Promoting Blood Donation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Role of Culture and Interventions

Inadequate blood donation is a major public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study examines the influence of culture and communication on blood donation in Sub-Saharan Africa, with particular focus on Ghana. The literature was systematically reviewed for aspects of culture and communication that influence blood donation in Sub-Saharan Africa. Also, key informant interviews and focus group discussions with physicians, media professionals, and voluntary blood donors in Ghana were used, both to identify barriers to blood donation and to obtain some recommendations for designing interventions to boost blood donation. Literature searching yielded 3020 publications, including conference abstracts. Of them, 41 publications—representing 36 studies—met inclusion criteria and were critically appraised. Aspects of culture that were identified as influencing blood donation in Sub-Saharan Africa included blood donation-related misconceptions, religious beliefs, and influence of relatives. Communication channels that were identified for increasing blood donation included mass media, mobile phones, and face-to-face contacts. In Ghana, beliefs and attitudes of the public that were identified as barriers to blood donations included misconceptions about blood donation, such as the erroneous belief that hospital authorities were using donated blood for rituals. Some respondents perceived that health professionals have not educated the public and journalists enough about blood donation. Another perceived barrier to blood donation was negative media reporting, such as indicating the percentage of blood donors found to be HIV-positive. The lack of mutual trust between health professionals and journalists also served as a barrier to using the mass media to promote blood donation. To promote blood donation, respondents in Ghana suggested several strategies, including broadcasting radio or television dramas about blood donation in English and local languages to engage both literate and illiterate populations; providing media recognition of donors who achieve blood donation-related milestones; having blood donors serve as ambassadors of blood donor drives; using social media to engage prospective younger blood donors; and using mobile telephone caller tunes or ringback tones to publicize blood donation. Thus, many culture- and communication-related factors influence blood donation in Sub-Saharan Africa. Those designing interventions to increase blood donation in this region should consider these factors, including misconceptions, religious beliefs, family influences, and language

Stroke: Identifying Symptoms and Acting Fast to Save Lives and Prevent Permanent Disabilities

Stroke is the 5th leading cause of death in the United States. Strokes and their long-term effects are preventable. Recognizing the symptoms of stroke and acting quickly can prevent death and minimize long-term disabilities. Family members and bystanders have an important role to play. This issue brief describes stroke symptoms and prevention guidelines, summarizes the information 9-1-1 callers should be prepared to provide when someone is having a stroke, and discusses the importance of acting quickly to save lives and long-term damage

Science Journalism in Ghana: A Study of Journalists Who Cover Science

Science journalism has been studied from the perspectives of science journalists in the West. However, studies of science journalism from the perspectives of general reporters in developing or developed countries are scarce. This study was a survey of general reporters in Ghana belonging to the Ghana Journalists Association. In all, 151 members responded to a self-administered questionnaire that the researcher delivered to their worksites and a central location. Respondents were asked mainly about their demographic and professional characteristics, sources used for reporting science, number of science stories reported in the past 12 months, topics of science reporting interest, factors motivating or serving as barriers to science reporting, and the future of science journalism in Ghana. Data were analyzed using statistical tools and content analysis. The demographic and professional characteristics resembled those found previously in Ghana and elsewhere. The most commonly cited format of science journalism training was workshops or seminars after graduation. Health professionals and scientists were perceived as very important sources for science stories, and the respondents recalled interviewing them more frequently than others. Generally, respondents reported writing more science news stories than science features. There was an inverse correlation between the number of years spent in journalism and the number of science features reported (p = 0.017). Health science was the most commonly cited topic of reporting interest. Most respondents indicated that training in science journalism or access to scientific research findings would motivate them to report science more. Many cited lack of training in science reporting or lack of contact information for scientific researchers as barriers to science reporting. Many respondents said the current status of science journalism in Ghana is low, and most favored increasing the amount of science journalism, in part to promote public literacy in science. The findings indicate that Ghana should consider offering more science journalism training, particularly in journalism schools, and should promote ready access of journalists to research findings and to contact information of scientific researchers

Negotiating the integration strategies and the transnational statuses of Ghanaian-led Pentecostal Churches in Britain

