Mental Health Service in Ghana: a Review of the Case

Mental health care in Ghana has been fraught with several challenges leading to stagnant growth in mental health service delivery and in some cases a severe depreciation in the nature of care. The Government of Ghana pays little or no attention to mental health care in the country, a situation that has led to poor service delivery in the three major psychiatric hospitals in Ghana. The implementation of the Ghana Mental Act of 2012 has also been faced with major challenges with no significant progress being made. This studytherefore sought to review and document the development of mental health care services in Ghana. Specifically, the study examined the various legislations on mental health that have been enacted in Ghana since 1900; investigated the implementation of the current Mental Health Act of Ghana; found out whether the Ghanaian government has prioritise mental health services in the country and assessed the challenges and problems that confronted mental health services in Ghana since 1900.The study concludes that, since 1888 efforts have been made by various governments to legislate the provision of mental services in Ghana. However, these legislations have not always protected the rights and interest of the mentally ill

Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever in Africa: a Necessary Highlight

The purpose of this commentary is to re-evaluate the historic and scientific facts on Ebola haemorrhagic fever and the role of the International community, especially Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in stemming the tide. It rehashes the argument on causes and prevention and draws attention of readers to emphasize the need for establishment of airport, sea port and border health posts with well drilled and efficient health professionals to be able to test, detect and quarantine persons with Ebola and treat them to prevent the spread of the disease from infected persons to primary or first contacts and secondary contacts. Significantly, countries in the West African sub-region are alarmed by the potential spread of the disease to countries that have hitherto been free of the disease. The potential global threat of the disease has been analysed and measures to be taken by countries within the West-African sub-region have been emphasized. This notwithstanding, does the declaration of countries as Ebola-free suggest the last of it

Maternal and Infant Health Section of the Demographic and Health Survey Report of Ghana, 2008: a Commentary

This article is basically a commentary on some sections on infant and maternalhealthcare of the 2008 demographic and health survey of Ghana. The attention of bothpolicy makers and academics are drawn to the need to ensure the expansion of thematernal and infant healthcare in Ghana. In same commentary, attention of readershave been drawn to the proclivity of the free maternal health policy to positively shapematernal and infant care in Ghana

A Loop Region in the N-Terminal Domain of Ebola Virus VP40 Is Important in Viral Assembly, Budding, and Egress

Ebola virus (EBOV) causes viral hemorrhagic fever in humans and can have clinical fatality rates of ~60%. The EBOV genome consists of negative sense RNA that encodes seven proteins including viral protein 40 (VP40). VP40 is the major Ebola virus matrix protein and regulates assembly and egress of infectious Ebola virus particles. It is well established that VP40 assembles on the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane of human cells to regulate viral budding where VP40 can produce virus like particles (VLPs) without other Ebola virus proteins present. The mechanistic details, however, of VP40 lipid-interactions and protein-protein interactions that are important for viral release remain to be elucidated. Here, we mutated a loop region in the N-terminal domain of VP40 (Lys127, Thr129, and Asn130) and find that mutations (K127A, T129A, and N130A) in this loop region reduce plasma membrane localization of VP40. Additionally, using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy and number and brightness analysis we demonstrate these mutations greatly reduce VP40 oligomerization. Lastly, VLP assays demonstrate these mutations significantly reduce VLP release from cells. Taken together, these studies identify an important loop region in VP40 that may be essential to viral egress

Trace and heavy metals analysis of Phyllanthus amarus and Phyllanthus fraternus in Ghana

Ethno-pharmacological uses and information about Phyllanthus species have prompted this work. The aim was to investigate the presence and levels of aluminum (Al), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni) in Phyllanthus amarus (PA) and Phyllanthus fraternus (PF) in Ghana. Three different extracts (hot aqueous, hot ethanol and cold ethanol) were prepared from dried powdered samples of these plants. These extracts, including the dried samples of the plants were analyzed for the presence and levels of Al, Mg, Fe, Mn, Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Cr, and Ni using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). The levels of Ni (0.43±0.24 ppm), Cr (0.35±0.04 ppm) and Cd (0.18±0.10 ppm) in both plant species were found to be very low in the dried samples plants and below the FAO/WHO maximum limits for vegetables, but were below the detectable limits of our AAS in the extract. Pb was not detected in the dried plant samples and in the extracts of the PA and PF; hence the plants may not pose serious health threat to consumers. PA and PF contain appreciable amounts of trace metals though they were all below the FAO/WHO maximum permissible limits in vegetables. The level of Fe in PA and PF (145.11±11.69 ppm and 179.94±14.60 ppm respectively) was found be to relatively high compared to the other elements analyzed. This finding makes the two plants suitable candidates for use in formulating effective remedies against iron deficiency diseases besides conferring some nutritive value to the patients.Keywords: Ethno-pharmacological, phytoextration, concentration, medicinal valu

Variation in the export of 13C and 15N from soybean leaf: the effects of nitrogen application and sink removal

