Utilization of HIV Testing and Counseling in Ghana: Implications for Universal Coverage

HIV testing and counselling (HTC) is a gateway to all systems of AIDS-related care. This study examined national programme data to highlight gaps in HTC service utilization, regional differences and differential use of various HTC programs in Ghana in the period, 2007-2010. Analysis showed HTC increased rapidly across the country, however the increase was not uniform across the 10 regions. Also huge differential use of current HTC programs (Diagnostic Centre(DCs), Know Your Status campaigns(KYS) and PMTCT Centres) emphasized differential preferences of various testing programmes. Testing through KYS was substantially higher than testing done at DCs. However, HIV positive test rates at DCs were comparatively higher across the regions than those of KYS. KYS thus attracts and conducts huge numbers of HIV tests, yet it captures relatively low HIV positives. A well structured and more targeted expansion of facility-based HTC services to capture most vulnerable population groups is needed. (Afr J Reprod Health 2014; 18[1]: 145-155).Keywords: HIV testing and counseling, HIV testing programs, regional differences, National AID/STI Control Program, Ghan

Options for types of dental health personnel to Train for Ghana

Objectives - To explore the degree of agreement on issues surrounding the proposals for dental health personnel requirements among key oralhealth personalities who are central to determining policy on oral health personnel requirements for Ghana and to make recommendations to assist in the future development of dental health personnel requirements. Design - A review of the literature, published documents and in-depth semi-structured interviews. Setting – Dental health service in Ghana Participants - Key oral health personalities who are central to determining policy on oral health personnel requirements for Ghana Results - There was a lack of consensus regarding key aspects of planning personnel requirements including the numbers and the kinds of professionals complementary to dentistry (PCDs) to develop, who should be responsible for their training, and which people to admit as trainees of PCDs. Conclusion - Greater discussion between the various agencies involved should take place to help ensure consensus on the overall policy objectives

Coping with adversity: Resilience dynamics of livestock farmers in two agroecological zones of Ghana

Despite the increasing occurrence of adverse events including droughts and conflicts, livestock farmers in Ghana continue to raise animals to support their livelihoods and the national economy. We assessed the resilience of cattle farmers (CF) to adverse events they faced using a cross-sectional survey of 287 CF in two agroecological zones in Ghana. Resilience to adversities was assessed using the Resilience Scale (RS-14). Resilience scores and categories were computed and factors that explained variations in resilience categories assessed. The farmers kept, on average, 31 cattle per household, with a majority (91%) also growing crops. Key adverse events confronting them in both districts were animal disease outbreaks, pasture shortages, and theft, with 85% (240/287) losing, on average, seven cattle (15% of the herd size) over a one-year period. The mean resilience score was 71 (SD = 8) out of 98; 52% were highly resilient. Resilience was higher in the southern district (72 versus 70), albeit not statistically significant (p = 0.06). The resilience significantly improved with age, each unit increase in cattle in the herd, and having experience raising livestock (p < 0.001). The CF have relatively high resilience to adverse events affecting their productivity. The findings provide relevant information for implementing mitigation measures to improve production by reducing animal mortalities through high-quality veterinary services

Mathematical modeling in population dynamics: the case of single species population

The growth and decline of population in nature and the struggle of species to predominate over one another has been a subject of interest dating back through the ages. Applications of simple mathematical concepts to such phenomena were noted centuries ago. This paper discusses mathematical models in biology, their formulation, analysis and interpretation. Much emphasis is placed on how appropriate assumptions simplify the problem, how important variables are identified and how differential equations are tailored to describing the essential features of a continuous process. The trust of this paper is the application of mathematical models in helping to unravel the underlying mechanisms involved in biological and ecological processes. African Journal of Educational Studies in Mathematics and Sciences Vol. 2(1) 2004: 1-