Christianity has seen phenomenal growth in sub-Saharan Africa and African churches in the West have also grown rapidly in the last few decades. The majority of members in these churches in the West are migrants and their children. In Britain, these migrant churches represent a vibrant form of Christianity with regard to their visibility and prominence. Considering the challenges these migrants’ churches face in their efforts to evangelise the host community, most migrant members use the churches as the platform for their own expression of personhood, faith and mission. Internal strategies are designed and implemented by the churches to assist members to integrate into the wider society. These strategies otherwise referred to as micro-integration strategies concentrate on preparing the members for living in the communities they reside in. It is argued that these internal strategies determine the level of contextualisation of beliefs and praxis in the host communities, thus creating a new identity that is a combination of Ghanaian and British values. The study has explored how the internal integration strategies and the contextualisation of the Ghanaian migrants’ faith determine the extent to which the churches assume a transnational status in their outlook and the expression of their faith

Integrating biomedical and herbal medicine in Ghana:experiences from the Kumasi South Hospital: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND: Over the past decade there has been growing interest in the use of herbal medicine both in developed and developing countries. Given the high proportion of patients using herbal medicine in Ghana, some health facilities have initiated implementation of herbal medicine as a component of their healthcare delivery. However, the extent to which herbal medicine has been integrated in Ghanaian health facilities, how integration is implemented and perceived by different stakeholders has not been documented. The study sought to explore these critical issues at the Kumasi South Hospital (KSH) and outline the challenges and motivations of the integration process. METHODS: Qualitative phenomenological exploratory study design involving fieldwork observations, focus group discussion, in-depth interviews and key informants’ interviews was employed to collect data. RESULTS: Policies and protocols outlining the definition, process and goals of integration were lacking, with respondents sharing different views about the purpose and value of integration of herbal medicine within public health facilities. Key informants were supportive of the initiative. Whilst biomedical health workers perceived the system to be parallel than integrated, health personnel providing herbal medicine perceived the system as integrated. Most patients were not aware of the herbal clinic in the hospital but those who had utilized services of the herbal clinic viewed the clinic as part of the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of a regulatory policy and protocol for the integration seemed to have led to the different perception of the integration. Policy and protocol to guide the integration are key recommendations

Effect of Irradiation and Storage on the Physico-chemical Properties of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L.) Powder under Solar and Freeze-Dried Conditions in Ghana

A study was conducted to assess the effect of irradiation and storage on the physico-chemical properties of tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L.) powder under solar dried and freeze-dried conditions in Ghana.  Forty kilogrammes (40 kg) of tomato fruits were obtained for the study. The fruits were solar and freeze dried and tomato powder obtained from them. These were exposed to gamma radiation from 1-3 kGy, with 0 kGy as control. The parameters investigated in the study for the two-month period include; moisture content, total soluble solids, total titratable acidity, pH and colour.  The pH of the samples ranged from 4.02 to 6.18, moisture content from 12.55% to 23.47%, total titratable acidity from 0.11% to 0.99%, total soluble solids from 4.80% to 5.06%, L*(colour) from 32.71 to 36.97, a* (colour) from 6.69 to 22.02 and b*(colour) from 14.38 to 22.91. Gamma radiation did not affect moisture content of the samples, total soluble solids, total titratable acidity and pH (p>0.05). Gamma irradiation affected the colour of the samples significantly (p<0.05). Key words: irradiation, storage, moisture content, pH, total soluble solids, solar dried, freeze dried, Akoma, month

Cigarette smoking during breastfeeding in Papua New Guinea: Prevalence and demographic and socio-economic predictors

Background Cigarette smoking during breastfeeding is reported to contribute to significant changes in the composition of breast milk not only by reducing its protective features but also affecting infants' response to breastfeeding and breast milk. However, studies on the prevalence of cigarette smoking and associated factors during breastfeeding are limited in Papua New Guinea (PNG). This study estimates the prevalence of cigarette smoking and its association with demographic and economic factors among breastfeeding women in PNG. Methods We used weighted survey data from the 2016-2018 PNG Demographic and Health Survey (PNGDHS). A weighted sample of 3, 822 women who were breastfeeding during the survey were included in the study. The outcome variable in the present study is current cigarette smoking. A multiple logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the association between current cigarette smoking status and socio-demographic and economic variables of breastfeeding women. The regression analysis results were reported using adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with their respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results From the weighted sample, the prevalence of cigarette smoking among breastfeeding women was 21.9%; of which 60.8% smoked daily. The mean number of cigarettes smoked in the last 24 hours preceding the survey was 6.05(SD = 5.99). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that breastfeeding women who were from the Momase (aOR: 2.337, CI: 1.786-3.058, p<0.001) and Highlands (AOR: 1.589, CI: 1.213-2.082, p = 0.001), had no religious affiliation (aOR: 3.665, CI: 1.235-10.877, p = 0.019), and households with daughters as household heads (aOR: 1.901, CI: 1.231-2.935, p = 0.004) and being in more than one union (aOR: 2.374, CI: 1.805-3.123, p<0.001) were significantly more likely to smoke cigarette compared to women from southern region, those affiliated to Anglican church, those with husband as household heads, and being in one union respectively. Conclusion Cigarette smoking among breastfeeding women in PNG is relatively high, and region of residence, religion, relationship to household head, and the number of unions remain independent predictors. Interventions should target the individual socio-economic and cultural contexts within which breastfeeding occurs

