Public knowledge and awareness of tick-borne pathogens and diseases: A cross-sectional study in Ghana.

Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) pose a significant and increasing health threat globally. About 45 tick species have been described from Ghana, located in sub-Saharan Africa, but it is unknown how well-informed local citizens are regarding the risks posed by ticks and TBDs. Utilizing a cross-sectional design with questionnaires, this study assessed the public knowledge and awareness of ticks, tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) and TBDs in Ghana.

Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Lettuce and Spring Onion on Human Health in Kumasi, Ghana.

Introduction: The demand and consumption of vegetables are significantly increasing worldwide, which has resulted in urban farming on anthropogenic sites. This study assessed the concentrations of some selected heavy metals in lettuce and spring onion in line with the WHO/FAO required standard and its implications on human health.

Methods: The study was carried out in Kumasi, within moist semi-deciduous forest vegetation, Ghana.

A novel scale for assessing the risk of low birthweight: Birthweight questionnaire.

Background: The birthweight of a newborn is critical to their health, development, and well-being. Previous studies that used maternal characteristics to predict birthweight did not employ a harmonised scale to assess the risk of low birthweight (LBW).

Objective: The goal of this study was to develop a new instrument that uses items on a uniform scale to assess the risk of an LBW in a pregnant woman.

Coping with hypertensive treatment at Bono Regional Hospital in Sunyani, Ghana: a prospective observational cohort study.

Introduction: the stress associated with hypertension treatment makes using coping strategies inevitable. However, most patients with hypertension apply inefficient coping strategies, leading to uncontrolled blood pressure (BP). The study analyzed coping strategies associated with hypertension treatment and determined how these coping strategies predicted the current BP of patients with hypertension.

Heavy metal content and health risk assessment of commonly patronized herbal medicinal preparations from the Kumasi metropolis of Ghana.

Purpose: To address the question of whether users of herbal products (HPs) are exposed to harmful contaminants, we evaluated six HPs mostly patronized in Kumasi for heavy metal contamination and assessed the health risk associated with their use. This study is one of the first safety evaluation studies on finished multiherbal products in the region.

Method: Three antimalarial, two antidiabetic and one antihypertensive HPs were selected after a mini-survey and coded randomly as HP A-F.