ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Bulk‐up synchronization of successive larval cohorts of Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles coluzzii through temperature reduction at early larval stages: efect on emergence rate, body size and mating success

Background: Malaria persists as a huge medical and economic burden. Although the number of cases and death rates have reduced in recent years, novel interventions are a necessity if such gains are to be maintained. Alterna‑ tive methods to target mosquito vector populations that involve the release of large numbers genetically modifed mosquitoes are in development. However, their successful introduction will require innovative strategies to bulk-up mosquito numbers and improve mass rearing protocols for Anopheles mosquitoes. Methods: The relationship between mosquito aquatic stage development and temperature was exploited so that multiple cohorts of mosquitoes, from separate egg batches, could be synchronized to ‘bulk-up’ the number of mos‑ quitoes released. First instar larvae were separated into two cohorts: the frst, maintained under standard insectary conditions at 27o C, the second subjected to an initial 5-day cooling period at 19o C. Results: Cooling of 1st instars slowed the mean emergence times of Anopheles coluzzii and Anopheles gambiae by 2.4 and 3.5 days, respectively, compared to their 27o C counterparts. Pupation and emergence rates were good (>85%) in all conditions. Temperature adjustment had no effect on mosquito sex ratio and adult fitness parameters such as body size and mating success. Conclusions: Bulk-up larval synchronization is a simple method allowing more operational fexibility in mosquito production towards mark-release-recapture studies and mass release interventions

Source: UG
Bulk‐up synchronization of successive larval cohorts of Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles coluzzii through temperature reduction at early larval stages: effect on emergence rate, body size and mating success

Background: Malaria persists as a huge medical and economic burden. Although the number of cases and death rates have reduced in recent years, novel interventions are a necessity if such gains are to be maintained. Alternative methods to target mosquito vector populations that involve the release of large numbers genetically modified mosquitoes are in development. However, their successful introduction will require innovative strategies to bulk-up mosquito numbers and improve mass rearing protocols for Anopheles mosquitoes. Methods: The relationship between mosquito aquatic stage development and temperature was exploited so that multiple cohorts of mosquitoes, from separate egg batches, could be synchronized to ‘bulk-up’ the number of mosquitoes released. First instar larvae were separated into two cohorts: the first, maintained under standard insectary conditions at 27oC, the second subjected to an initial 5-day cooling period at 19oC. Results: Cooling of 1st instars slowed the mean emergence times of Anopheles coluzzii and Anopheles gambiae by 2.4 and 3.5 days, respectively, compared to their 27oC counterparts. Pupation and emergence rates were good (> 85 %) in all conditions. Temperature adjustment had no effect on mosquito sex ratio and adult fitness parameters such as body size and mating success. Conclusions: Bulk-up larval synchronization is a simple method allowing more operational flexibility in mosquito production towards mark-release-recapture studies and mass release interventions.

Source: UG
Bullying victimization as a predictor of suicidal ideation and suicide attempt among senior high school students in Ghana: Results from the 2012 Ghana Global School-Based Health Survey

This paper examined the effect of bullying victimization on suicidal ideation and suicide attempt among adolescents in Ghana. Data on 1,633 students ages 14–18 years (50.6% males) were analyzed using logistic regression. We found that 17% of the 1,633 adolescents examined reported experiencing suicidal thoughts and about 21% of the 1,633 adolescents attempted suicide at some point during the past year. Prevalence of bullying was reported among 40% of the adolescents. Importantly, we found that the experience of bullying victimization was a significant predictor of both suicidal ideation and suicide attempt. While factors such as loneliness, anxiety, and use of illicit substances were positively associated with suicidal behaviors, participating in physical activity, having friends, and parental support reduced the likelihood of experiencing suicidal ideation. We make several policy recommendations, including educational programs on suicidal behaviors, antibullying interventions, and social support programs within schools and other social settings.

Source: UG
Buoyancy and Elasticity of Tax: Evidence from Ghana

In public finance, two important measures that have been used to assess the efficiency of any tax system in terms of its mobilization capacity are tax buoyancy - total response of tax revenue to changes in national income and discretionary changes in tax policy over time; and tax elasticity - automatic response of tax revenue to GDP changes less the discretionary tax changes. In this study, we used the Dummy Variable Technique to control for effects of the Discretionary Tax Measures on Historical Time Series Data for the period 1970-2007 to estimate the elasticity of the Ghanaian tax system.Our findings revealed that the overall tax system in Ghana was buoyant and elastic in the long run and buoyancy exceeded the elasticity, but in the short run the reverse was the case. We also observed an improvement in both buoyancy and elasticity over the reform period (1985-2007) as evidenced in pre-reform buoyancy and elasticity coefficient which were generally less than unity but became greater than one after the reform. Decomposition of the buoyancy coefficients into tax-to-base and base-to-income elasticities showed that the former was greater than the latter by their indices indicating that there is potential revenue in the economy which is untaxed. Overall tax elasticity was estimates to be about 1.03, suggesting that the responsiveness of the tax system to a unit change in GDP was more that unity thereby rejecting the hypothesis that the overall tax system is income inelastic in the long run. General and specific recommendations aimed at improving tax collection are made.

