Nutritional status of children with cerebral palsy in Ghana.

Background: Limited knowledge on nutritional epidemiology in Ghanaian children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) necessitates a comprehensive investigation for an improved understanding of malnutrition in this population.

Objectives: We aimed to describe the epidemiology of malnutrition among children with CP in Ghana.

Methods: The study used data collected as part of the Ghana CP Register (GCPR).

Anticoagulation control among patients on vitamin K antagonists in nine countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Vitamin K antagonists (VKA) is the primary anticoagulant in most settings of Sub-Saharan Africa. Understanding the quality of anticoagulation services in the continent is vital in optimising the intended benefits. This study assessed the quality of anticoagulation and associated factors among VKA-treated patients in nine SSA countries.

Global pediatric anesthesia-Anglophone West Africa perspective.

Background: This article gives the pediatric anesthesia perspective from Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, and Gambia, five out of six countries in Anglophone West Africa. Over 40% of the population of most of these countries are younger than 14 years and there is an increasing need for paediatric anesthesia services.

Findings: Workforce density ranges from 0.

More Drugs Versus More Data: The Tug of War on Cancer in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Although current value frameworks and economic models have allowed us to better quantify the net benefit associated with cancer therapy, holistic cancer care must consider patient time, family and social values, and overall life expectancy. Training programs must include training in health services research, difficult conversations, and shared decision-making strategies that are developed in social and cultural frameworks for their settings.

A continuous quality improvement strategy to strengthen screening practices and facilitate the routine use of intravenous iron for treating anaemia in pregnant and postpartum women in Nigeria: a study protocol.

Background: Pregnancy-related anaemia is a public health challenge across Africa. Over 50% of pregnant women in Africa get diagnosed with this condition, and up to 75% of these are caused by iron deficiency. The condition is a significant contributor to the high maternal deaths across the continent and, in particular, Nigeria, which accounts for about 34% of global maternal deaths.

Contemporary aetiology of acute heart failure in a teaching hospital in Ghana.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is recognized as a global public health disease associated with high morbidity and mortality. It is suggested that the main underlying causes of HF in developing countries differ from those identified in well-resourced countries. This study therefore presents the cardiovascular risk factors and the underlying aetiology of HF among admitted patients in a teaching Hospital in Ghana.

Geographic Accessibility of Radiation Therapy Facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Purpose: Access to radiation therapy in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remains unacceptably low. Prior studies have focused on how many radiation therapy machines a country has but have not accounted for geographic accessibility, which is a known barrier to radiation therapy compliance. In this study, we describe accessibility measured as travel time by road to radiation therapy in SSA.

Establishment of a Modified and Standardized Ferric Chloride-Induced Rat Carotid Artery Thrombosis Model.

Background: Ferric chloride is widely utilized in inducing thrombosis in small vessels of experimental animals. However, the lack of its application in large blood vessels of experimental animals and inconsistent concentration has limited its application. Therefore, we systematically tested the most suitable concentration and reliable induction time in the experiment of using ferric chloride to induce rat carotid artery thrombosis.

Report of the Premier African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer Virtual Genomics Conference held from 18-20 February 2021.

The rapidly rising cancer burden and mortality rate in Africa are in contrast to the increase in cancer survivorship in Europe and North America. Genomic medicine has contributed to the rise in survival and has facilitated precision cancer control. However, there is a shortage of African representation in genomic databases, even for cancers that disproportionately affect Africans.

Assessment of Adult Women With Ovarian Masses and Treatment of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: ASCO Resource-Stratified Guideline.

Purpose: To provide expert guidance to clinicians and policymakers in three resource-constrained settings on diagnosis and staging of adult women with ovarian masses and treatment of patients with epithelial ovarian (including fallopian tube and primary peritoneal) cancer.

Methods: A multidisciplinary, multinational ASCO Expert Panel reviewed existing guidelines, conducted a modified ADAPTE process, and conducted a formal consensus process with additional experts.

Results: Existing sets of guidelines from eight guideline developers were found and reviewed for resource-constrained settings; adapted recommendations from nine guidelines form the evidence base, informing two rounds of formal consensus; and all recommendations received ≥ 75% agreement.

Health Disparities in Rheumatic Diseases: Understanding Global Challenges in Africa, Europe, Latin America, and Asia and Proposing Strategies for Improvement.

Rheumatic diseases reach across continents with some similarities as well as unique challenges. The intersection between genetic factors, environmental exposures and socioeconomic factors, as well as challenges, with delays in access to subspecialty care and medications, manifest in different ways. By understanding both the challenges and successes in different countries, while also recognizing the significant diversity both within and across continents, unified strategies to improve rheumatic disease outcomes and decrease disparities among the most vulnerable groups can be developed and disseminated.

Assessing the functionality of an emergency obstetric referral system and continuum of care among public healthcare facilities in a low resource setting: an application of process mapping approach.

Background: Weak referral systems remain a major concern influencing timely access to the appropriate level of care during obstetric emergencies, particularly for Low-and Middle-Income Countries, including Ghana. It is a serious factor threatening the achievement of the maternal health Sustainable Development Goal. The objective of this study is to establish process details of emergency obstetric referral systems across different levels of public healthcare facilities to deepen understanding of systemic barriers and preliminary solutions in an urban district, using Ablekuma in Accra, Ghana as a case study.

Cancer and COVID-19 Experiences at African Cancer Centers: The Silver Lining.

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted cancer care in Africa, further exposing major health disparities. This paper compares and contrasts the experiences of 15 clinicians in six different African cancer centers to highlight the positive aspects (silver linings) in an otherwise negative situation.

Methods: Data are from personal experience of the clinicians working at the six cancer centers blended with what is available in the literature.

Chest Computed Tomography findings in patients with corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19): An initial experience in three centres in Ghana, West Africa.

Background: Radiological examinations have a significant role in the diagnosis and management of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Many COVID-19 patients show typical Chest Computed Tomography (CT Scan) features which can aid in the diagnoses and triaging of such patients. This is especially so in resource-limited settings where access to molecular diagnostic techniques such as Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) is not optimal.

African League Against Rheumatism (AFLAR) preliminary recommendations on the management of rheumatic diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives: To develop recommendations for the management of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method: A task force comprising of 25 rheumatologists from the 5 regions of the continent was formed and operated through a hub-and-spoke model with a central working committee (CWC) and 4 subgroups. The subgroups championed separate scopes of the clinical questions and formulated preliminary statements of recommendations which were processed centrally in the CWC.

Pilot Survey of Breast Cancer Management in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Purpose: To understand the current state of breast cancer management in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods: We conducted an anonymous online survey of breast cancer management among African Organization for Research and Treatment in Cancer (AORTIC) members by using a 42-question structured questionnaire in both English and French in 2013.

Results: Twenty members from 19 facilities in 14 countries responded to the survey.

The global burden of women's cancers: a grand challenge in global health.

Every year, more than 2 million women worldwide are diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer, yet where a woman lives, her socioeconomic status, and agency largely determines whether she will develop one of these cancers and will ultimately survive. In regions with scarce resources, fragile or fragmented health systems, cancer contributes to the cycle of poverty. Proven and cost-effective interventions are available for both these common cancers, yet for so many women access to these is beyond reach.

Treatment outcome of locally advanced nasopharyngeal cancer with concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Background: Treatment options for locally advanced Nasopharyngeal lancer include radiation alone or cisplatin based concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy is associated with higher morbidity but has been shown to yield better survival.

Objective: This study was aimed at determining the outcome of treatment of Nasopharyngeal Cancer with concurrent chemoradiotherapy in our setup.