Effect of Some Agronomic Practices to Increase Maize Yield in Ghana

Low plant densities of maize are often observed in fields of farmers practising no-till agriculture which causes low grain yield in Ghana. With the increasing population and consumption of maize in the country, research must be directed to solve this problem to enhance maize production. In this paper, a 2x3 factorial experiment in randomized complete block design with 4 replications was carried out at Wioso in the Atwima-Nwabiagya District in the Ashanti Region of Ghana during the major season of 2007 in order to come out with the best practices in maize production. The objectives of the study were to determine the right period of refilling maize field and the comparative effect of refilling with seed and seedling on the growth, optimum population density, and yield of maize. The factors were material for refill, which was either seeds or seedlings, and time of refilling either at 5, 10, and 15 days after planting. The results showed that refilling with seedlings produced the greatest positive effect in the number of leaves per plant, leaf length, leaf diameter, plant height and stem girth. Furthermore, refilling with seedlings contributed more to the optimum plant population density. Total grain yield when seedlings were used as refill was 967kg per hectare more than when seeds were used as refill material. On the other hand, plants from seeds refill were weak, lodged more and allowed much solar radiation penetration to the ground. Grain yield from seed refill plants was 6%, whilst seedling refill plants contributed 34% to the total grain yield. Refilling at 5 days after planting induced greater growth than 10 or 15 days after planting. The results indicate that it is possible to do refilling in maize field by using seedling as this contributes more than the traditional method of using seeds

Nutrition-sensitive education and social protection policies have implications for food-based dietary guidelines for Ghana

Ghana continues to address persistent malnutrition through political action and programme development. Government-led efforts have included&nbsp; the formulation of multi-sectoral policies and programmes to improve the diet and nutritional status of various at-risk population groups. Globally,&nbsp; an important tool for promoting healthy diets are Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FDBGs). To achieve and sustain the desired goal of promoting&nbsp; healthy eating habits and lifestyles, FBDGs require, among many factors, supportive national policies and programmes. When coherently&nbsp; incorporated in relevant nutrition-related policies and programmes, FBDGs enhance their impact on shaping and sustaining healthier dietary habits.&nbsp; In this context, it is essential to understand the national policy and programme environment and its potential contribution during the&nbsp; formulation of FBDGs. The present review aimed to identify existing nutrition-related education and social protection policies and programmes in&nbsp; Ghana and their relevance to the development and implementation of FBDGs. Previously conducted scoping reviews, gap analyses, and a&nbsp; benchmarking report of Ghana’s public health nutrition policies were used as information sources to identify relevant policies and programmes.&nbsp; Additionally, websites of relevant government ministries, departments and agencies were searched to retrieve applicable policies or actions that&nbsp; were not included in previous reviews. Nutrition-related education policies that were identified primarily support school health services, whereas&nbsp; social protection policies broadly target social assistance, social welfare, social equity and insurancebased policies and programmes. Specific ways&nbsp; these policies and programmes could support the development and implementation of Ghana’s dietary guidelines include embedding FBDGs in the&nbsp; school nutrition curriculum to motivate healthier food choices by schoolchildren and using FBDGs to plan meals provided as part of the country’s&nbsp; school feeding programme. Regarding social protection, existing instruments such as food transfers, social pensions and conditional cash transfers&nbsp; could be aligned with FBDGs to ensure vulnerable households can access foods and follow recommended guidelines. Although some nutrition&nbsp; actions are incorporated in existing policies and programmes, there are opportunities to improve their nutrition sensitivity.&nbsp

Nutrition-sensitive education and social protection policies have implications for food-based dietary guidelines for Ghana

Ghana continues to address persistent malnutrition through political action and programme development. Government-led efforts have included the formulation of multi-sectoral policies and programmes to improve the diet and nutritional status of various at-risk population groups. Globally, an important tool for promoting healthy diets are Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FDBGs). To achieve and sustain the desired goal of promoting healthy eating habits and lifestyles, FBDGs require, among many factors, supportive national policies and programmes. When coherently incorporated in relevant nutrition-related policies and programmes, FBDGs enhance their impact on shaping and sustaining healthier dietary habits. In this context, it is essential to understand the national policy and programme environment and its potential contribution during the formulation of FBDGs. The present review aimed to identify existing nutrition-related education and social protection policies and programmes in Ghana and their relevance to the development and implementation of FBDGs. Previously conducted scoping reviews, gap analyses, and a benchmarking report of Ghana’s public health nutrition policies were used as information sources to identify relevant policies and programmes. Additionally, websites of relevant government ministries, departments and agencies were searched to retrieve applicable policies or actions that were not included in previous reviews. Nutrition-related education policies that were identified primarily support school health services, whereas social protection policies broadly target social assistance, social welfare, social equity and insurancebased policies and programmes. Specific ways these policies and programmes could support the development and implementation of Ghana’s dietary guidelines include embedding FBDGs in the school nutrition curriculum to motivate healthier food choices by schoolchildren and using FBDGs to plan meals provided as part of the country’s school feeding programme. Regarding social protection, existing instruments such as food transfers, social pensions and conditional cash transfers could be aligned with FBDGs to ensure vulnerable households can access foods and follow recommended guidelines. Although some nutrition actions are incorporated in existing policies and programmes, there are opportunities to improve their nutrition sensitivity.&nbsp