Prevalence of Hypertension and Obesity among Women in Reproductive Age in the Ashaiman Municipality in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana

Ghana like many other developing countries is faced with a double burden of infectious and chronic non-communicable diseases. It is increasingly being recognised that unhealthy behavioural patterns such as poor dietary habits, physical inactivity, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption significantly contribute to the development of many chronic non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, obesity, stroke, type II diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. This study sought to determine the prevalence of hypertension and obesity among women in reproductive age (? 20 ? 45); describe the dietary habits of the women; and ascertain how this may contribute to hypertension and obesity among the respondents. A descriptive cross-sectional study using interviewer-administered questionnaires was carried out among 254 women in reproductive age in the Ashiaman municipality. Study participants were selected through systematic sampling. The weight (kg) of the participants was taken using Salter scale and the height was also measured in cm using a stadiometer. Both weight and height measurements were used to calculate participants’ body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure (BP) readings were performed using a sphygmomanometer. The results showed that the prevalence rate of hypertension and obesity among the respondents was 20.1% and 9.8% respectively. The daily dietary choices of respondents revealed that all the respondents (254) consumed carbohydrates/fats &amp; oils  food daily with  less than a third of the respondents (80) including vitamins and mineral rich food which are mainly fruits and vegetables into daily diet. The results also indicated that 20.5% women who consumed carbohydrates, fats &amp; oils daily were hypertensive whereas the rest (79.5%) were normotensive. Effective and targeted health education and behaviour change interventions directed towards this segment of the population should be developed and implemented urgently. Key Words: Hypertension, obesity, prevalence, dietary habi

Antibiotics Availability and Usage in Health Facilities: A Case of the Offinso-South Municipality of Ghana

The use of antibiotics has received increased public health attention in recent times because their irrational use could pose a global health problem. Since the introduction of antimicrobial agents, there has been an association between antibiotic use and the development of antimicrobial resistance. The emergence of antibiotic resistance is primarily due to excessive and often unnecessary use of antibiotics in humans. This study therefore sought to assess antibiotics availability and usage in a municipal area of Ghana. The study was retrospective and descriptive in nature. Folders of 300 patients were sampled from a municipal hospital and three health centres. Simple random sampling technique was used in the recruitment of patients’ folders. The study revealed a high antibiotics usage in the municipality. Overall, respiratory tract infections rated the highest so far as conditions for which antibiotics were prescribed were concerned. The penicillins which were the frequently prescribed antibiotics formed 50% of prescriptions for the treatment of gastroenteritis, which was in violation of the existing standard treatment guidelines to be adhered to by prescribers. Regular training and refresher courses could be organized for prescribers towards ensuring the adherence to the existing treatment guidelines. Key words: antibiotics, availability, usage, health facilitie

Utilizing Physics Education Technology (PhET) for Improving Students' Understanding of Energy Conversion and Conservation in a Senior High Technical School

This study aims to assess the effectiveness of using Physics Education Technology (PhET) interactive simulations in improving students' understanding of energy conversion and conservation at Tuobodom Senior High and Technical School, with a focus on comparing female and male students. A total of 45 students (male = 29, female = 16) were selected using purposive sampling and taught using both traditional methods and PhET simulations, with their understanding evaluated through pre and post-intervention tests. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-tests. There was a significant pre-intervention score difference between males (15.88) and females (8.25) with a p-value of 0.00, however post-intervention scores were similar for both groups (males 10.88, females 12.62). The study found that PhET simulations effectively promote gender equity by narrowing the performance gap which is likely to improve student’s interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The findings of the study shows that PhET interactive simulation improves students' conceptual understanding of energy conversion and conservation. Keywords:Physics Education Technology (PhET), Conceptual, Energy conversion, energy conservation and Interactive visualization, Science Technology engineering and mathematics (STEM). DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-8-06 Publication date:March 31st 202