Magnitude and trend of HIV and Treponema pallidum infections among blood donors in Offinso-North District, Ghana: a nine-year retrospective, cross-sectional study

Introduction: Blood transfusion poses a high public health risk to recipients; hence no effort recommended to eradicate or minimize the danger of transmitting the infections.bReproductive Biology should be underestimated at minimizing the risk of TTIs. This study determined the prevalence and trend of HIV and syphilis infections in voluntary blood donors. Method: A retrospective analysis of secondary data from consecutive prospective voluntary blood donors who accessed Nkenkaasu District Hospital’s Blood Bank from January 2010 to December 2018 was conducted. Result: Cumulatively, HIV and Treponema pallidum seropositivity identified in the present study was high (19.1%, [95% C.I (0.026-0.028)]) . The prevalence of HIV and syphilis infections were 10.9% (95% C.I (0.098-0.120)) and 8.9% (95% C.I (0.073-0.92)) respectively. Prospective female blood donors were less likely to test positive for T. pallidum than males (OR 0.511, [0.340 – 0.769], p=0.001), but the infection was similar among different ages. The data showed downward trend for both HIV and T. pallidum seropositivity, (slope=-2.9467, p<0.0001) and (slope=-0.7117, p<0.0001) respectively. Conclusion: Seroprevalence of HIV and Treponema pallidum were high, and their individual or combined seropositivity pose a significant threat to the safety of blood. Extensive and continuous screening for high-risk behaviours and infectious markers before blood donation is therefore Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, College of Medicine, Pan African University of Life and Earth Sciences Institute (PAULESI), University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. Keywords: Blood donors; HIV; magnitude; trend; Treponema pallidum

The Effect of Leadership Styles on Learners’ Performance. The Case of Asonomaso Nkwanta in the Kwabre District Assembly of Ashanti Region in Ghana

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of leadership styles on academic performance in Junior High Schools (JHS) in Asonomaso Nkwanta in the Kwabre District Assembly of Ashanti Region in Ghana. The design for the study was a mixed study using both the qualitative and quantitative analyzes. It was a correlation survey designed to establish the relationship between leadership styles and academic performance in schools in Asonomaso Nkwanta in the Kwabre District Assembly. Data collected on the leadership styles of the school leaders were the independent variables and the academic performance as dependent variables. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 22 and Epi-Info, a data capturing and analysis software. The study noted that unless the headmasters are well equipped with knowledge and skills in leadership they would not know if they have any influence on their schools and on academic work. The study also established that even though respondents agreed that a leadership style can affect academic performance, the headmasters do not gain the confidence of the stakeholders enough in order to build terms that can enhance quality of teaching and learning. Based on these establishments, it was recommended that teacher training institutions should incorporate in their curriculum, training in the art and science of leadership in order to groom leaders’ right from school. Again, it is recommended that compulsory continuous professional development in leadership should be institutionalized in Ghana Education Service (GES) for headmasters. Keywords: Leadership, Learners’ performance, Education, schoo

Malaria, Immunity, and Immunopathology

Malaria is a disease spread by mosquitoes, and it is a major global cause of morbidity and mortality. Most of the deaths in malaria are caused by the Apicomplexan parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Immunity against the disease is dependent on repeated exposure, and it usually takes several years to develop. Antibodies against different antigens are an important part of immunity, but cellular immunity has also been shown to be of importance. There is no licensed vaccine against malaria, and one of the reasons for this is that knowledge about how immunity is developed is still lacking. In this article, we go through the different stages of the life cycle of the parasite and explain what is known about immunity against different antigens from the preerythrocytic and erythrocytic stages. We also mention different host factors, which can affect the outcome of malaria