Empowerment and utilization of HIV testing among partnered women in Zambia: Evidence from the Zambia demographic and health survey 2018.

In Zambia, women are disproportionally more affected by HIV compared to men. This has mainly been attributed to harmful gender norms that enhance male dominance and disempower women, preventing them from exercising their right to negotiate for safe sex and utilizing HIV prevention services such as HIV testing. This study examined associations between empowerment and HIV testing among married and partnered women.

Evaluating the performance of a virtual platform 'T-BOM' for mentorship in tropical diseases research among early career scientists: Insights from a pilot in Nigeria and other resource-limited settings.

Background: Research mentorship plays a crucial role in advancing science. However, there are limited virtual platforms for cultivating mentorship among early career infectious diseases researchers in resource challenged settings. This study reports the findings from the utilization of a recently developed virtual mentorship platform, including its achievements, challenges and needs.

Collective Intelligence-Based Participatory COVID-19 Surveillance in Accra, Ghana: Pilot Mixed Methods Study.

Background: Infectious disease surveillance is difficult in many low- and middle-income countries. Information market (IM)-based participatory surveillance is a crowdsourcing method that encourages individuals to actively report health symptoms and observed trends by trading web-based virtual "stocks" with payoffs tied to a future event.

Objective: This study aims to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a tailored IM surveillance system to monitor population-level COVID-19 outcomes in Accra, Ghana.

COVID-19 vaccination uptake among healthcare workers in Ghana: A comprehensive analysis of knowledge, attitude, perceived vaccine effectiveness, and health belief model constructs.

The novel Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) caused devastating effects globally, and healthcare workers were among the most affected by the pandemic. Despite healthcare workers being prioritized in COVID-19 vaccination globally and in Ghana, hesitancy to receive the vaccines resulted in delayed control of the pandemic. In Ghana, healthcare workers had a vaccine acceptance of 39.

Implementation and effectiveness outcomes of Community Health Advocacy Teams to improve long-lasting insecticide net distribution and use in six districts in Ghana: A one-group pre-post-test study.

Malaria remains a leading cause of illness and death especially among children and pregnant women in Ghana. Despite the efforts made by the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), including distribution of Long-Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLINs) to households through periodic Point Mass Distribution (PMD) campaigns and continuous channels (antenatal, schools and postnatal), there is a gap between access and use of LLINs in Ghana. An effective and functional community-based group that would seek to improve the effectiveness of LLIN distribution before, during, after PMD Campaigns and continuous distribution at the community level could help address this gap.

Malaria treatment health seeking behaviors among international students at the University of Ghana Legon.

Introduction: Appropriate management of malaria demands early health seeking behaviour upon suspicion of malaria-like symptoms. This study examined malaria treatment seeking behaviour and associated factors among international students at University of Ghana.

Methods: The study used a cross-sectional and quantitative approach.

Pilot implementation of community health advocacy teams to improve the effectiveness of long-lasting insecticide net distribution through both campaigns and continuous channels in Ghana: a qualitative study of opportunities and barriers to implementation.

Introduction: In Ghana, the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) distributes long-lasting insecticide net (LLIN) to households for free through the periodic point mass distribution (PMD) campaign and continuous distribution to populations most vulnerable to malaria. It is known that the existence of effective and functional community-based groups could influence positive behaviours regarding health interventions promoted through health campaigns. However, there is no evidence of functional community-based groups that aim to improve the effectiveness of LLIN distribution campaigns by transitioning into primary healthcare delivery.

Barriers to tuberculosis treatment adherence in high-burden tuberculosis settings in Ashanti region, Ghana: a qualitative study from patient's perspective.

Background: Despite having an effective community-based Directly Observed Therapy Short-course (DOTS) strategy for tuberculosis (TB) care, treatment adherence has been a major challenge in many developing countries including Ghana. Poor adherence results in discontinuity of treatment and leads to adverse treatment outcomes which pose an increased risk of drug resistance. This study explored barriers to TB treatment adherence and recommended potential patient-centered strategies to improve treatment adherence in two high-burden TB settings in the Ashanti region of Ghana.

Capacity building through comprehensive implementation research training and mentorship: an approach for translating knowledge into practice.

Background: Implementation research (IR) is increasingly gaining popularity as the act of carrying an intention into effect. It is thus an important approach to addressing individual practices, policies, programmes and other technologies to solving public health problems. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) continue to experience public health problems which could be addressed using implementation research.

Provision and experience of care among women with hypertension in pregnancy: a multi-center qualitative study in Ghana.

Background: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) remain a leading global health problem with complex clinical presentations and potentially grim birth outcomes for both mother and fetus. Improvement in the quality of maternal care provision and positive women's experiences are indispensable measures to reduce maternal and perinatal adverse outcomes.

Objective: To explore the perspectives and lived experiences of healthcare provision among women with HDP and the associated challenges.

Maternal hypertensive mother's knowledge, attitudes and misconceptions on hypertension in pregnancy: A multi-center qualitative study in Ghana.