Source: UG
The burden and characteristics of peripheral arterial disease in patients undergoing amputation in Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana

Background: To determine the prevalence of Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) and associated risk factors in patients undergoing amputation at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Accra, Ghana. Objectives: A cross- sectional study of all patients undergoing lower extremity amputation at the Department of Surgery, KBTH. Materials: A coded questionnaire was used to ascertain risk factors for PAD. The Edinburgh Claudication Questionnaire was used to determine symptomatic PAD and a 5 mmHz hand held Summit® Doppler together with an Accoson ® sphygmomanometer was used to determine PAD and its severity. Method: Clinical diagnosis of symptomatic PAD was made using a symptom-based questionnaire and signs of PAD determined by measuring the ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI) by means of a handheld Doppler and sphygmomanometer. Risk factors were determined using the coded questionnaire and related to the occurrence and severity of PAD. Results: The prevalence of PAD among recruited participants was 71%. Twenty-eight per cent of participants with PAD in the index limb also showed signs of PAD in the other limb. The diagnosis of PAD was made in 71%, using ABPI, and 13%, using ECQ. Twenty-seven per cent of patient with hypertension, seventeen per cent with diabetes and all patients with hypercholesterolemia were not on any form of medication. Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of PAD among patients undergoing lower extremity amputation at the KBTH. The majority of PAD patients presented with moderate to severe PAD. Instituting measures to identify and control risk factors of PAD may reduce this high burden.

Source: UG
Burden and Epidemiology of Rotavirus Diarrhea in Selected African Countries: Preliminary Results from the African Rotavirus Surveillance Network

The main research focus of the Electron Microscopy and Histopathology Department in the past 20 years has been in the areas of enteric diarrhoeas with special emphasis on rotavirus. Through its diarrhoea surveillance studies, the Department has helped to firmly establish rotaviruses as a major cause of diarrhoea in children, and document the circulation of unusual rotavirus genotypes in Ghana. The Department has also recently expanded its diagnostic repertoire to include the identification and characterization of noroviruses, astroviruses, and other enteric viruses.

Source: UG
Burden and Historical Trend of Buruli Ulcer Prevalence in Selected Communities along the Offin River of Ghana

The Bacteriology Department aims to improve the quality of life first for Ghanaians and the world at large by conducting research into bacterial diseases of public health importance to Ghana and globally. In addition to working on enteric pathogens and sexually transmitted diseases, the department’s current main focus is on the two most important mycobacterial diseases of public health importance to Ghana, namely Buruli ulcer (BU) and tuberculosis (TB).

Source: UG
Burden of Buruli ulcer: how affected households in a Ghanaian district cope

Buruli Ulcer (BU) is economically burdensome and socially stigmatising. We examined the burden of BU and the strategies commonly adopted by households in a Ghanaian district to cope with it. Respondents for the study were conveniently sampled using data from a BU unit within the District Health Centre. Adult BU patients and caretakers of minor patients (aged less than 15) who had reported for care within the past year were interviewed. A semi-structured questionnaire was used for the interviews. The staff in-charge of an international NGO with services to BU patients in the district was also interviewed. The disease was associated with poor rural households with mean annual incomes of the equivalent of USD490.70 or less. Other costs and stigma associated with the disease posed a great burden on the already poor households we studied. Households adopt coping strategies, including sale of assets, reduction in farm sizes, and avoiding people, all of which are potentially risky for future sustainability.

Source: UG
The Burden of Care: Psychosocial Experiences and Coping Strategies among Caregivers of Persons with Mental Illness in Ghana

This study investigated psychosocial experiences and coping strategies of caregivers of persons with mental illness in a psychiatric hospital in Ghana. The study adopted a qualitative design in which 20 participants (10 psychiatric nurses and 10 family caregivers) were sampled from the hospital and interviewed. Using thematic analysis, the results showed that stress was common with both psychiatric nurses and family caregivers, which impact on their physical health. Both groups of caregivers reported experiences of stigma, with psychiatric nurses being stigmatized mainly by other health workers whereas family caregivers reported stigma from the public, particularly neighbors. Coping strategies differed between family caregivers and psychiatric nurses, in that nurses mostly used avoidance strategies and humor in dealing with stress and stigma associated with their work whereas family caregivers used emotion-focused coping. The implications of these findings include the need for counseling services to help caregivers manage negative experiences and psychoeducation of caregivers on adaptive coping strategies as well as training strategies targeting the public and healthcare workers on measures to reduce the stigma associated with caring for persons with mental illnesses.

