Evaluating maternal death surveillance and response system in Sunyani Municipality of Bono region in Ghana from 2017-2021.

Introduction: Maternal death rates in Ghana have decreased overall but remain high in rural areas. The Maternal Death Surveillance and Response System (MDSR) aims to eliminate preventable maternal deaths effectively. However, its effectiveness is less pronounced at district and subdistrict levels than at national and regional levels.

Phylogenetic and antimicrobial drug resistance analysis of O1 isolates from Ghana.

We investigated the evolution, phylogeny and antimicrobial resistance of O1 isolates (VCO1) from Ghana. Outbreak and environmental sources of VCO1 were characterized, whole-genome sequenced and compared to globally available seventh pandemic (7P) strains of at SNP resolution. Final analyses included 636 isolates.

Evaluation of the sentinel surveillance system for influenza-like illnesses in the Greater Accra region, Ghana, 2018.

Background: Influenza-like Illness (ILI) is a medical diagnosis of possible influenza or another respiratory illness with a common set of symptoms. The deaths of four schoolchildren, during a pandemic influenza outbreak in December 2017 in Ghana, raised doubts about the ILI surveillance system's performance. We evaluated the ILI surveillance system in the Greater Accra region, Ghana, to assess the system's attributes and its performance on set objectives.

Pneumococcal meningitis outbreak and associated factors in six districts of Brong Ahafo region, Ghana, 2016.

Background: Meningitis, a disease of the Central Nervous System is described as inflammation of the covering of the brain and spinal cord (meninges). It is characterised by fever, severe headache, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, photophobia, altered consciousness, convulsion/seizures and coma. In December, 2015, twelve suspected cases of meningitis were reported in Tain district in Brong Ahafo region (BAR).

An outbreak of pneumococcal meningitis among older children (≥5 years) and adults after the implementation of an infant vaccination programme with the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in Ghana.

Background: An outbreak of pneumococcal meningitis among non-infant children and adults occurred in the Brong-Ahafo region of Ghana between December 2015 and April 2016 despite the recent nationwide implementation of a vaccination programme for infants with the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13).

Methods: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens were collected from patients with suspected meningitis in the Brong-Ahafo region. CSF specimens were subjected to Gram staining, culture and rapid antigen testing.

Bacterial contamination of blood and blood components in three major blood transfusion centers, Accra, Ghana.

Reports from studies conducted in several countries indicate a high incidence of bacterial contamination of donor blood. The prevalence of bacterial contamination of blood and its products in Ghana is not known. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of bacterial contamination of blood and its products at the three major blood transfusion centers in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.