Incidence, trend and distribution of transport-related injuries reported to health facilities in the Volta Region of Ghana, 2019 to 2023.

Background: Transport injuries are a global public health concern, causing 1.35 million deaths and over 20 million non-fatal injuries annually. Low- and middle-income countries, particularly countries in Africa, are experiencing an increase in fatalities.

Promoting menstrual health and hygiene-insights from the 2023 World Menstrual Hygiene Day celebration events in the Hohoe municipality in Ghana.

The 2023 World Menstrual Hygiene Day (WMHD) celebration at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) sought to create awareness about menstruation. Toward normalizing menstruation, the 3-day event brought together key stakeholders and engaged community members on various topics relating to menstruation. Among the stakeholders were basic school teachers (13), school children (155), in a 2:1 female vs.

Safety and immunogenicity of the two-dose heterologous Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo Ebola vaccine regimen in infants: a phase 2, randomised, double-blind, active-controlled trial in Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Background: This study assessed the safety and immunogenicity of the Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo Ebola virus (EBOV) vaccine regimen in infants aged 4-11 months in Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Methods: In this phase 2, randomised, double-blind, active-controlled trial, we randomly assigned healthy infants (1:1 in a sentinel cohort, 5:2 for the remaining infants via an interactive web response system) to receive Ad26.

The Effect of Previous Exposure to Malaria Infection and Clinical Malaria Episodes on the Immune Response to the Two-Dose Ad26.ZEBOV, MVA-BN-Filo Ebola Vaccine Regimen.

We assessed whether the immunogenicity of the two-dose Ad26.ZEBOV, MVA-BN-Filo Ebola vaccine regimen with a 56-day interval between doses was affected by exposure to malaria before dose 1 vaccination and by clinical episodes of malaria in the period immediately after dose 1 and after dose 2 vaccinations. Previous malaria exposure in participants in an Ebola vaccine trial in Sierra Leone (ClinicalTrials.

Safety and immunogenicity of an Ad26.ZEBOV booster dose in children previously vaccinated with the two-dose heterologous Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo Ebola vaccine regimen: an open-label, non-randomised, phase 2 trial.

Background: Children account for a substantial proportion of cases and deaths during Ebola virus disease outbreaks. We aimed to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of a booster dose of the Ad26.ZEBOV vaccine in children who had been vaccinated with a two-dose regimen comprising Ad26.

Continuous positive airway pressure in managing acute respiratory distress in children in district hospitals: evidence for scale-up.

Unlabelled: In children, acute respiratory distress (ARD) is a clinical presentation requiring emergency management, including mechanical ventilation. Mechanical ventilators are lacking in sub-Saharan Africa. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is an alternative form of non-invasive respiratory support that has been used in high-income countries for over four decades.

Head Injury Prevalence in a Population of Injured Patients Seeking Care in Ghana, West Africa.

Background/significance: Much of the literature on head injury (HI) prevalence comes from high-income countries (HICs), despite the disproportionate burden of injuries in low to middle-income countries (LMICs). This study evaluated the HI prevalence in the Kintampo Injury Registry, a collaborative effort between Kintampo Health Research Centre (KHRC) in Ghana and the sidHARTe Program at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. In our first aim, we characterize the HI prevalence in the registry.

Estimating causes of death where there is no medical certification: evolution and state of the art of verbal autopsy.

Over the past 70 years, significant advances have been made in determining the causes of death in populations not served by official medical certification of cause at the time of death using a technique known as Verbal Autopsy (VA). VA involves an interview of the family or caregivers of the deceased after a suitable bereavement interval about the circumstances, signs and symptoms of the deceased in the period leading to death. The VA interview data are then interpreted by physicians or, more recently, computer algorithms, to assign a probable cause of death.

Ebola Virus Glycoprotein IgG Seroprevalence in Community Previously Affected by Ebola, Sierra Leone.

We explored the association of Ebola virus antibody seropositivity and concentration with potential risk factors for infection. Among 1,282 adults and children from a community affected by the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, 8% were seropositive for virus antibodies but never experienced disease symptoms. Antibody concentration increased with age.

Safety and long-term immunogenicity of the two-dose heterologous Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo Ebola vaccine regimen in adults in Sierra Leone: a combined open-label, non-randomised stage 1, and a randomised, double-blind, controlled stage 2 trial.

Background: The Ebola epidemics in west Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo highlight an urgent need for safe and effective vaccines to prevent Ebola virus disease. We aimed to assess the safety and long-term immunogenicity of a two-dose heterologous vaccine regimen, comprising the adenovirus type 26 vector-based vaccine encoding the Ebola virus glycoprotein (Ad26.ZEBOV) and the modified vaccinia Ankara vector-based vaccine, encoding glycoproteins from Ebola virus, Sudan virus, and Marburg virus, and the nucleoprotein from the Tai Forest virus (MVA-BN-Filo), in Sierra Leone, a country previously affected by Ebola.

Safety and immunogenicity of the two-dose heterologous Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo Ebola vaccine regimen in children in Sierra Leone: a randomised, double-blind, controlled trial.