Hypertension in pregnancy is one of the commonest complications of pregnancy and a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality globally, with the highest burden in low and middle income countries. Pregnant women's knowledge about hypertension in pregnancy facilitates early health seeking behavior, which can result in early diagnosis and treatment. This study therefore explored the knowledge, misconceptions and attitudes of Ghanaian women who were affected by hypertension in pregnancy.

Using the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability for qualitative assessment of the "COMBAT" VAW intervention in Ghana.

Violence against women (VAW) is a global health problem, which leads to negative sexual, reproductive, mental and physical health outcomes, as well as death in extreme cases. Globally, over 35% of women are reported to have experienced some form of violence, while in Ghana, 37% of women have ever experienced physical violence. Considering that the sustainability of community-based VAW interventions is largely dependent on ownership, this study used the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA) to assess the COMBAT (Community Based Action Teams) intervention (for example, ethicality, self-efficacy, and intervention coherence) which was implemented to prevent violence against women in Ghana.

Improving understanding of disease control implementation research through a mooc with participants from low- and middle-income countries: Evaluating participant reactions and learning.

The Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases developed a massive open online course (MOOC) on implementation research with a focus on infectious diseases of poverty (IDPs) to reinforce the explanation of implementation research concepts through real case studies. The target MOOC participant group included public health officers, researchers and students. By reshaping institutions and building resilience in communities and systems, implementation research will allow progress towards universal health coverage and sustainable development goals.

Burnout and allostatic load among health workers engaged in human resourced-constrained hospitals in Accra, Ghana.

Background: Burnout syndrome is a psycho-social disorder which develops in an individual exposed to chronic stress on the job. Health workers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are at increased risk of burnout due to job-related challenges. Burnout does not only affect the job performance of employees, but could result in dysregulation of multiple physiological systems (allostatic load) in victims and predispose them to non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Burnout syndrome among healthcare workers during COVID-19 Pandemic in Accra, Ghana.

Background: The emergence of the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has increased the workload of health workers particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa predisposing them to extra job-related stress and its associated job-related burnout. Burnout reduces the number, distribution and productivity of health workers. This study sought to determine personal and job-related characteristics of health workers in Accra, Ghana that influenced their experience of burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Creating interventions to transition long-lasting insecticide net distribution in Ghana.

Objective: Mass long-lasting insecticide net (LLIN) distribution campaigns are rolled out, as a part of the Ghana Malaria Strategic plan (2021-2025) which seeks to protect at least 80% of the population at risk with effective malaria prevention interventions. Although the mass LLIN distribution campaign indicates a comprehensive stakeholder engagement approach, it does not systematically transition into the basic primary healthcare structures within the Ghana Health Services. This paper presents the process and outcome of creating an innovative social intervention, which focuses on community mobilisation and capacity building of community health officers.

Insecticide-treated net (ITN) use, factors associated with non-use of ITNs, and occurrence of sand flies in three communities with reported cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Ghana.

Background: The insecticide treated bed net (ITN) has been proven for malaria control. Evidence from systematic review also suggests benefits of ITN roll out in reducing the incidence of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and other vector borne diseases.

Methods: Using a community-based cross-sectional study design, ITN use, factors associated with non-use of ITNs, and occurrence of sand flies were investigated in three communities with reported cases of CL in the Oti region of Ghana.

Factors influencing the delivery and uptake of early infant diagnosis of HIV services in Greater Accra, Ghana: A qualitative study.

Background: Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) of HIV and timely initiation of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) can significantly reduce morbidity and mortality of HIV infected infants. Despite the benefits of early infant testing, the coverage of EID of HIV services is still low in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Ghana.

Objectives: To ascertain the factors that facilitate or hinder the delivery and uptake of EID of HIV services.

Abortion knowledge and experiences among young women and men in Accra, Ghana.

Despite the presence of legal abortion services in Ghana, unsafe abortion remains common, particularly among young women. Little is understood about what young people know about safe and legal abortion, and if and how they are utilizing it. To characterize abortion use and address gaps in safe access, from September-December 2013, we conducted a cross-sectional survey with 100 men and 250 women aged 18-24 in Accra, Ghana.

"Once the child is delivered, he is no more your baby," Exclusive Breastfeeding experiences of first-time mothers in Kassena-Nankana Municipality, Ghana - a qualitative study.

Background: Exclusive Breastfeeding (EBF), for the first 6 months of life, is globally accepted as the preferred method for infant feeding. In Ghana, an estimated 84% of children < 2 months old are exclusively breastfed. But by age 4 to 5 months, only 49% continue to receive EBF.

Social innovation for health: engaging communities to address infectious diseases.

Universal health coverage emphasises the value of the community-based delivery of health services to ensure that underserved populations have access to care. In areas where infectious diseases are endemic, there are often few resources and limited capacity, and the introduction of effective and accessible strategies require innovation. In this special issue, the contributing authors emphasise the power of local responses to the circumstances that underpin diseases of poverty, and highlight the methodological and programme innovations necessary to support and sustain these responses.