Women's knowledge, attitude, and practice of breast self- examination in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review.

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is a non-communicable disease with increased morbidity and mortality. Early detection of BC contributes to prompt linkage to care and reduction of complications associated with BC. Breast self-examination (BSE) is useful for detecting breast abnormalities particularly in settings with poor access to healthcare for clinical breast examination and mammography.

Risk factors and morbidities associated with childhood obesity in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic scoping review.

Background: The rising burden of childhood obesity is a major public health concern, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where most health systems are weak and least prepared for complications that may arise. While the need for preventive action is increasingly recognized, policy implementation within the sub-region has often been inadequate, non-systematic, and ad hoc. This study described evidence on the risk factors and morbidities associated with childhood obesity in SSA.

Consumer Preference and Quality of Sachet Water Sold and Consumed in the Sunyani Municipality of Ghana.

Good quality water is odourless, colourless, and free from faecal pollution, and a satisfactory safe supply must be made available to consumers. The study assessed consumer preference and quality of sachet water sold and consumed in the Sunyani Municipality of Ghana. A cross-sectional study design was used, and data were collected using a structured questionnaire from a sample size of 500 respondents.

Tuberculosis active case-finding interventions and approaches for prisoners in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic scoping review.

Background: In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), most prisons are overcrowded with poor ventilation and put prisoners disproportionally at risk of exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) and developing TB infection but are mostly missed due to poor access to healthcare. Active case-finding (ACF) of TB in prisons facilitates early diagnosis and treatment of inmates and prevent the spread. We explored literature and described evidence on TB ACF interventions and approaches for prisoners in SSA prisons.

Biting rates and relative abundance of Simulium flies under different climatic conditions in an onchocerciasis endemic community in Ghana.

Background: Knowledge of the relative abundance and biting rates of riverine blackflies (vectors of onchocerciasis) is essential as these entomological indices affect transmission of the disease. However, transmission patterns vary from one ecological zone to another and this may be due to differences in species of blackfly vectors and the climatic conditions in the area. This study investigated the effects of climate variability on the relative abundance and biting rates of blackflies in the Tanfiano community (Nkoranza North District, Bono East Region, Ghana).

Geographical Accessibility to Glucose-6-Phosphate Dioxygenase Deficiency Point-of-Care Testing for Antenatal Care in Ghana.

Background: Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency screening test is essential for malaria treatment, control, and elimination programs. G6PD deficient individuals are at high risk of severe hemolysis when given anti-malarial drugs such as primaquine, quinine, other sulphonamide-containing medicines, and chloroquine, which has recently been shown to be potent for the treatment of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). We evaluated the geographical accessibility to POC testing for G6PD deficiency in Ghana, a malaria-endemic country.

Mapping evidence on women's knowledge and practice of breast self-examination in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol.

Background: Globally, breast cancer is the most common malignant condition in women. Breast self-examination practice following correct procedure potentially can lead to early detection of breast abnormalities. We propose to systematically chart literature and examine the scope of evidence on women's knowledge and practice of breast self-examination in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Mapping evidence of free maternal healthcare financing and quality of care in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic scoping review protocol.

Background: Identifying and addressing research gaps on the implementation of free maternal healthcare financing policies and the quality of service delivery in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is essential in ensuring continuous patronage of the services by clients and sustainability of the policies to meet the intended goals. The proposed scoping review is aimed at mapping evidence on free maternal healthcare financing and quality of care in SSA.

Methods: Arksey and O'Malley's framework, Levac and colleagues' recommendations, and the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines will be used to guide the proposed study.

Mapping evidence on the burden and distribution of childhood obesity in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol.

Background: Obesity in childhood is associated with adverse health outcomes and complications throughout the life-span of a child. Available evidence suggests a dramatic increase in childhood obesity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) over the past two decades. The health risks associated with obesity/overweight are particularly problematic in children due to the potential for long-term health concerns.

Estimating the Spatial Accessibility to Blood Group and Rhesus Type Point-of-Care Testing for Maternal Healthcare in Ghana.

Background: In Ghana, a blood group and rhesus type test is one of the essential recommended screening tests for women during antenatal care since blood transfusion is a key intervention for haemorrhage. We estimated the spatial accessibility to health facilities for blood group and type point-of-care (POC) testing in the Upper East Region (UER), Ghana.

Methods: We assembled the attributes and spatial data of hospitals, clinics, and medical laboratories providing blood group and rhesus type POC testing in the UER.

Geographical Accessibility to District Hospitals/Medical Laboratories for Comprehensive Antenatal Point-of-Care Diagnostic Services in the Upper East Region, Ghana.

Background: Access to referral healthcare facilities from primary healthcare (PHC) clinics for diagnostic services is critical for improving maternal health outcomes. We described the geographical distribution and accessibility to district hospitals/medical laboratories for comprehensive antenatal point-of-care (POC) diagnostic services in the Upper East region (UER), Ghana.

Methods: We assembled detailed spatial data on 100 participated PHC clinics in our previous survey, their nearest referral district hospitals/medical laboratories, and landscape features influencing journeys in the UER.

Supply chain management and accessibility to point-of-care testing in resource-limited settings: a systematic scoping review.

Background: World Health Organization (WHO) has created an essential list of in-vitro diagnostics. Supply chain management (SCM) is said to be the vehicle that ensures that developed point-of-care (POC) tests reach their targeted settings for use. We therefore, mapped evidence on SCM of and accessibility to POC testing (availability and use of POC tests) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Mapping evidence on tuberculosis active case finding policies, strategies, and interventions for tuberculosis key populations: a systematic scoping review protocol.

