It is a benign self-limiting condition characterized by the accumulation of activated histiocytes in the sinusoids of lymph nodes and/or extranodal tissues. Massive cervical lymphadenopathy as the initial manifestation tends to raise the initial odds in favour of a lymphoma, and thus reducing the threshold to performing a simple biopsy cannot be overestimated.

A case report of a teenager with hepatitis B surface antigen-positive multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma in a noncirrhotic liver.

Hepatitis B virus is a known carcinogen for hepatocellular carcinoma, which is rare in the pediatric population. We report a 13-year-old patient with hepatitis B surface antigen-positive multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma in a noncirrhotic liver. Her APRI score was 0.

Pfeiffer syndrome type 3 with FGR2 c.1052C>G (p.Ser351Cys) variant in West Africa: a case report.

Pfeiffer syndrome is a rare genetic condition that includes anomalies of the head, hands, and feet. It was originally described by Rudolf Pfeiffer in 1964. As a result of varied clinical presentations, there is a low threshold for missing the diagnosis.

Antimicrobial Usage in Commercial and Domestic Poultry Farming in Two Communities in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.

Poultry farming is a common practice in Ghana. Antibiotics are used, particularly in commercial poultry farming, as growth promoters and to prevent and cure infections. However, there is little information on antimicrobial usage in domestic poultry farming in Ghana.

Clinical presentations and outcomes of COVID-19 infection in sickle cell disease patients: Case series from Komfo Anokye teaching hospital, Ghana.

Patients with sickle cell disease and COVID-19 may not have a more dire outcome than the general population. Nevertheless, they may present with acute chest syndrome and other sickle cell crises which should be aggressively managed.

Estimating obstetric and gynecologic surgical rate: A benchmark of surgical capacity building in Ghana.

Objective: To estimate the annual rate of obstetric and gynecologic (ObGyn) operations performed in Ghana and establish a baseline for tracking the expansion of Ghana's surgical capacity.

Methods: Data were obtained for ObGyn operations performed in Ghana between 2014 and 2015 from a nationally representative sample of hospitals and scaled up for national estimates. Operations were classified as "essential" or "other" according to The World Bank's Disease Control Priorities Project.

Providing insight into the incubation period of Mycobacterium ulcerans disease: two case reports.

Background: Buruli ulcer caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans is endemic in parts of West Africa and is most prevalent among the 5-15 years age group; Buruli ulcer is uncommon among neonates. The mode of transmission and incubation period of Buruli ulcer are unknown. We report two cases of confirmed Buruli ulcer in human immunodeficiency virus-unexposed, vaginally delivered term neonates in Ghana.

Completing the Maternal Care Team: OB/GYN Expertise at Rural District Hospitals in Ghana, a Qualitative Study.

Introduction To provide a qualitative perspective on the changes that occurred after newly placed OB/GYNs began working at district hospitals in Ashanti, Ghana. Methods Structured interviews of healthcare professionals were conducted at eight district hospitals located throughout the Ashanti district of Ghana, four with and four without a full-time OB/GYN on staff. Individuals interviewed include: medical superintendents, medical officers, district hospital administrators, OB/GYNs (where applicable), and nurse-midwives.

Nativity and Health Disparities: Predictors of Immigrant Health.

This study examines the differences in the social determinants of health and chronic health conditions of immigrants and nonimmigrants. The logistic regression results indicate that employment, education, poverty, residential status, and neighborhood safety have strong influence on the health of immigrants and native-born Americans; however, gender and place of residence are significant to only nonimmigrant health. For chronic health conditions, age and employment status are significant predictors for immigrants whereas race/ethnicity, age, gender, insurance coverage, and education are important predictors of chronic health conditions among nonimmigrants.

Cross-cultural perspectives on the patient-provider relationship: a qualitative study exploring reflections from Ghanaian medical students following a clinical rotation in the United States.

Background: In international health experiences, learners are exposed to different culturally-based patient care models. Little is known about student perceptions of patient-provider interactions when they travel from low-to high-resource settings. The purpose of this study was to explore these reflections among a subset of Ghanaian medical students who participated in clinical rotations at the University of Michigan Medical School (UMMS).

