Knowledge and Determinants of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption among Adults in Hohoe Municipality, Ghana

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that a person consumes at least 400g of Fruit and Vegetable (FV) daily to prevent chronic disease risk. We assessed knowledge of current WHO guidelines and other determinants of FV intake among adults (≥ 18 years, n = 397) in Hohoe Municipality, Ghana. Face-to-face interviews using a questionnaire adopted from WHO Risk Factor Surveillance System were undertaken. Knowledge of FV daily servings and determinants of intake were evaluated by descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression. There was a 99.2% response rate with approximately 9% of participants correctly stating the WHO daily recommended amount (P = .296). Most (54%) of respondents’ FV intake was affected by unavailability of desired choice (P = .050). Odd of inadequate consumption for persons aware of adequate amount was 1.97 (95% CI: 0.64, 6.05, P = .234) higher than persons without awareness. Participants with problems accessing their desired choice of FV had 0.59 odds (95% CI: 0.36, 0.95, P = .030) of consuming inadequate amount compared to those with easy access. Adequate FV intake depends on availability of consumer preference regardless of knowledge of recommendations. Individual FV cultivation is relevant for availability of preferred choice and adequate consumption for NCDs risk reductions among Ghanaians

Foodborne disease outbreak in a resource-limited setting: a tale of missed opportunities and implications for response

Introduction: Foodborne diseases (FBD) have emerged as a major public health problem worldwide. Though the global burden of FBD is currently unknown, foodborne diarrhoeal diseases kill 1.9 million children globally every year. On 25th September 2014, health authorities in Eastern Region of Ghana were alerted of a suspected FBD outbreak involving patrons of a community food joint. We investigated to determine the magnitude, source and implement control and preventive measures. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. We reviewed medical records for data on demographics and clinical features. A suspected foodborne disease was any person in the affected community with abdominal pain, vomiting and or diarrhea between 25th and 30th September 2014 and had eaten from the food joint. We conducted active case search, descriptive data analysis and calculated food specific attack rate ratios (ARR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Results: Of 43 case-patients, 44.2% (19/43) were males; median age was 19 years (interquartile range: 17-24 years). Overall attack rate was 43.4% (43/99) with no fatality. Case counts rose sharply for four hours to a peak and fell to baseline levels after 12 hours .Compared to those who ate other food items, patrons who ate “waakye” and “shitor” were more likely to develop foodborne disease [ARR=4.1 (95% CI=1.09-15.63)]. Food samples and specimens from case-patients were unavailable for testing. Laboratory diagnostic capacity was also weak. Conclusion: A point source FBD outbreak linked to probable contaminated “waakye” and or “shitor” occurred. Missed opportunities for definitive diagnosis highlighted the need for strengthening local response capacity.Pan African Medical Journal 2016; 2

Challenges and opportunities for improved contact tracing in Ghana: experiences from Coronavirus disease-2019-related contact tracing in the Bono region

Abstract Background In Ghana, contact tracing received heightened attention in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic during its peak period. Despite the successes achieved, numerous challenges continue to limit the efforts of contact tracing in completely curtailing the effect of the pandemic. Despite these challenges, there are still opportunities that could be harnessed from the COVID-19 contact tracing experience for future eventualities. This study thus identified the challenges and opportunities associated with COVID-19 contact tracing in the Bono Region of Ghana. Methods Using a focus group discussion (FGD) approach, an exploratory qualitative design was conducted in six selected districts of the Bono region of Ghana in this study. The purposeful sampling technique was employed to recruit 39 contact tracers who were grouped into six focus groups. A thematic content analysis approach via ATLAS ti version 9.0 software was used to analyse the data and presented under two broad themes. Results The discussants reported twelve (12) challenges that hindered effective contact tracing in the Bono region. These include inadequate personal protective equipment, harassment by contacts, politicisation of the discourse around the disease, stigmatization, delays in processing test results, poor remuneration and lack of insurance package, inadequate staffing, difficulty in locating contacts, poor quarantine practices, poor education on COVID-19, language barrier and transportation challenges. Opportunities for improving contact tracing include cooperation, awareness creation, leveraging on knowledge gained in contact tracing, and effective emergency plans for future pandemics. Conclusion There is a need for health authorities, particularly in the region, and the state as a whole to address contact tracing-related challenges while simultaneously harnessing the recommended opportunities for improved contact tracing in the future for effective pandemic control

Modelled effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on HIV testing and counselling (HTC) in Ghana, from April to December 2020.

Modelled effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on HIV testing and counselling (HTC) in Ghana, from April to December 2020.</p

Trend of observed and counterfactual number of TB case notifications from January 2016 to December 2020 in Ghana.

Trend of observed and counterfactual number of TB case notifications from January 2016 to December 2020 in Ghana.</p

Trends of observed and counterfactual number of TB case notifications, HIV testing and ART initiations, 2016–2020.

Trends of observed and counterfactual number of TB case notifications, HIV testing and ART initiations, 2016–2020.</p

Dataset analysed for this study.

IntroductionThe Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) burden, coupled with unprecedented control measures including physical distancing, travel bans, and lockdowns of cities, implemented to stop the spread of the virus, have undoubtedly far-reaching aftereffects on other diseases. In low and middle-income countries (LMICs), a particular worry is the potential impact on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Tuberculosis (TB), as a consequence of possible disruption to health services and limiting access to needed life-saving health care. In Ghana, there is a paucity of information regarding the impact of COVID-19 on disease control, particularly TB and HIV control. This study sought to contribute to bridging this knowledge gap.MethodThe study involved the analysis of secondary data obtained from the District Health Information Management System-2 (DHIMS-2) database of Ghana Health Service, from 2016 to 2020. Data were analysed using an interrupted time-series regression approach to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on TB case notification, HIV testing, and Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) initiations, using March 2020 as the event period.ResultsThe study showed that during the COVID-19 pandemic period, there was an abrupt decline of 20.5% (955CI: 16.0%, 24.5%) in TB case notifications in April and 32.7% (95%CI: 28.8%, 39.1%) in May 2020, with a median monthly decline of 21.4% from April-December 2020. A cumulative loss of 2,128 (20%; 95%CI: 13.3%, 26.7%) TB cases was observed nationwide as of December 2020. There was also a 40.3% decrease in people presenting for HIV tests in the first month of COVID-19 (April 2020) and a cumulative loss of 262620 (26.5%) HIV tests as of December 2020 attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic. ART initiations increased by 39.2% in the first month and thereafter decreased by an average of 10% per month from May to September 2020. Cumulatively, 443 (1.9%) more of the people living with HIV initiated ART during the pandemic period, however, this was not statistically significant.ConclusionThis study demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted TB case notifications and HIV testing and counselling services, However, ART initiation was generally not impacted during the first year of the pandemic. Proactive approaches aimed at actively finding the thousands of individuals with TB who were missed in 2020 and increasing HIV testing and counselling and subsequent treatment initiations should be prioritised.</div

Modelled effect of COVID-19 pandemic TB case notification in Ghana, from April to December 2020.

Modelled effect of COVID-19 pandemic TB case notification in Ghana, from April to December 2020.</p

Trend of observed and counterfactual number of ART initiation from January 2016 to December 2020 in Ghana.

Trend of observed and counterfactual number of ART initiation from January 2016 to December 2020 in Ghana.</p