Background: Children account for a substantial proportion of cases and deaths from Ebola virus disease. We aimed to assess the safety and immunogenicity of a two-dose heterologous vaccine regimen, comprising the adenovirus type 26 vector-based vaccine encoding the Ebola virus glycoprotein (Ad26.ZEBOV) and the modified vaccinia Ankara vector-based vaccine, encoding glycoproteins from the Ebola virus, Sudan virus, and Marburg virus, and the nucleoprotein from the Tai Forest virus (MVA-BN-Filo), in a paediatric population in Sierra Leone.

Correction: Exploring factors affecting quality implementation of lymphatic filariasis mass drug administration in Bole and Central Gonja Districts in Northern Ghana.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.

Referral of sick children and levels of adherence by carers: implications on quality health care in the middle belt of Ghana.

Introduction: Severely sick-children presenting at primary healthcare facilities need referral to higher level facilities for better care. Adherence to referrals and quality of care received by those referred could serve as critical steps towards their survival.

Objective: To describe experiences with severely sick children referred to higher-level health facilities for care and reasons for non-adherence to referral; to explore healthcare provider's perspectives to referral.

Towards effective participation of the private health sector in Ghana's COVID-19 response.

The private health sector is a major service provider group within the health systems of most sub-Saharan African countries. Currently, 90% of COVID-19 cases in Ghana are in urban areas where private health facilities play a major role in service delivery. Yet, there is limited understanding of the issues mediating private health sector participation in public health emergency responses.

Evaluating context-specific evidence-based quality improvement intervention on lymphatic filariasis mass drug administration in Northern Ghana using the RE-AIM framework.

Background: Over a decade of implementing a global strategy to eliminate lymphatic filariasis in Ghana through mass drug administration, the disease is still being transmitted in 11 districts out of an initial 98 endemic districts identified in 2000. A context-specific evidence-based quality improvement intervention was implemented in the Bole District of Northern Ghana after an initial needs assessment to improve the lymphatic filariasis mass drug administration towards eliminating the disease. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the process and impact of the lymphatic filariasis context-specific evidence-based quality improvement intervention in the Bole District of Northern Ghana.

Exploring factors affecting quality implementation of lymphatic filariasis mass drug administration in Bole and Central Gonja Districts in Northern Ghana.

Ghana has been implementing Mass Drug Administration (MDA) since the year 2001, and Lymphatic Filariasis transmission has been interrupted in 76 out of the 98 targeted districts. The remaining districts have a microfilaria prevalence above the 1% threshold needed for the interruption of transmission. This study assesses the level of lymphatic filariasis MDA coverage and explored factors affecting the quality of implementation of the MDA in the Bole and Central Gonja Districts of Northern Ghana.

Making primary healthcare responsive to non-communicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa.

Primary healthcare (PHC) meets the needs of people's health throughout their lives and empowers individuals and communities to oversee their own health. Most of the community-based activities currently undertaken in PHC in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) address child and maternal health. Non-communicable diseases are now major causes of morbidity and premature mortality in SSA.

Sexual and reproductive health of adolescents in schools for people with disabilities.

Introduction: Persons with disabilities have the same sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs as the abled people but they often face barriers to SRH information and services which are necessary for healthy and safe relationships, protection from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This study sought to access the SRH services among adolescents with disabilities in four Special Needs Schools in Ghana.

Methods: The study adopted a cross-sectional study design with a quantitative approach to data collection between the months of January to March, 2018.

pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 Gene Deletions That Affect Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests for Plasmodium falciparum: Analysis of Archived Blood Samples From 3 African Countries.

Background: Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (mRDTs) that target histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2) are important tools for Plasmodium falciparum diagnosis. Parasites with pfhrp2/3 gene deletions threaten the use of these mRDTs and have been reported in Africa, Asia, and South America. We studied blood samples from 3 African countries to determine if these gene deletions were present.

Using intervention mapping to design and implement quality improvement strategies towards elimination of lymphatic filariasis in Northern Ghana.

Introduction: The Global Strategy to Eliminate Lymphatic Filiariasis (GFELF) through Mass Drug Administration (MDA) has been implemented in Ghana since the year 2000 and transmission has been interrupted in 76 of 98 endemic districts. To improve the MDA in the remaining districts with microfilaria (MF) prevalence above the 1% threshold for the interruption of transmission, there is a need to identify and implement appropriate quality improvement (QI) strategies. This paper describes the use of intervention mapping to select QI strategies to improve an existing evidence-based MDA program in Northern Ghana.

Parasitic contamination of commonly consumed vegetables in two markets in Ghana.

Introduction: Fresh vegetables are an important source of vital nutrients. Poor farming practices and improper washing put consumers at risk of parasitic infections. This study explored the presence of parasitic contamination of commonly-consumed vegetables procured from two markets in Ghana.

Using community pharmacies to expand access to screening for noncommunicable diseases in suburban Ghana-A facility-based survey on client needs and acceptability.

Background: Many of the 28 million deaths from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in low- and middle-income countries each year could be prevented through early detection and intervention. The introduction of screening for NCDs in community pharmacies (CPs) in Ghana could enhance access to early detection.

Methods: We surveyed clients in three districts in suburban Ghana to assess perceived need for screening, willingness to be screened in CPs, and willingness to receive NCD health promotion information through text messages (NCD m-Health).