Perceptions of Ghanaian medical students completing a clinical elective at the University of Michigan Medical School.

Problem: International medical electives typically represent a unidirectional flow of students from economically advantaged countries in the global "North" to resource-poor nations in the global "South." Little is known about the impact of bilateral exchanges on students from less affluent nations.

Approach: Since 2007, students from the University of Michigan Medical School (UMMS) and medical schools in Ghana have engaged in a bilateral clinical exchange program.

eNOSI4 and EPHX1 polymorphisms affect maternal susceptibility to preeclampsia: analysis of five polymorphisms predisposing to cardiovascular disease in 279 Caucasian and 241 African women.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate possible associations of genetic polymorphisms predisposing to cardiovascular disease with the development and/or the severity of preeclampsia.

Methods: A two hospital-based prospective case-control study was performed in Germany and Ghana. 470 blood samples of 250 Caucasian and 220 black African have been genotyped by pyrosequencing and fragment length analysis.

In situ morphometric characterization of Aframomum melegueta accessions in Ghana.

In spite of the huge economic importance of Aframomum melegueta in the herbal and pharmaceutical industries, its production is limited by lack of planting materials (propagules). The plant also lacks scientific descriptors, which has often led to misidentification with adverse health implications. We therefore aimed at developing a descriptor list to facilitate the identification of A.

Pathways to unsafe abortion in Ghana: the role of male partners, women and health care providers.

Background: Despite abortion being legal, complications from induced abortion are the second leading cause of maternal mortality in Ghana. The objective of this study was to understand the decision-making process associated with induced abortion in Ghana.

Study Design: Data were collected from female postabortion patients, male partners, family planning nurses and obstetricians/gynecologists at two teaching hospitals in Ghana using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions.

Group versus individual family planning counseling in Ghana: a randomized, noninferiority trial.

Background: Group, rather than individual, family planning counseling has the potential to increase family planning knowledge and use through more efficient use of limited human resources.

Study Design: A randomized, noninferiority study design was utilized to identify whether group family planning counseling is as effective as individual family planning counseling in Ghana. Female gynecology patients were enrolled from two teaching hospitals in Ghana in June and July 2008.

International family planning fellowship program: advanced training in family planning to reduce unsafe abortion.

Maternal mortality remains a huge problem in the developing world, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa.1 According to the World Health Organization, efforts intended to decrease maternal deaths need to recognize and address unsafe abortions as a significant contributor to the high rates of maternal mortality found in developing countries.2,3 In Africa, where abortions are highly restricted, 680 women die per 100,000 abortions, compared with 0.

A low-cost method for performing a curriculum gap-analysis in developing countries: medical school competencies in Ghana.

Background: In this study, we undertook a comparison of the international, national, and local curricula of Ghanaian medical schools in order to identify any gaps.

Purpose: To identify gaps in the Ghanaian medical school curriculum.

Methods: The Ministry of Health and the two major sites for medical education in Ghana (UGMS, KNUST) participated using the only internationally accepted and validated set of outcome standards for medical education, the Global Minimum Essential Requirements.

Reproductive experiences of teenagers in the Ejisu-Juabeng district of Ghana.

Objective: To determine the proportions of male and female teenagers aged 15-19 years who have ever been involved in pregnancy, and to examine factors associated with involvement in teenage pregnancy in the Ejisu-Juabeng district of Ghana.

Methods: In a household-based cross-sectional survey, 481 randomly selected male and female teenagers were enrolled between August 3 and September 17, 2009. Study variables included demographics; sexual exposure; contraceptive use; and involvement in pregnancy, childbirth, and induced abortion.

Radiotracer investigation in gold leaching tanks.

Measurement and analysis of residence time distribution (RTD) is a classical method to investigate performance of chemical reactors. In the present investigation, the radioactive tracer technique was used to measure the RTD of aqueous phase in a series of gold leaching tanks at the Damang gold processing plant in Ghana. The objective of the investigation was to measure the effective volume of each tank and validate the design data after recent process intensification or revamping of the plant.