A model of co-creation: strengthening primary health care (PHC) in Ghana through an innovative "Nyansapo" partnership.

The Africa Health Collaborative (AHC) initiative embarked on a transformative ten-year collaboration with Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the University of Toronto (U of T) to co-create continuing education programs geared toward augmenting the proficiency of primary care practitioners in Ghana. While upholding core principles within the AHC framework, emphasizing respect, inclusivity, equity, reciprocity, ethics, dynamism, and stewardship, seven teams of U of T and KNUST faculty engaged in collaborative efforts to design, administer, and evaluate five in-person "short courses" in Ghana on Palliative Care, Quality Improvement for Health Professionals, Prehospital Emergency Care, Community Emergency Care, and Emergency Preparedness and Response to Epidemic-Prone Diseases to approximately 100 Ghanaian primary care professionals. This paper describes a model of co-creation, highlights lessons learned from a robust evaluation process, and proposes that this co-creation model can strengthen primary health care in Ghana and ultimately transform health systems in Africa.

A Systematic Review of the Burden of Stroke in Ghana.

Stroke is considered a significant public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa and Ghana due to its impact on quality of life. However, there is a lack of comprehensive pooled data on the prevalence and incidence rates of stroke in Ghana. Updating this information would help inform decision-making bodies on measures to reduce the burden of stroke in Ghana.

Molecular characterization of HAMP rs10421768 gene and phenotypic expression of hepcidin; a case-control study among sickle cell anaemia patients in Ghana.

Background: The sporadic nature of blood transfusion therapy coupled with the alteration of HAMP genes may exacerbate the risk of iron burden in sickle cell anaemia (SCA) patients. The study determined the polymorphic distribution of the HAMP promoter gene rs10421768 and hepcidin levels in SCA patients.

Method: Sixty participants aged ≥12years [45 SCA patients and 15 controls (HbA)] were recruited from 15th March, 2023 to 20th July, 2023 for a case-control study at Methodist Hospital Wenchi, Ghana.

Awareness of stroke, its signs, and risk factors: A cross-sectional population-based survey in Ghana.

Background And Aims: The prevalence of stroke in sub-Saharan Africa is steadily rising, leading to a growing strain on the healthcare system in the region. In the context of Ghana, stroke ranks as the third most prevalent cause of mortality. The current body of scholarly research on stroke awareness in Ghana is quite limited.

Complete Blood Count Reference Intervals for Children Aged Less Than 1 to 12 Years in the Northern Region of Ghana.

Reliable laboratory diagnostic results are key for evaluating and improving children's health. To interpret these results, child-specific reference intervals (RIs), which account for constant biological changes and physiological development with sex and age, are required, as recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). This study presents age- and sex-specific reference intervals for complete blood count (CBC) parameters in children (<1-12 years old) in the Northern Region of Ghana.

The role of Lesotho community pharmacists in preventing and controlling cardiovascular diseases: The perceived facilitators and barriers.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of mortality globally. The impact of cardiovascular diseases can be minimized by addressing modifiable risk factors at primary health care level. Community pharmacists are well-positioned to identify patients at risk of cardiovascular diseases for early detection and initiation of treatment.

Factors influencing medication adherence in co-morbid hypertension and diabetes patients: A scoping review.

Introduction: Interest in medication adherence has expanded significantly, especially in relation to the management of hypertension or diabetes in recent years. A scoping review that focuses on medication adherence in the co-morbidity of hypertension and diabetes provides crucial guidance for effective management of these interrelated diseases.

Aim: To conduct a scoping review of factors associated with medication adherence among individuals with co-morbid hypertension and diabetes.

A Pilot Study To Assess the Suitability of Riboflavin As a Surrogate Marker of Breast Cancer Resistance Protein in Healthy Participants.

We recently showed that riboflavin is a selected substrate of breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) over P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and demonstrated its prediction performance in preclinical drug-drug interaction (DDI) studies. The aim of this study was to investigate the suitability of riboflavin to assess BCRP inhibition in humans. First, we assessed the substrate potential of riboflavin toward other major drug transporters using established transfected cell systems.

Utilisation of traditional medicine among women diagnosed with breast cancer in Ghana: a descriptive phenomenological study.

Background: Women living with breast cancer (BC) rely on traditional medicine (TM) in addition to orthodox medicine. There is a need to understand how and why women diagnosed with BC utilise TM. This study explored and described the lived experiences of women living with BC in terms of their utilisation of traditional medicine.

Management of sexually transmitted infections: a qualitative assessment of community pharmacy practices in the Ho Municipality, Ghana.

Background: Effective management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is crucial in the control and spread of these infections in health systems. Community pharmacies are usually the first port of call in Ghana for most people who contract STIs for therapy. Delayed and inappropriate treatment contributes significantly to treatment failures, drug resistance and complications.

Caregivers' knowledge, attitude, and perception toward pneumococcal infection prophylaxis in pediatric sickle cell disease patients in Kumasi, Ghana.

