Evaluating the psychometric properties of three WHO instruments to assess knowledge about human rights, attitudes toward persons with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities, and practices related to substitute decision-making and coercion in mental health.

Background: Instruments to assess the knowledge about the rights of persons with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities, the attitudes toward their role as rights holders, and mental health professionals' practices related to substitute decision-making and coercion are either missing or lack evaluation of their validity and reliability.

Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the validity and reliability of three instruments developed to fill this gap in the literature, the World Health Organization's QualityRights (WHO QR) Knowledge questionnaire, the WHO QR Attitudes questionnaire, and the WHO QR Practices questionnaire.

Methods: A sample of participants was recruited and completed an online survey.

Implementation of the World Health Organization's QualityRights initiative in Ghana: an overview.

Background: Globally, human rights violations experienced by persons with psychosocial, intellectual or cognitive disabilities continue to be a concern. The World Health Organization's (WHO) QualityRights initiative presents practical remedies to address these abuses. This paper presents an overview of the implementation of the initiative in Ghana.

A quantitative analysis of human rights-related attitude changes towards people with mental health conditions and psychosocial, intellectual, or cognitive disabilities following completion of the WHO QualityRights e-training in Ghana.

Background: Despite growing recognition of essential human rights, people with mental health conditions and psychosocial, intellectual, or cognitive disabilities' rights are known to be frequently violated in mental healthcare worldwide, with common use of coercive practices and limited recognition of people's right to exercise their legal capacity and make decisions for themselves on treatment and other issues affecting them. To tackle this issue, Ghana adopted the WHO QualityRights Initiative in 2019. This aims to introduce a right-based, person-centred recovery approach within the mental health care system, protecting and promoting the rights of people with mental health conditions, psychosocial, cognitive, and intellectual disabilities in the healthcare context and community.

Effectiveness of a participatory approach to develop school health interventions in four low resource cities: study protocol of the 'empowering adolescents to lead change using health data' cluster randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Comprehensive local data on adolescent health are often lacking, particularly in lower resource settings. Furthermore, there are knowledge gaps around which interventions are effective to support healthy behaviours. This study generates health information for students from cities in four middle-income countries to plan, implement and subsequently evaluate a package of interventions to improve health outcomes.

Attitudes towards persons with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities as rights holders in Ghana: a World Health Organization study.

Background: There are currently major efforts underway in Ghana to address stigma and discrimination, and promote the human rights of those with mental health conditions, within mental health services and the community, working with the World Health Organization's QualityRights initiative. The present study aims to investigate attitudes towards people with lived experience of mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities as rights holders.

Methods: Stakeholders within the Ghanaian mental health system and community, including health professionals, policy makers, and persons with lived experience, completed the QualityRights pre-training questionnaire.

Factors associated with COVID-19 knowledge among Ghanaians: A national survey.

Background: Adequate knowledge about COVID-19 in a population may be relevant in the fight to control its spread among the populace. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the factors associated with real knowledge of COVID-19 among Ghanaians to promote effective dissemination of appropriate information aimed at containing the spread.

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey and computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) was conducted among Ghanaians aged 18 years and above across the 260 districts of Ghana.

A nationwide evaluation study of the quality of care and respect of human rights in mental health facilities in Ghana: results from the World Health Organization QualityRights initiative.

Background: In 2012, Ghana ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and enacted a Mental Health Act to improve the quality of mental health care and stop human rights violations against people with mental health conditions. In line with these objectives, Ghanaian stakeholders collected data on the quality of mental health services and respect for human rights in psychiatric facilities to identify challenges and gather useful information for the development of plans aimed to improve the quality of the services offered. This study aimed to assess psychiatric facilities from different Ghanaian regions and provide evidence on the quality of care and respect of human rights in mental health services.

Profile and predictors of adolescent tobacco use in Ghana: evidence from the 2017 Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS).

Background: Understanding the predictive factors for tobacco use, and initiation among the youth is critical for effective intervention and prevention. We, therefore, aimed to determine the profile, associated factors, the regional disparities in the use of tobacco products among the youth in Ghana.

Method: The study used the 2017 Ghana Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) to obtain tobacco-related information among the youth in Junior High Schools across the country.

Waterpipe use among the youth in Ghana: Lessons from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) 2017.

Introduction: The Global Youth Tobacco Survey's findings have been used to support Ghana's tobacco control legislation, monitor tobacco use among the youth and also used in meeting various Articles of the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). These Articles include: Article 8 (Protection for exposure to tobacco smoke); Article 12 (Education, communication, training and public awareness); Article 13 (Tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship); Article 14 (Demand reduction measures concerning tobacco dependence and cessation); and Article 16 (Sales to and by minors). Among the four waves of GYTS in Ghana, the 2017 GYTS was the first to assess waterpipe smoking, through optional questions included in the GYTS questionnaire.

Health workers perceptions and attitude about Ghana's preparedness towards preventing, containing, and managing Ebola Virus Disease.

Background: Ebola virus is highly infectious and the disease can be very fatal. The World Health Organization has declared the 2014-2015 Ebola Virus Disease outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. In response to this, preparations were made in various health facilities and entry points across Ghana.

Preparing towards Preventing and Containing an Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak: What Socio-cultural Practices May Affect Containment Efforts in Ghana?

Background: Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is a condition with high fatality. Though the disease is deadly, taking precautions to reduce contact with infected people and their secretions can prevent cross- infection. In the 2014 EVD outbreak, socio-cultural factors were identified to be responsible for the spread of the disease in the three most affected countries in West Africa.

Beyond Knowledge and Awareness: Addressing Misconceptions in Ghana's Preparation towards an Outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease.

Background: Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is not new to the world. However, the West African EVD epidemic which started in 2014 evolved into the largest, most severe and most complex outbreak in the history of the disease. The three most-affected countries faced enormous challenges in stopping the transmission and providing care for all patients.