Knowledge of Human Papillomavirus, Risk Factors and Screening for Cervical Cancer Among Women in Ghana.

Background: Cervical cancer ranks as the fourth most common cancer among women, with 662,301 new cases and 348,874 deaths reported in 2022. The majority of the disease burden occurs in low- and middle-income countries. In Ghana, there were 3072 new cases and 1815 deaths reported in 2022.

Achieving universal sanitation in Ghana: An analysis of key drivers of toilet ownership among property owners in Urban areas.

Access to safe sanitation facilities remains a critical public health concern, especially in rapidly urbanizing countries like Ghana. This study investigates the determinants of household toilet ownership among property owners in three urban districts in Ghana. Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 1,256 property owners selected through a multi-stage stratified sampling procedure.

Ghana's water safety journey: A review of efforts toward a risked-based water quality management.

In 2015, Ghana launched the National Drinking Water Quality Management Framework (NDWQMF) to promote a risk-based approach to water quality through water safety plans (WSPs). This study uses a narrative review to synthesize WSP implementation progress in Ghana, identify gaps in practice, and provide recommendations for enhanced effectiveness and scale-up. Findings show limited uptake: only three of 88 urban water supply systems have adopted WSPs, while in the rural sector, the Community Water and Sanitation Agency has implemented WSPs in 177 of 1,022 small-town systems, and the safe water network in 46 systems.

Flexible scan statistic with a restricted likelihood ratio for optimized COVID-19 surveillance.

Disease surveillance remains important for early detection of new COVID-19 variants. For this purpose, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends integrating of COVID-19 surveillance with other respiratory diseases. This requires knowledge of areas with elevated risk, which in developing countries is lacking from the routine analyses.

Examining the Use of Polyphenols and Sugars for Authenticating Honey on the U.S. Market: A Comprehensive Review.

The rise in honey production and imports into the United States necessitates the need for robust methods to authenticate honey origin and ensure consumer safety. This review addresses the scope of honey authentication, with a specific focus on the exploration of polyphenols and sugar markers to evaluate honeys in the U.S.

Validity of a visual analogue scale to measure and value the perceived level of sanitation: evidence from Ghana and Mozambique.

Two billion people globally lack access to a basic toilet, and sanitation is a critical determinant of health and well-being. Evaluations of sanitation programmes typically measure disease or behaviour, and visual analogue scales (VASs) have not been used to measure users' feelings about their level of sanitation. In this study, we assess the validity of a horizontal sanitation VAS numbered 0-10, with end anchors 'best imaginable' and 'worst imaginable' sanitation.

Risk Factors for Cervical Cancer in Ghana.

Background: The major burden of cervical cancer occurs in low- and middle-income countries. In Ghana, it is the second most common cancer among women. Infection with high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV) has been established as the cause of cervical cancer.

Navigating Taxpayers Attitude: Exploring Support for Urban Sanitation Surcharge in Kumasi.

Background: Urban sanitation challenges persist in Ghana, prompting Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to explore innovative funding mechanisms such as surcharges to fund sanitation services. This study assesses property owners' attitudes toward the imposition of sanitation surcharge for pro-poor sanitation improvement in the Kumasi Metropolis.

Method: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 424 property owners in the Kumasi metropolis.

Investigations of Major α-Dicarbonyl Content in U.S. Honey of Different Geographical Origins.

α-Dicarbonyls are significant degradation products resulting from the Maillard reaction during food processing. Their presence in foods can indicate the extent of heat exposure, processing treatments, and storage conditions. Moreover, they may be useful in providing insights into the potential antibacterial and antioxidant activity of U.

Determinants of Open Defecation Among Rural Women in Ghana: Analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys.

Open defecation continuously remains a major global sanitation challenge, contributing to an estimated 1.6 million deaths per year. Ghana ranks second in Africa for open defecation and had the fourth-lowest sanitation coverage in 2010.

Mosquito control exposures and breast cancer risk: analysis of 1071 cases and 2096 controls from the Ghana Breast Health Study.

Epidemiologic data on insecticide exposures and breast cancer risk are inconclusive and mostly from high-income countries. Using data from 1071 invasive pathologically confirmed breast cancer cases and 2096 controls from the Ghana Breast Health Study conducted from 2013 to 2015, we investigated associations with mosquito control products to reduce the spread of mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria. These mosquito control products were insecticide-treated nets, mosquito coils, repellent room sprays, and skin creams for personal protection against mosquitos.

Profiling of the Polyphenol Content of Honey from Different Geographical Origins in the United States.

The presence of phenolic compounds in honey can serve as potential authenticity markers for honey's botanical or geographical origins. The composition and properties of honey can vary greatly depending on the floral and geographical origins. This study focuses on identifying the specific markers that can distinguish honey based on their geographical areas in the United States.

Associations of Circulating Estrogens and Estrogen Metabolites with Fecal and Oral Microbiome in Postmenopausal Women in the Ghana Breast Health Study.

The human fecal and oral microbiome may play a role in the etiology of breast cancer through modulation of endogenous estrogen metabolism. This study aimed to investigate associations of circulating estrogens and estrogen metabolites with the fecal and oral microbiome in postmenopausal African women. A total of 117 women with fecal (N = 110) and oral (N = 114) microbiome data measured by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and estrogens and estrogen metabolites data measured by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry were included.

Drivers and challenges of off-grid renewable energy-based projects in West Africa: A review.

Off-grid hybrid power systems with renewable energy as the primary resource remain the best option to electrify rural/remote areas in developing countries to help attain universal electricity access by 2030. However, deploying these systems in West Africa faces several challenges and regularly fail to transition from pilot, donor-sponsored projects to sustainable large-scale implementations. The study examined the drivers and challenges by conducting a review of previous studies done in the region and a short survey in Ghana.

Maternal and fetal risk factors for stillbirth in Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia: a case-control study.

Introduction: stillbirth is defined as a baby born with no signs of life. Globally, around 3.2 million stillbirths occur annually, of which, 98% are experienced in low and middle-income countries.

Human papillomavirus genotype distribution among women with and without cervical cancer: Implication for vaccination and screening in Ghana.

Introduction: Determining the high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) genotypes burden in women with and without cervical cancer afford a direct comparison of their relative distributions. This quest is fundamental to implementing a future population-based cervical cancer prevention strategy in Ghana. We estimated the cervical cancer risk by HPV genotypes, and the HPV vaccine-preventable proportion of cervical cancer diagnosed in Ghana.

Effect of antipyretics on performance of influenza surveillance in Ghana.

Background: The World Health Organization's case definition for influenza-like illness (ILI) includes a measured temperature of ≥38°C. We conducted this study to assess the effect of antipyretics on performance of ILI surveillance in Ghana.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two districts of Ghana from September 2013 to May 2014.

Measured body size and serum estrogen metabolism in postmenopausal women: the Ghana Breast Health Study.

Background: Several anthropometric measures have been associated with hormone-related cancers, and it has been shown that estrogen metabolism in postmenopausal women plays an important role in these relationships. However, little is known about circulating estrogen levels in African women, and the relevance to breast cancer or breast cancer risk factors. To shed further light on the relationship of anthropometric factors and estrogen levels in African women, we examined whether measured body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), height, and self-reported body size were associated with serum estrogens/estrogen metabolites in a cross-sectional analysis among postmenopausal population-based controls of the Ghana Breast Health Study.