HIV/AIDS treatment in two Ghanaian hospitals : experiences of patients, nurses and doctors

This thesis is based on fifteen months of anthropological research in the voluntary counselling and testing centres and antiretroviral therapy clinics of two hospitals in Ghana, St. Patrick's Hospital at Maase-Offinso and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, including in-depth conversations with people living with HIV/AIDS, nurses and doctors. It shows that the persistent stigma around HIV/AIDS has a profound negative impact on people with HIV/AIDS and on their use of counselling, testing and treatment services. Many prefer absolute secrecy or even death to the shame and social exclusion that may follow if their condition is revealed. However, the study also demonstrates that the provision of high quality services can lead to an increased uptake of services. The thesis describes the complexities involved in the care and treatment of HIV/AIDS. The author advocates that treating clients well during interactions in the centres and clinics is crucial for the increasing use of these services by both clients and other people. It can be the first step to reducing the perceived stigma associated with the use of services in the hospital setting. [ASC Leiden abstract]

Socio-economic Performance of Manufacturing Companies in Urban Ghana

The integration of sustainable development practices including environmental management accounting, environmental performance assessment, social equity, economic efficiency and corporate social performance into the daily management portfolios of business has acted as the catalyst towards the socio-economic performance of businesses. This paper explored the effects of environmental sustainability practices on socio-economic performance of manufacturing companies in urban Ghana. The study involved six manufacturing companies. Using the cross-sectional design with a two-stage sampling technique, 600 respondents were selected from the 6 companies. The hypothetical model was tested using regression analysis, to verify the hypothetical relationships between variables in the study. A 2-tailed test involving Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was run to ascertain the relationship between ESPs and economic performance of MCs. The results of the study from the model Summary showed R Square of 0.813 indicating that about 81% of the socio-economic performance of manufacturing companies is accounted for by environmental sustainability practices (ESPs). There is a significant negative profit margins in the operational activities of companies (-0.550) at 0.01 due to ESPs in the company. It is concluded that environmental sustainability practices relate to socio-economic performance of manufacturing companies. Keywords: Environmental sustainability practices, environmental accountability, corporate sustainability performance, environmental citizenship, environmental injustice, manufacturing companies, Ghana DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/11-15-09 Publication date:May 31st 201

Stigma experiences, effects and coping among individuals affected by Buruli ulcer and yaws in Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Stigma related to skin neglected tropical diseases like Buruli ulcer (BU) and yaws has remained underexplored and existing studies are limited to individual diseases despite the WHO call for integration in disease management. Within two districts in central Ghana, we explored stigma associated with BU and yaws to understand overlaps and disease-specific nuances to help guide integrated interventions. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In-depth interviews were conducted with 31 current or formerly affected individuals to assess the experiences, effects and coping strategies adopted to manage disease related stigma. Data were analysed along broad themes based on the sociological construct of macro and micro interaction and Goffman's treatise on stigma. Disapproving community labels fueled by misconceptions were noted among BU participants which contributed to macro stigma experiences, including exclusion, discrimination and avoidance. In contrast, a high level of social acceptance was reported among yaws participants although some micro-level stigma (anticipated, felt and self-stigma) were noted by individuals with both diseases. While younger participants experienced name-calling and use of derogatory words to address affected body parts, older participants and caregivers discussed the pain of public staring. Stigma experiences had negative consequences on psychosocial well-being, schooling, and social relations, particularly for BU affected people. Problem-focused strategies including confrontation, selective disclosure and concealment as well as emotion-focused strategies (religious coping and self-isolation) were noted. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: The types and levels of stigma varied for BU and yaws. Stigma experiences also differed for adults and children in this setting and these differences should be accounted for in integrated interventions for these skin NTDs. School health programs need to prioritize educating school teachers about skin NTDs and the negative impact of stigma on the wellbeing of children

The Causes of depression among university students and its effects on their academic life in Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