Source: UG
Burden of chronic kidney diseases and underlying causes in Zambia: evidence from the global burden of disease study 2019

Introduction Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been a global public health problem and a major source of sufering and poor quality of life for those aficted. Using data from the global burden of disease (GBD) study 2019, we esti mated the magnitude of the burden of CKD as well as the underlying causes of CKD in the Zambian population. Method The data used for this study were extracted from the GBD 2019 study. The GBD 2019 provides estimates of several metrics of disease burden including the commonly used disability-adjusted life year (DALYs) for over 369 diseases and injuries, and 87 risk factors and combinations of these in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019. We estimated the burden of CKD as the number and rates (per 100,000 population) of DALYs, disaggregated by year, sex, and age group. We examined the underlying causes of CKD by estimating the population attributable fraction as the percentage contributions of risk factors to CKD DALY. Results The number of DALYs for CKD was estimated as 76.03 million (95% UI: 61.01 to 93.36) in 2019 compared to 39.42 million (95% UI: 33.09 to 45.90) in 1990, representing 93% increase whereas the DALYs rate per 100,000 popu lation was estimated as 416.89 (95% UI: 334.53 to 511.93) in 2019 compared to 496.38 (95% UI: 416.55 to 577.87) in 1990, representing 16% reduction. CKD due to hypertension accounted for 18.7% of CKD DALYs and CKD due to dia betes (types 1 and 2) accounted for 22.7%, while CKD from glomerulonephritis accounted for the most DALYs at 33%. The age group most impacted from CKD were adolescents and young adults. Conclusion The burden of CKD remains high in the Zambian population with diabetes, high blood pressure, and glomerulonephritis as important causes. The results highlight the need to develop a comprehensive action plan to prevent and treat kidney disease. Increasing the awareness of CKD among the public as well as adaptation of guide lines for treating patients with end stage kidney disease are important considerations

Source: UG
The burden of hospital acquired infections and antimicrobial resistance

The burden of Hospital care-associated infections (HCAIs) is becoming a global concern. This is compounded by the emergence of virulent and high-risk bacterial strains such as “ESKAPE” pathogens – (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter species), especially within Intensive care units (ICUs) that house high-risk and immunocompromised patients. In this review, we discuss the contributions of AMR pathogens to the increasing burden of HCAIs and provide insights into AMR mechanisms, with a particular focus on last-resort antibiotics like polymyxins. We exten sively discuss how structural modifications of surface-membrane lipopolysaccharides and cationic interactions influence and inform AMR, and subsequent severity of HCAIs. We highlight some bacterial phenotypic survival mechanisms against polymyxins. Lastly, we discuss the emergence of plasmid-mediated resistance as a phenomenon making mitigation of AMR difficult, especially within the ICUs. This review provides a balanced perspective on the burden of HCAIs, associated pathogens, implication of AMR and factors influencing emerging AMR mechanisms.

Source: UG
The burden of hydrocele on men in Northern Ghana

The social and economic impact of lymphatic filariasis was studied in Northern Ghana. Qualitative methods of gathering information revealed that even though the disease was a problem to both men and women, men with hydrocele suffered a greater psychosocial burden. Particular attention was paid to them, distinguishing men with small hydroceles and men with large ones. Out of frustration men with small hydroceles sought health care from a wider range of places than men with larger ones. The pain associated with adenolymphangitis (ADL) renders them inactive for up to 5 days. Complications of lymph scrotum and ridicule from community members were a problem. Unmarried men in particular found it difficult to find a spouse with their condition, and various degrees of sexual dysfunction were reported amongst married men. The clinical significance and the value of time and attention for counseling to mitigate the effects of the disease on damaged male identity and the need for gender studies to address male issues and the need for including psychosocial issues in the calculating of disability adjusted life years (DALY's) is also discussed. Copyright (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.

