The evolutionary history of Plasmodium falciparum from mitochondrial and apicoplast genomes of China-Myanmar border isolates.

Background: The frequent communication between African and Southeast Asian (SEA) countries has led to the risk of imported malaria cases in the China-Myanmar border (CMB) region. Therefore, tracing the origins of new malaria infections is important in the maintenance of malaria-free zones in this border region. A new genotyping tool based on a robust mitochondrial (mt) /apicoplast (apico) barcode was developed to estimate genetic diversity and infer the evolutionary history of Plasmodium falciparum across the major distribution ranges.

Assessing five-year trend and socio-demographic determinants of caesarean section delivery in Ghana.

Introduction: The rate of caesarean section (C-section) deliveries has been increasing globally, including in low- and middle-income countries like Ghana. Understanding the trends, patterns, and socio-demographic determinants of C-section deliveries is crucial for improving maternal healthcare services and reducing unnecessary surgical interventions. This study aims to assess the trend and factors associated with CS deliveries in Ghana using secondary data from the District Health Information Management System 2 (DHIMS-2) database.

Comparative Analysis of Traumatic Brain Injury Severity in Motorcycle and Car Accident Victims Treated at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the common causes of long-term disabilities, with about 10 million deaths annually.

Objectives: Our aim is to compare the severity and outcomes of TBI between motorcycle and car accident victims.

Materials And Methods: A prospective cohort study focusing on TBI patients.

Knowledge, perceptions, and management of symptoms of hormonal imbalance among adolescent girls in selected schools in Ghana: a qualitative exploratory study.

Introduction: Adolescent girls are more sensitive to hormonal imbalance with major impact on their nutritional, reproductive, physical, psychosocial, and academic wellbeing. This study explored adolescent girls' knowledge and perceptions of causes and management of symptoms of hormonal imbalance.

Materials And Methods: Using a qualitative approach, focus group discussions were conducted with 116 assented in-school adolescent girls aged 10-19 years between 3rd and 19th October 2022.

Health risk assessment of potassium bromate in bread in Ghana.

Introduction: Potassium bromate (KBrO) is an oxidizing agent added to flour to improve bread quality. However, KBrO is nephrotoxic, and a class B carcinogen banned in most countries, including Ghana.

Aim: This study aimed to determine the residual KBrO concentration in bread and to estimate the chemical and carcinogenic risk that is associated with the consumption of these breads in Ghana.

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.

Feasibility of the use of Kangaroo mother care in the transfer of preterm and low-birth-weight infants: a two-arm nonrandomized controlled cluster feasibility study of neonatal transport in Cape Coast, Ghana.

Background: Despite progress made towards SDG 3, sub-Saharan Africa lags behind the rest of the world, accounting for over 50% of global neonatal deaths. The increased number of hospital births in the region has not reciprocated the reduction in neonatal mortality rates. Sick newborns face uncertain journeys from peripheral facilities to specialized centres arriving in suboptimal conditions, which impacts their outcomes, due partly to the scarcity of dedicated neonatal transport services.

A systematic review of the comparative effects of sound and music interventions for intensive care unit patients' outcomes.

Background: Despite syntheses of evidence showing efficacy of music intervention for improving psychological and physiological outcomes in critically ill patients, interventions that include nonmusic sounds have not been addressed in reviews of evidence. It is unclear if nonmusic sounds in the intensive care unit (ICU) can confer benefits similar to those of music.

Objective: The aim of this study was to summarise and contrast available evidence on the effect of music and nonmusic sound interventions for the physiological and psychological outcomes of ICU patients based on the results of randomised controlled trials.

Care delivery in the context of district mental healthcare plans in Ghana: a qualitative study exploring experiences of primary healthcare workers and service users.

Objective: To explore the perceptions and experiences of mental health service users and healthcare workers regarding the implementation of district mental healthcare plans (DMHPs) in three district demonstration sites in Ghana.

Design: The study employed a qualitative design using reflexive thematic analysis. Interview data were analysed by combining inductive and deductive approaches.

Impact of late-stage hypoxic stimulation and layer breeder age on embryonic development, hatching and chick quality.

The present study examined the effects of breeder age and oxygen (O₂) concentrations during the late chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) growth stage on embryo development, hatching dynamics, chick quality, bone mineralization and hatchability. A total of 1200 eggs from 33- and 50-week-old ISA layer breeders, weighing 53.85 g and 60.

Microcardia and cardiomegaly screening using postero-anterior chest X-ray (PA CXR) across university students in Ghana - a retrospective study.

Background: Microcardia and cardiomegaly are good diagnostic and prognostic tools for several diseases. This study investigated the distribution of microcardia and cardiomegaly among students of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in Ghana to determine the prevalence of microcardia and cardiomegaly across gender, and to evaluate the correlation between the presence of these heart conditions and age.

Methods: This retrospective study involved a review of 4519 postero-anterior (PA) chest X-rays (CXRs) between 2020 and 2023.

Spatiotemporal dynamics of the oropharyngeal microbiome in a cohort of Ivorian school children.

The respiratory tract harbours microorganisms of the normal host microbiota which are also capable of causing invasive disease. Among these, Neisseria meningitidis a commensal bacterium of the oropharynx can cause meningitis, a disease with epidemic potential. The oral microbiome plays a crucial role in maintaining respiratory health.

Assessing the Reliability of YouTube Content for Plastic Surgery Patient Information in Africa With the Modified DISCERN and JAMA Scores.