Background And Aims: Pneumococcal infection prophylaxis (PIP) is necessary for children with sickle cell disease (SCD) due to the enhanced risk of pneumococcal infections and associated mortalities. PIP measures include periodic administration of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), twice-daily administration of phenoxymethylpenicillin tablets, and nonpharmacological measures. This work assessed the attitude, knowledge, and perception of parents of SCD children on PIP, how parents obtain phenoxymethylpenicillin, and their preference for PIP.

Impact of childhood and adolescence cancer on family caregivers: a qualitative analysis of strains, resources and coping behaviours.

Background: The physical demands of caring for children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer, over a lengthy period, exert significant strain on the health and well-being of family caregivers. The capacity of family caregivers to surmount and cope with the various strains they experience due to the diagnosis and treatment trajectory is essential to the quality of life of the child and adolescent who has been diagnosed with cancer. However, the experiences of family caregivers have been under-explored.

Development and Psychometric Evaluation of a Food Resource Acceptability Questionnaire.

The stigma associated with food assistance is a significant barrier to resolution of food insecurity. Interventions and policies aimed at reducing food insecurity would benefit from the inclusion of strategies aimed at minimizing food assistance stigma. We developed the Food Resource Acceptability Questionnaire (FRAQ), a scale that measures the perceptions of stigma associated with food assistance.

A systematic review of the role of community pharmacists in the prevention and control of cardiovascular diseases: the perceptions of patients.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of mortality globally. The modifiable risk factors can be measured and identified early at primary healthcare facilities. Community pharmacists present an opportunity for improved management of cardiovascular diseases and health outcomes.

Impact of cancer diagnosis and treatment: a qualitative analysis of strains, resources and coping strategies among elderly patients in a rural setting in Ghana.

Background: Rurality is fraught with numerous difficulties including a lack of advanced health facilities to provide health services, and an absence of specialist cancer services, and qualified personnel, among others. These factors exacerbate the challenges of elderly patients diagnosed with cancer and further pose limitations to activities/instrumental activities of daily living. Yet, there is limited scholarship on the strains that affect elderly patients diagnosed with cancer and the resources that helps them to overcome them.

Expectations and barriers to the utilization of specialist palliative care services among persons living with cancer in Ghana: an exploratory qualitative study.

Background: The need for palliative care among patients living with cancer is increasing globally. This need is far greater in resource-constrained settings like Ghana where there is a high unmet need for palliative care services. Consequently, there are lapses in the current palliative care regime, thus, resulting in suboptimal utilization.

Plasma levels of fibrinolytic and coagulation biomarkers in HIV-infected individuals on highly active antiretroviral therapy: A case-control study in a Northern Ghanaian population.

Background And Aim: Impaired coagulation and fibrinolysis have been implicated in thromboembolism in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals. This study evaluated the plasma levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and coagulation biomarkers in HIV-infected individuals on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).

Methods: This matched case-control study from March to December, 2020 comprised 76 participants: 38 HIV-positive individuals on HAART and 38 apparently healthy HIV-negative individuals as controls.

Effects of COVID-19 disease on PAI-1 antigen and haematological parameters during disease management: A prospective cross-sectional study in a regional Hospital in Ghana.

Background: Individuals with COVID-19 experience thrombotic events probably due to the associated hypofibrinolysis resulting from the upregulation of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) antigen. This study evaluated plasma PAI-1 antigen levels and haematological parameters before treatment and after recovery from severe COVID-19 in Ghana.

Materials And Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Sunyani Regional Hospital, and recruited 51 patients who had RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2.

Serum anti-erythropoietin antibodies among pregnant women with Plasmodium falciparum malaria and anaemia: A case-control study in northern Ghana.

Background: Anaemia in pregnancy is common in underdeveloped countries, and malaria remains the predominant cause of the condition in Ghana. Anti-erythropoietin (anti-EPO) antibody production may be implicated in the pathogenesis of Plasmodium falciparum malaria-related anaemia in pregnancy. This study ascertained the prevalence of anti-EPO antibody production and evaluated the antibodies' relationship with Plasmodium falciparum malaria and malaria-related anaemia in pregnancy.

Determinants of handwashing behaviour among primary school teachers in a district of Ghana.

Hand hygiene practise is an effective school-based measure for infectious disease prevention, especially in developing countries. School children model their behaviour through the observation of significant others, including teachers. However, little is known about the handwashing behaviour and factors influencing the handwashing practises of teachers at the primary school level in Ghana.

Seroprevalence, trends, and risk factors of hepatitis B and C among family replacement blood donors; a 7-year retrospective study at Sunyani Municipal Hospital, Ghana.

Hepatitis B and C cause chronic infections which develop into liver-related sequelae, like cirrhosis and liver carcinoma. This study determined the seroprevalence, trends, and risk factors of HBV and HCV among family replacement donors. A retrospective review of primary data on blood donors screened between January 2015 and December 2021 was conducted at Sunyani Municipal Hospital.