Source: UG
Burden of malaria in children under fve and caregivers’ health-seeking behaviour for malaria-related symptoms in artisanal mining communities in Ghana

Background: Artisanal mining creates enabling breeding ground for the vector of malaria parasites. There is paucity of data on the efects of artisanal mining on malaria. This study assessed burden of malaria and caregivers’ health seeking behaviour for children under fve in artisanal mining communities in East Akim District in Ghana. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving caregivers and their children under fve was conducted in three artisanal mining communities in the East Akim District in Ghana. Caregivers were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Finger prick blood samples were collected and analysed for haemoglobin concentration using a rapid diagnostic test, and thick and thin blood smears were analysed to confrm the presence of malaria parasites. Results: Of the 372 children under 5 years included in the study, 197 (53.1%) were male, with a mean age (±SD) of 23.0±12.7 months. The proportion of children with malaria (Plasmodium falciparum and P. malariae) was 98.1% and 1.9%, respectively, whilst the proportion with anaemia (Hb<11.0 g/dl) was 39.5% (n=147). Almost all caregivers were female (98.9%), and 28.6% (n=106) did not have access to any malaria control information. Caregivers associated malaria infection with mosquito bites (68.3%, n=254) and poor sanitation (21.2%, n=79). Malaria in children under fve was signifcantly associated with anaemia (OR 11.07, 95% CI 6.59–18.68, n=111/160, 69.4%; P<0.0001), residing close to stagnant water (≤25 m) from an artisanal mining site (AOR 2.91, 95% CI 1.47–5.76, P=0.002) and caregiver age younger than 30 years (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.208–0.917, n=162, 43.55%, P=0.001). Conclusions: There is a high burden of malaria and anaemia among children under fve in artisanal mining com‑ munities of the East Akim District, and far higher than in non-artisanal mining sites. Interventions are needed to efectively regulate mining activities in these communities, and strengthen malaria control and health education campaigns to curtail the high malaria burden and improve health-seeking behaviour.

Source: UG
Burden of Mental Health Problems Among Pregnant and Postpartum Women in Sub-Saharan Africa: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol

Introduction Pregnancy and postpartum-related mental health problems pose serious public health threat to the society, but worryingly, neglected in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This review will assess the burden and distribution of maternal mental health (MMH) problems in SSA, with the aim to inform the implementation of context-sensitive interventions and policies. Methods and analysis All relevant databases, grey literature and non-database sources will be searched. PubMed, LILAC, CINAHL, SCOPUS and PsycINFO, Google Scholar, African Index Medicus, HINARI, African Journals Online and IMSEAR will be searched from inception to 31 May 2023, without language restriction. The reference lists of articles will be reviewed, and experts contacted for additional studies missed by our searches. Study selection, data extraction and risk of bias assessment will be done independently by at least two reviewers and any discrepancies will be resolved through discussion between the reviewers. Binary outcomes (prevalence and incidence) of MMH problems will be assessed using pooled proportions, OR or risk ratio and mean difference for continuous outcomes; all will be presented with their 95% CIs. Heterogeneity will be investigated graphically for overlapping CIs and statistically using the I2 statistic and where necessary subgroup analyses will be performed. Random-effects model meta-analysis will be conducted when heterogeneity is appreciable, otherwise fixed-effect model will be used. The overall level of evidence will be assessed using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation. Ethics and dissemination Although no ethical clearance or exemption is needed for a systematic review, this review is part of a larger study on maternal mental health which has received ethical clearance from the Ethics Review Committee of the Ghana Health Service (GHS-ERC 012/03/20). Findings of this study will be disseminated through stakeholder forums, conferences and peer review publications.

Source: UG
Burden of neglected tropical diseases and access to medicine and diagnostics in Ethiopia: a scoping review

Background More than 1.7 billion people are afected by neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) worldwide. Forty percent of the NTD-afected people live in Africa with the poorest, most vulnerable, and hard to reach geographi cal areas. The NTDs cause signifcant social and economic burden and deepen marginalization and stigmatization. The World Health Organization’s current roadmap for NTD aims to prevent, control, eliminate, or eradicate 20 tropi cal diseases. Ethiopia experiences a high burden of these diseases, but current access to diagnostics, medicine, and/ or care has been little explored to inform the country’s NTD strategic plan. The overall purpose of the scoping review was to map and characterize the burden of NTDs and challenges in access to diagnostics, medicine, and/or care in Ethiopia. Methods A systematic search of evidence was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar from January 2000 until May 2022, without restrictions of language or study design. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Review was followed for screening of studies. Key fndings were extracted and narrated qualitatively. Results The search resulted in 4532 articles, of which 105 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the scoping review under three themes: burden of NTDs, access to diagnostics, medicine and/or care, and key barriers. Although gains have been made in the prevention and control of NTDs in Ethiopia, the burden remains high, and progress in access to diagnostics, medicine/drugs, and/or care is very slow. Poverty, poor quality of life, and underfunding of NTD programs decelerate the process of NTD elimination program in the country. Conclusions The scoping review identifed a considerable number of studies on the burden of NTDs in Ethio pia and strategies for diagnosis, treatment, and/or care; however, there is a paucity of evidence on the suitability and potential benefts of novel diagnostic technologies and medicines in the country. A regular review and analy sis of such country-level evidence is important to inform the country NTDs roadmap and local implementation strategies.

Source: UG