Genome-wide profiling of uncapped mRNA

Gene transcripts are under extensive posttranscriptional regulation, including the regulation of their stability. A major route for mRNA degradation produces uncapped mRNAs, which can be generated by decapping enzymes, endonucleases, and small RNAs. Profiling uncapped mRNA molecules is important for the understanding of the transcriptome, whose composition is determined by a balance between mRNA synthesis and degradation. In this chapter, we describe a method to profile these uncapped mRNAs at the genome scale

Low Level of Transmitted HIV Drug Resistance at Two HIV Care Centres in Ghana: A Threshold Survey

Background: As access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) increases, the emergence and transmission of HIV drug resistant strains becomes a major problem. The World Health Organization (WHO) therefore recommends an initial minimum-resource method to signal when transmitted HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) requires action.Objective: This survey sought to generate information on the presence of HIV drug-resistant strains in the locality where Ghana’s ART for HIV was first introduced.Methods: The Ghana HIVDR threshold survey (TS) was conducted and analyzed according to WHO strategy for surveillance of HIVDR in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Sixty (60) plasma specimens were collected from 2007 to 2009 by an unlinked anonymous method from HIV seropositive pregnant women, aged between 15 to24 years, who were with their first pregnancy and ART naive. Genotyping was done as follows; Ribonucleic acid (RNA) was extracted from the samples and the protease (PR) and reverse transcriptase (RT) genes amplified and sequenced. The sequences were then analyzed for HIV drug resistance mutations using Stanford University HIV Drug Resistance Database.Results: Only two individuals were found with major HIVDR mutations: one each in the PR and RT genes. Thus the level of HIVDR in the study population in 2009 was classified as low (&lt; 5%).Conclusion: As at February 2009, transmitted drug resistance was not a serious problem in the Eastern Region of Ghana. However, it is important to continue monitoring tHIVDR in order to understand the dynamics of the evolution of HIV drug resistance in the country

Reduced prevalence of placental malaria in primiparae with blood group O

Background Blood group O protects African children against severe malaria and has reached high prevalence in malarious regions. However, its role in malaria in pregnancy is ambiguous. In 839 delivering Ghanaian women, associations of ABO blood groups with Plasmodium falciparum infection were examined. Methods Plasmodium falciparum infection was diagnosed in placental blood samples by microscopy and PCR assays. Present or past infection was defined as the detection of parasitaemia or haemozoin by microscopy, or a positive PCR result. Blood groups were inferred from genotyping rs8176719 (indicating the O allele) and rs8176746/rs8176747 (distinguishing the B allele from the A allele). Results The majority of women had blood group O (55.4%); present or past P. falciparum infection was seen in 62.3% of all women. Among multiparae, the blood groups had no influence on P. falciparum infection. In contrast, primiparae with blood group O had significantly less present or past infection than women with non-O blood groups (61.5 vs 76.2%, P = 0.007). In multivariate analysis, the odds of present or past placental P. falciparum infection were reduced by 45% in blood group O primiparae (aOR, 0.55 [95% CI, 0.33–0.94]). Conclusions The present study shows a clear protective effect of blood group O against malaria in primiparae. This accords with findings in severe malaria and in vitro results. The data underline the relevance of host genetic protection among primiparae, i.e. the high-risk group for malaria in pregnancy, and contribute to the understanding of high O allele frequencies in Africa