Translocation of carbon and nitrogen within a single source-sink unit, comprising a trifoliated leaf, the axillary pod and the subtending internode, and from this unit to the rest of the plant was examined in soyabean (Glycine max L. cv. Akishirome) plant by feeding 13CO2 and 15NO3. The plants were grown at two levels of nitrogen in the basal medium, i.e. low-N (2 g N m-2) and high-N (35 g N m-2) and a treatment of depodding was imposed by removing all the pods from the plant, except the pod of the source sink unit, 13 days after flowering. The plants at high-N accumulated more biomass in its organs compared to low-N and pod removal increased the weight of the vegetative organs. When the terminal leaflet of the source-sink unit was fed with 13CO2, almost all of the radioactive materials were retained inside the source-sink unit and translocation to rest of the plants was insignificant under any of the treatments imposed. Out of the 13C exported by the terminal leaflet, less than half went into the axillary pod, as the lateral leaflets claimed equal share and very little material was deposited in the petiole. Pod removal decreased 13C export at high-N, but not at low-N. Similar to 13C, the source-sink unit retained all the 15N fed to the terminal leaflet at high-N. At low-N, the major part of 15N partitioning occurred in favour of the rest of the plant outside the source-sink unit, but removal of the competitive sinks from the rest of the plants nullified any partitioning outside the unit. Unlike the situation in 13C, no partitioning of 15N occurred in favour of the lateral leaflets from the terminal leaflet inside the unit. It is concluded that sink demand influences partitioning of both C and N and the translocation of carbon is different from that of nitrogen within a source-sink unit. The translocation of the N is more adjustive to a demand from other sink units compared to the C

Genotypic variability in phosphorus solubilizing activity of root exudates by pigeonpea grown in low-nutrient environments

A pot experiment confirmed that pigeonpea could efficiently utilize various sources of phosphorus (P) (aluminium phosphate, iron phosphate and apatite), irrespective of genotype. A qualitative assay method for iron (Fe)-P solubilizing activity showed that root exudates collected from P-deficient pigeonpea contained Fe-P solubilizing substances and that they were released mainly from root tips. Citric, malic, malonic, succinic and piscidic acids were identified in root exudates. Citric and piscidic acids release from roots was increased by low-P treatment in all the genotypes tested. The release rates of citric and piscidic acids were affected by the P concentration of shoots rather than that of roots. The pigeonpea roots released approximately 5-100 times more piscidic acid than citric acid depending on P stress status, plant age and genotype. When organic acids were added to Alfisols, citric acid was most capable of mobilizing P from the soil, followed by piscidic acid and malic acid. No correlation was found between genotypic variability in the release rates of citric and piscidic acids from the roots under low-P treatment at hydroponic culture and in the growth and P uptake of plants on Alfisols. Although citric and piscidic acids released from pigeonpea roots may play a partial role in solubilizing unavailable insoluble P in soils, the releases were thought to be an unsatisfactory strategy for explaining genotypic variation in low P availability of pigeonpea

Varietal differences in root growth as related to nitrogen uptake by sorghum plants in low-nitrogen environment

Hybrid (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench cv. CSH 9) and local variety (S. bicolor cv. FSRP) of sorghum were grown in an Alfisol field and in pots of Alfisol in semi-arid tropical India, and the productivity of sorghum in low N condition was studied in relation to N absorption by plant. The grain yield of the hybrid (CSH 9) was higher than that of the local variety (FSRP) irrespective of the rate of N application. The reduction in hybrid grain yield was less than that for the local variety when N was not applied. After booting stage hybrid absorbed more N than the local variety. To estimate the role of roots in N absorption, the characteristics of N absorption were parameterized. Relative growth rate was highly correlated with relative N absorption rate in plant. N absorption was regulated by root activity (specific N absorption rate per unit root mass and length). Specific N absorption rate in roots at physiological maturity was higher in the hybrid than in local variety in low N conditions. Therefore, the smaller reduction of hybrid yield in low-N conditions was ascribed to high-N absorption rate in its roots, and the high ability of roots to absorb N after booting stage

Synergism of sulfur availability and agronomic nitrogen use efficiency

Nutrient management strategies that exploit nutrient elements’ synergistic interaction to enhance nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) are needed for economic and environmental reasons. A field study was carried out during the 2020–2022 growing seasons at six locations in three countries: two each in the United States, Ghana, and Mali using three sulfur (S) sources with different bioavailability levels (micronized elemental S, untreated elemental S, and ammonium sulfate); applied at five S application rates: site-specific recommended S rate (SR), 25%, 50%, 75%, and 125% of SR; and a single nitrogen (N) application rate (site-specific recommended N rate) to comprehensively investigate the influence of S availability on NUE. Specific objectives were to evaluate the impact of S availability on corn (Zea mays L.) yield, N uptake, and NUE. Regardless of the S source and experimental site, the aboveground S and N uptake were strongly and positively correlated (r > 0.88). Increases in apparent N recovery efficiency and agronomic NUE occurred with corresponding increases in S application rate, irrespective of the site and S source. The combined data showed that the agronomic efficiency of applied N fertilizer sources could be enhanced significantly by increasing S availability in soils. With the rising N fertilizer costs in recent times, N losses from the applied fertilizer are a drain on farmers’ income and of environmental concern. Thus, increasing NUE is a needed strategy to safeguard against excessive N application, increase farm profits, and minimize N losses to the environment that could disrupt the ecosystem function

Challenges of Meeting Surgical Needs in the Developing World

The burden of surgical conditions and diseases is increasing in low-income and middle-income countries, but the capacity to meet the demands they present is not following pace. Ongoing initiatives, such as brief visits by surgeons from advantaged countries, sending surgical residents to spend time in a developing country as part of their training, or ships weighing anchor offshore and offering some limited on-shore or on-board services, have not proven successful. More comprehensive and sustainable solutions include the development of local training programs, better retention of trainees with adequate incentives particularly in rural areas, and engaging government and professional associations, as well as academic institutions, to develop and implement policies to address local training needs