Introduction: This article discusses the causes of depression among university students and how it affects their academic life. It also looks at how students understand and define the concept of depression since research evidence points to the fact that arriving at a consensual definition for depression can be difficult due to the varying experiences among individuals influencing its definition. Methods: Data was collected through in-depth interviews with undergraduate students in the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Faculty of Social Sciences and review of various literatures on depression. Findings: The study revealed that majority of the students viewed depression as a long period of sadness where one feels hopeless and worthless; few viewed depression as a long period of sadness and isolation. Students understood the concept based on their personal experiences. It also indicates that loss of a loved one, financial crisis and unmet expectations in their academic work were the causes of depression among university students. It also confirmed that depression affects students’ academic life in a number of ways which includes inability to study and poor academic achievements. Conclusion: The study concludes by acknowledging that students are able to cope with their depression on their own, yet it recommends that the counseling unit of the university be made easily approachable and strengthened, students encouraged to seek guidance and counseling

Exploring the operations of itinerant medicine sellers within urban bus terminals in Kumasi, Ghana

This paper explores Itinerant Medicine Sellers’ (IMSs) operations at loading bays within bus terminals in the Kumasi metropolis. The paper examines how the sellers negotiated access into the loading bays, how they marketed their medicines, where they sourced their medicines from, and the challenges they faced. An exploratory qualitative survey design was adopted for the study. Through convenience sampling, 18 IMSs operating within the bus terminals in the Kumasi metropolis participated in this study. In-depth interviews were conducted, audio-recorded and transcribed. The transcripts were thematically analysed. The study found that these hawkers negotiated access to the loading bays through multiple informal gatekeepers and employed direct customer engagement in marketing their medicines. It was further revealed that the IMSs sourced their medicines from both formal and informal sources for different reasons, such as affordability and informality of medicines acquisition. The participants operated outside government-prescribed regulations and faced challenges of low capital and sales revenue, poor reception by prospective clients, and government clampdown. The study concludes that medicine hawking is an illegal livelihood strategy and a public health concern. As a phenomenon outside government’s policy guidelines, it is recommended that government intensifies its clampdown activities on these hawkers and engage in public health education on the negative implications of accessing medicines from these IMSs

Maternal and child health care access to skilled delivery services among Ghanaian rural mothers

Abstract Introduction Most new-born babies are born at home in rural communities which is not new phenomenon due to lack of access to primary healthcare services and trained skilled health attendants, exposing mothers and children to a high risk of labour complications. The purpose of this study was to better understand factors influence rural women's access to primary health care and skilled delivery services as well as their reasons for using or not using maternal health care and skilled delivery services. Methods The study employed a social survey design with a quantitative approach to data analysis. Cluster Sampling was used, possibly based on rural communities, to efficiently collect data from different geographic locations. Simple random sampling individuals from each cluster ensures that all eligible individuals have an equal chance of being included in the study. This enhances the representativity of the sample. A total of 366 mothers were selected from four rural communities in the North East Region of Ghana. The choice of sample size considered factors like the study's objectives, available resources, and the desired level of statistical power. Data was primarily gathered through the administration of a questionnaire to the respondents. Factors considered for achieving representativity include, geographic representation, accessibility, healthcare infrastructure and healthcare professionals’ attitudes. Findings The study found that distance to health centres limits women's access to skilled delivery services. Lack of primary health facilities in the rural communities hamper maternal and child care services delivery. The attitude of health care professionals determines a mother’s utilisation of maternal health care and skilled delivery services. Conclusion The study contributes to the limited research on maternal health services and their impact on mother and child health in the study area. This study is one of the first to investigate into maternal health care as a key predictor of mother and child health in the study area. The study's theoretical lens was the Andersen and Newman Health Behavioural Model theory, which supports the explanation of distance, lack of primary health centres, attitudes and lack of skilled personnel to the non-utilisation of maternal and health services in rural communities. The study recommended that primary healthcare facilities and trained health professionals should be a priority of government in rural communities to promote maternal and child healthcare