Background: Early diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) have been shown to reduce the impact of TB illness particularly, among TB key populations such as people living with HIV/AIDS, prisoners, refugees, migrants, displaced populations, survivors of TB illness, and indigenous populations. We propose to conduct a systematic scoping review to map global evidence on active tuberculosis case finding policies, strategies, and interventions for TB key populations.

Method And Analysis: This study will be guided by the scoping review framework, proposed by Arksey and O'Malley.

Geographic accessibility to public health facilities providing tuberculosis testing services at point-of-care in the upper east region, Ghana.

Background: In Ghana, limited evidence exists about the geographical accessibility to health facilities providing tuberculosis (TB) diagnostic services to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, we aimed to assess the geographic accessibility to public health facilities providing TB testing services at point-of-care (POC) in the Upper East Region (UER), Ghana.

Methods: We assembled detailed spatial data on all 10 health facilities providing TB testing services at POC, and landscape features influencing journeys.

Prevalence of onchocerciasis and associated clinical manifestations in selected hypoendemic communities in Ghana following long-term administration of ivermectin.

Background: Onchocerciasis is a neglected tropical disease which is still of immense major public health concern in several areas of Africa and the Americas. The disease manifests either as ocular or as dermal onchocerciasis with several symptoms including itching, nodules, skin thickening, visual impairment and blindness. Ivermectin has been an efficient microfilaricide against the causative agent of the disease (Onchocerca volvulus) but reports from some areas in Africa suggest the development of resistance to this drug.

Accessibility of pregnancy-related point-of-care diagnostic tests for maternal healthcare in rural primary healthcare facilities in Northern Ghana: A cross-sectional survey.

Background: Improving access to maternal healthcare in resource-limited settings plays a critical role in improving maternal health outcomes and reducing maternal deaths. However barriers and challenges may exist in rural clinics and could affect successful implementation. This study assessed the current accessibility of pregnancy-related point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tests for maternal healthcare in rural primary healthcare (PHC) clinics in northern Ghana.

Poor supply chain management and stock-outs of point-of-care diagnostic tests in Upper East Region's primary healthcare clinics, Ghana.

Introduction: Several supply chain components are important to sustain point-of-care (POC) testing services in rural settings. To evaluate the availability of POC diagnostic tests in rural Ghana's primary healthcare (PHC) clinics, we conducted an audit of the supply chain management for POC diagnostic services in rural Upper East Region's (UER) PHC clinics, Ghana to determine the reasons/causes of POC tests deficiencies.

Material And Methods: We conducted a review of accessible POC diagnostics in 100 PHC clinics in UER, Ghana from February to March 2018.

The Search for an Efficient Black Fly Trap for Xenomonitoring of Onchocerciasis.

Onchocerciasis is a neglected tropical disease that has plagued mankind for decades with pathologies that involve the eyes and the skin. The WHO and the global health community have earmarked the disease for global elimination by 2045. However, as control programmes shift focus from reduction of the burden of the disease to elimination, new tools and strategies may be needed to meet targets.

Premorbid risk perception, lifestyle, adherence and coping strategies of people with diabetes mellitus: A phenomenological study in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana.

Background: One of the non-communicable diseases which is on the rise is type 2 diabetes (T2D). T2D is largely preventable with healthy lifestyle. We therefore conducted this study to explore premorbid perception of risk, behavioural practices and the coping strategies of patients with T2D.

Improving the Accessibility and Efficiency of Point-of-Care Diagnostics Services in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Lean and Agile Supply Chain Management.

Access to point-of-care (POC) diagnostics services is essential for ensuring rapid disease diagnosis, management, control, and surveillance. POC testing services can improve access to healthcare especially where healthcare infrastructure is weak and access to quality and timely medical care is a challenge. Improving the accessibility and efficiency of POC diagnostics services, particularly in resource-limited settings, may be a promising route to improving healthcare outcomes.

Willingness to accept capitation payment system under the Ghana National Health Insurance Policy: do income levels matter?

This research was set to examine the factors influencing the willingness and the likelihood of Ghanaians to accept the capitation payment system under the National Health Insurance Scheme. Data was collected through the random sampling method in all the ten regions of Ghana. A probit estimation with marginal effects was adopted to examine the factors influencing the willingness and the likelihood while the generalized Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition was used to examine the extent to which individual characteristics influence the acceptance gap between high income and low-income earners.

Correlates of domestic waste management and related health outcomes in Sunyani, Ghana: a protocol towards enhancing policy.

Background: Domestic waste generation has contributed significantly to hampering national waste management efforts. It poses serious threat to national development and requires proper treatment and management within and outside households. The problem of improper waste management has always been a challenge in Ghana, compelling several national surveys to report on the practice of waste management.

Perspectives of urban Ghanaian women on vasectomy.

Background: Advocacy for male involvement in family planning has been championed over the years after the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). There are a few contraceptive methods for men, and vasectomy uptake has been identified as one of the indicators of male involvement in family planning. Vasectomy also known as male sterilization is a permanent form of contraception.

Covert contraceptive use among women attending a reproductive health clinic in a municipality in Ghana.

Background: Covert contraceptive use (CCU) in sub-Saharan Africa is an indication of women's inability to exercise autonomy in their reproductive choices. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and determinants of CCU among a sample of FP clients in a municipality of Ghana.

Methods: We conducted a mixed method study among women attending a public reproductive health clinic in Sunyani, a city of over 250,000 inhabitants in Ghana.