Improving health outcomes by strengthening public sector capacity in social and behaviour change programming in Nigeria: a qualitative study.

Objective: This paper examines the outcomes of the public sector capacity strengthening (PSCS) approach and how they contribute to the promotion of maternal, newborn, and child health, and nutrition (MNCH+N), family planning (FP) and malaria prevention-related outcomes.

Design: The qualitative study implemented from July to August of 2022 used the outcome harvesting methodology and key informant interviews to elicit information including most significant change (MSC) stories to evaluate project outcomes over 5 years (2017-2022).

Setting: The study was conducted in Sokoto, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Bauchi and Ebonyi states of Nigeria.

scRNA-seq reveals elevated interferon responses and TNF-α signaling via NFkB in monocytes in children with uncomplicated malaria.

Malaria causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide, disproportionately impacting sub-Saharan Africa. Disease phenotypes associated with infection can vary widely, from asymptomatic to life-threatening. To date, prevention efforts, particularly those related to vaccine development, have been hindered by an incomplete understanding of which factors impact host immune responses resulting in these divergent outcomes.

Integrating Maternal and Child Health Into Climate Change: A Holistic Approach.

Objectives: In everyday language, climate change is an increase in the Earth's average temperature. Climate change negatively affects life support systems, including air, food, water, shelter, and security, on which humans depend. This paper aims to holistically integrate maternal and child health into climate change.

High migratory potential of fall armyworm in West Africa despite stable temperatures and widely available year-round habitats.

The fall armyworm (FAW), an important migratory pest native to the Americas, was first detected in a nonnative region (West Africa) in 2016. In the following years, it quickly spread to multiple regions worldwide. FAW exhibits long-distance seasonal migration in both the Americas and Asia, primarily to take advantage of suitable seasonal habitats as they appear along the migratory pathways.

Association of gross domestic product with equitable access to childhood vaccines in 195 countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Gross domestic product (GDP) has been shown to affect government spending on various budget heads including healthcare and the purchase and distribution of vaccines. This vulnerable situation has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic which disrupted and exposed the fragile nature of equitable access to vaccines for childhood immunisation globally. A systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association of country income status and GDP with vaccination coverage of vaccines for childhood immunisation and other major infectious diseases around the globe will inform global and national policy on equity in living standards and vaccine uptake.

Molecular epidemiology of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases and carbapenemases-producing Shigella in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The treatment of Shigella infections has become a major challenge due to the emergence of multidrug-resistant Shigella. There is however insufficient knowledge regarding the molecular epidemiology of Shigella strains producing beta-lactamases in Africa. This systematic review investigated the scientific literature on the molecular epidemiology of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) and carbapenemases producing Shigella in Africa.

Presentation, management and outcomes of ruptured intracranial aneurysms in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Approximately two percent of the world's population are affected by intracranial aneurysms (IAs). This study aimed to evaluate literature regarding presentation, treatment and outcomes of ruptured IAs in Africa.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature using PubMed/MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Can public education campaigns equitably counter the use of substandard and falsified (SF) medical products in African countries?

Substandard and falsified (SF) medical products are a serious health and economic concern that disproportionately impact low- and middle-income countries and marginalized groups. Public education campaigns are demand-side interventions that may reduce risk of SF exposure, but the effectiveness of such campaigns, and their likelihood of benefitting everybody, is unclear. Nationwide pilot risk communication campaigns, involving multiple media, were deployed in Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda in 2020-2021.

Knowledge, attitude and practices regarding vitamin D among adults in Ghana: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is a major public health concern, affecting approximately half of the world's population, partly due to limited public knowledge about vitamin D sources. However, there is lack of data on awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding vitamin D in high-risk countries like Ghana. We investigated vitamin D awareness, knowledge and its associated factors in the Ghanaian population.

Gambling advertising regulation in Ghana: what do we know and where to next?

In Ghana and many other sub-Saharan African countries gambling advertising has become pervasive due to weak regulations that allow gambling operators to zealously promote their products as a risk-free way to make money. In this commentary, we provide a public health perspective based on document analysis of the Ghana Gaming Commission's guidelines on advertisements, and recommendations for strengthening Ghana's gambling regulatory environment. With the industry intensifying its focus on new markets to grow and sustain profits, and new global players entering Ghana's market, the competition for market share will most likely intensify with an associated and aggressive increase in gambling advertising.

Development of Public Health Center-Based Culturally Tailored Hypertension Self-Care Intervention Among Adults in Rural Ghana.

Objectives: Develop a primary health care-based nurse-led culturally tailored hypertension self-care intervention for rural residents.

Design: The culturally tailored hypertension self-care intervention was developed using a six-step intervention mapping approach that involved: needs assessment using literature review and interviews; setting program goals using integrated thematic synthesis method; selecting intervention modules through the process dimension of the self-care theory of chronic illness; producing program components and materials by developing intervention modules using the motivational interviewing and behavior change techniques; planning program adoption by encouraging sustainable behavior; and evaluation using the education content validity index in health and the intervention acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility scale.

Measurements: Education content validity index in health and the intervention acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility scale.

Climate change and food security nexus in Ghana: The role of renewable energy.