Introduction: YouTube has become a popular source of health information, including plastic surgery. Given the platform's wide reach and potential influence on patient decisions, this study aimed to assess the quality of information available on YouTube for African audiences seeking plastic surgery procedures.

Methods: This cross-sectional study extracted data from YouTube videos on plastic surgery relevant to Africa.

Assessment of radon level and the associated radiological risk from soil samples of quarry area at Hakim Gara, Ethiopia.

Excavation of terrestrial surface of the Earth could enhance the chance of exposure to radon while gases in the underground get access to escape. This study was aimed to assess the level of radon concentration from soil samples of quarrying sites at Hakim Gara in Ethiopia using CR-39 detectors in sealed container technique. The results of the measured radon concentration level were ranging from 164.

Pan African Vivax and Ovale Network (PAVON) Malaria Diagnostic Competency Training: Offering Training Opportunities to Impact Malaria Elimination Strategies in Sub-Saharan Africa.

PAVON has developed a malaria microscopy competency training scheme to augment competency in malaria microscopy. Here, data accrued from training activities between 2020 and 2023 in Botswana are presented. Three trainings were done for 37 central and peripheral level technicians for a two-week period.

Exploring Mycolactone-The Unique Causative Toxin of Buruli Ulcer: Biosynthetic, Synthetic Pathways, Biomarker for Diagnosis, and Therapeutic Potential.

Mycolactone is a complex macrolide toxin produced by , the causative agent of Buruli ulcer. The aim of this paper is to review the chemistry, biosynthetic, and synthetic pathways of mycolactone A/B to help develop an understanding of the mode of action of these polyketides as well as their therapeutic potential. The synthetic work has largely been driven by the desire to afford researchers enough (≥100 mg) of the pure toxins for systematic biological studies toward understanding their very high biological activities.

Comprehensive Blood Metabolome and Exposome Analysis, Annotation, and Interpretation in E-Waste Workers.

Electronic and electrical waste (e-waste) production has emerged to be of global environmental public health concern. E-waste workers, who are frequently exposed to hazardous chemicals through occupational activities, face considerable health risks. To investigate the metabolic and exposomic changes in these workers, we analyzed whole blood samples from 100 male e-waste workers and 49 controls from the GEOHealth II project (2017-2018 in Accra, Ghana) using LC-MS/MS.

Retraction to "A data mining technique for detecting malignant mesothelioma cancer using multiple regression analysis".

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1515/biol-2022-0746.].

Impact of Climate Change on Adolescents' Health Outcomes: An Evidence Gap Map Review.

Background: The evolving impact of climate change on adolescents' health is a pressing global concern. Climate change's effects on their physical, mental, and social well-being worsen unique developmental challenges for adolescents. This study aims to map existing evidence, identify gaps, and highlight research and intervention needs.

Morphological and biological characterization of Spermophagus niger (Motschulsky, 1866) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) from four West African countries.

In Burkina Faso and many West African countries, Spermophagus niger (L.) is the main insect pest of Hibiscus sabdariffa seeds stored with considerable damage. Variations in bioclimatic conditions can lead to significant changes in the morphology and biology of populations of the same insect species, leading to strains that are morphologically and biologically different and that would react differently to a given control method.

Effect of Covid-19 on maternal and child health services utilization in Ghana. Evidence from the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

Introduction: Covid-19 has had devastating effect on health systems and health utilization globally. Maternal and newborn care were adversely affected but little or nothing is known about the impact it has caused to it. This study seeks to determine the effect of Covid-19 on healthcare utilization with specifics on Antenatal, Postnatal, Deliveries and Out-patient attendance.

Impact of the Stigma of Mental Illness: A Descriptive Exploratory Study of Outpatients in a Public Mental Health Hospital in Ghana.

Despite ongoing efforts, persons with mental illness (PWMI) continue to experience stigma and discrimination and with profound negative outcomes. This study examined the psychological and social impact of the stigma attached to mental illness as experienced by out-patients at a public mental health facility. We applied a descriptive exploratory method using a semi-structured interview guide to elicit subjective responses from 12 Outpatient Department members.

What emerging adults say about the appropriateness of sexual and reproductive health programmes: evidence from a suburb in Accra, Ghana.

Introduction: Young people's access to appropriate health information in Ghana has been marginal, hence their utilisation of existing services remains poor. Most sexual and reproductive health (SRH) policies and outreach programmes target adolescents, neglecting emerging adults who are equally vulnerable to SRH risks. This study seeks to elicit emerging adults' knowledge and experiences with SRH programmes, and their recommendations to improve the services for their needs.

Phenotypic and Allelic Frequencies of ABO and Rh(D) Blood Antigens in Ghana: A Systematic Review.

Background: ABO and Rh blood group systems are the most significant blood group systems recognized by the International Society of Blood Transfusion and are widely used for clinical and anthropological purposes. This systematic review determined the distribution and allelic frequency of ABO and Rh(D) antigens in Ghana.

Methods: Literature searches were performed in PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect, up to February 20, 2024, and included studies published from 2000 to 2024 in all regions of Ghana.

Barriers and facilitators to interprofessional simulation-based learning in a Ugandan medical school: a qualitative study.

Background: Although Interprofessional Education (IPE) is an important component of medical education, it has only recently come under consideration in Sub-Saharan Africa. IPE occurs when two or more professions learn from, about and with each other regarding effective collaboration and the improvement of health outcomes. Current academic programs focus more on traditional approaches to training physicians, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, physiotherapists and nurses like they were independent entities.