Climate change is aggravating hunger, which is miserable in Sub-Saharan African nations like Ghana. Yet evidence of the effect of climatic variables on hunger, particularly multidimensional food security, is less illuminated in Ghana. Moreover, the decoupling effect of renewable energy on emissions and food security is rare in the Ghanaian context.

"Community members question me and flaunt their children before me": A call for psychosocial support for women with infertility in Northern Ghana.

Infertility is a major health issue that poses threats to women's lives, marriages, and health. Yet little is known about psychosocial support for women with infertility in Northern Ghana. This study aims to understand the psychosocial challenges faced by women with infertility and evaluate the availability and effectiveness of social support systems in East Mamprusi Municipality, Northern Ghana using a qualitative interpretive descriptive design.

Translation, adaptation and validation of an epilepsy screening instrument in two Ghanaian languages.

Introduction: The prevalence of epilepsy in sub-Saharan Africa varies considerably, and the exact estimate for Ghana remains unclear, particularly in peri-urban areas where data are scarce. More community-based studies are required to understand better the actual burden of epilepsy in these areas and the difficulties in accessing healthcare.

Objective: To adapt and validate a household survey epilepsy-screening instrument in Shai-Osudoku and Ningo-Prampram District of Greater Accra Region, Ghana.

A never-ending story: updated 3D cyber-taxonomic revision of the ant genus Wheeler (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Dorylinae) for the Afrotropical region.

The ant genus are fascinating ants due to their distinctive morphology, ecology, and rarity. In this study, a comprehensive revision of in the Afrotropical region is presented, through a combination of morphological examination under the light microscope and three-dimensional (3D) cyber-taxonomy based on microtomography (micro-CT). Micro-CT based 3D surface models of all species were used for virtual morphological visualisation and examination.

Neural Stem/Progenitor Cell Therapy in Patients and Animals with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative malady that causes progressive degeneration and loss of motor neuron function in the brain and spinal cord, eventually resulting in muscular atrophy, paralysis, and death. Neural stem/progenitor cell (NSPC) transplantation can improve bodily function in animals and delay disease progression in patients with ALS. This paper summarizes and analyzes the efficacy and safety of neural stem/progenitor cell (NSPC) transplantation as a treatment for ALS, aiming to improve function and delay disease progression in patients.

Knowledge and occupational practices of beauticians and barbers in the transmission of viral hepatitis: A mixed-methods study in Volta Region of Ghana.

Background: Hepatitis B and C viral (HBV and HCV) infections are endemic in Ghana. Also, the National Policy on Viral Hepatitis stipulates that there is unreliable data, limited knowledge, and a deficiency in research on viral hepatitis, especially among some high-risk workers in the eastern part of the country. This study therefore assessed the knowledge level and occupational practices of street beauticians and barbers in the transmission of HBV and HCV in the Volta Region of Ghana.

Identification of Rickettsia species in cattle ticks in selected regions of urban Ghana.

Ticks continue to invade new regions spreading pathogens of zoonotic and veterinary importance. Diverse tick species have been reported in Ghana due to the continuous trade of livestock. In this study, ticks were collected from cattle in three sites within Southern Ghana.

Prevalence, predisposing factors, and turnover intention related to low back pain among health workers in Accra, Ghana.

Background: Globally, low back pain (LBP) is responsible for disability among 60.1 million people. Health workers face a higher likelihood of being exposed to LBP compared to employees in the construction and manufacturing sectors.

Household food insecurity, living conditions, and individual sense of security: A cross-sectional survey among Burkina Faso refugees in Ghana.

Food insecurity and achieving adequate nutrition is a major global challenge, especially in vulnerable groups such as refugee communities. In West Africa, thousands of Burkina Faso refugees have crossed the border into northern Ghana due to conflict and instability in their home country. We conducted a one-off cross-sectional survey to assess household food insecurity, living conditions, and sense of security among Burkina Faso refugees currently residing in the Upper East region of Ghana.

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.

'It is an emotional rollercoaster!!!' Experiences of mothers of preterm newborns seeking care at a tertiary hospital in Ghana: a qualitative phenomenological study.

Objective: To describe, through the phenomenological lens, the experiences of mothers following preterm birth and admitted at a tertiary hospital.

Methods: DESIGN: Descriptive phenomenological study.

Setting: Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a tertiary hospital in Ghana.

mHealth knowledge and usage in maternal healthcare delivery: perspectives and experiences of healthcare practitioners in Ghana.

Objectives: This study explored the knowledge and experiences of health practitioners regarding the use of mobile health (mHealth) for maternal healthcare delivery.

Design: Underpinned by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, this study was an exploratory qualitative design involving in-depth interviews. Data collection occurred between July 2023 and January 2024.

Examining the impact of psychosocial safety climate on working conditions, well-being and safety of healthcare providers: a scoping review.

Background: In contemporary healthcare systems, the well-being and safety of healthcare providers are pivotal for sustaining a resilient healthcare system. The concept of Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC) emerges as a crucial framework influencing job design and employee perceptions in organisational settings, although its application within healthcare settings remains relatively underexplored. The aim of this review was to explore the buffering effect of PSC and its impact on working conditions, well-being and performance.