COVID-19 Impact on Church Cash Inflows in Ghana as Moderated by Location Profile

The corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic brought both negative and positive impacts on all sectors of world economies since its inception in the early 2020s. Profit and not-for-profit institutions have had their levels of effects as a result of the world-wide crises. Lockdown measures imposed by governments around the world to curb the spread of the virus had various repercussions on various activities, including churches. Effects of the pandemic on businesses, education, agriculture and tourism, among others, have received massive highlights in literature. Given this phenomenon, this study sought to ascertain the impact of COVID-19 on church cash inflows. The study used quantitative research approach. Research instrument consisted of self-constructed questionnaire. The study made use of descriptive correlational design. Data collected from Unions and Conferences of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Ghana were statistically analyzed. Results showed positive significant impact of COVID-19 on church cash inflows. There was significant moderating effect of location profile on church cash inflows during the period of the pandemic. The findings have implications for diversification of income sources through church projects to achieve stable to moderate cash inflows in the events of unpredictable new normal. This study concludes that the longevity of the pandemic will continually cause church cash inflows to decline

COVID-19 Impact on Church Cash Inflows in Ghana as Moderated by Location Profile

The corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic brought both negative and positive impacts on all sectors of world economies since its inception in the early 2020s. Profit and not-for-profit institutions have had their levels of effects as a result of the world-wide crises. Lockdown measures imposed by governments around the world to curb the spread of the virus had various repercussions on various activities, including churches. Effects of the pandemic on businesses, education, agriculture and tourism, among others, have received massive highlights in literature. Given this phenomenon, this study sought to ascertain the impact of COVID-19 on church cash inflows. The study used quantitative research approach. Research instrument consisted of self-constructed questionnaire. The study made use of descriptive correlational design. Data collected from Unions and Conferences of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Ghana were statistically analyzed. Results showed positive significant impact of COVID-19 on church cash inflows. There was significant moderating effect of location profile on church cash inflows during the period of the pandemic. The findings have implications for diversification of income sources through church projects to achieve stable to moderate cash inflows in the events of unpredictable new normal. This study concludes that the longevity of the pandemic will continually cause church cash inflows to decline

The Burden and Trend of Blood-Borne Pathogens among Asymptomatic Adult Population in Akwatia: A Retrospective Study at the St. Dominic Hospital, Ghana

Background. This study was aimed at evaluating the seroprevalence and trend of blood-borne pathogens (HIV, HCV, HBV, and Syphilis) among asymptomatic adults at Akwatia during a four-year period (2013–2016). Materials and Methods. The study was a retrospective analysis of secondary data of blood donors who visited the hospital from January 2013 to December 2016. Archival data from 11,436 prospective donors was extracted. Data included age, sex, and place of residence as well as results of infectious markers (HIV, HBV, HCV, and Syphilis). Results. The prevalence of blood-borne pathogens in the donor population was 4.06%, 7.23%, 5.81%, and 10.42% for HIV, HBV, HCV, and Syphilis infections, respectively. A significant decline in HBV and HCV infections was observed in the general donor population and across genders. HIV infection rate remained steady while Syphilis infections recorded a significantly increasing trend, peaking in the year 2015 (14.20%). Age stratification in HBV infection was significant, peaking among age group 40–49 years (8.82%). Conclusion. Asymptomatic blood-borne pathogen burden was high among the adult population in Akwatia. Gender variations in HBV, HCV, and Syphilis infections in the cumulative four-year burden were observed. Awareness needs to be created, especially in the older generation

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Determinants of intention to conceal tuberculosis status among family members: an analysis of seven Sub-Saharan African countries

Abstract Background Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant public health burden in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), accounting for about 25% of global TB cases. In several communities, TB diagnosis, treatment, and control have become a critical challenge, largely due to the intention to conceal TB status among family members. It is therefore crucial to understand the factors associated with the intentions to conceal TB status among family members in SSA. Methods This quantitative study utilised data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). The objective was to examine the factors associated with the intention to conceal the TB status of family members. The sample consisted of 58,849 individuals aged 10 years or older from seven SSA countries. Binary logistic regression was employed to assess the associations between TB status concealment and various socio-demographic and economic variables. Results The overall prevalence of TB status concealment intentions for the seven countries was 28.0% (95% CI: 27.6–28.4). Malawi and Eswatini accounted for the highest (47.3%) and lowest (3.0%) prevalence of TB concealment intentions respectively. TB status concealment intentions decreased with increasing age (p < 0.001). Living in rural areas was associated with lower odds of intending to conceal the TB of family members compared to living in urban areas (aOR = 0.92; p = 0.008). Higher education levels were associated with lower odds of TB status concealment intentions (aOR = 0.50; p < 0.001) compared to lower education levels. As participants wealth index increased, the odds of TB status concealment intentions decreased (aOR = 0.83; p < 0.001). Country of residence also showed significant associations with individuals in Ghana (aOR = 4.51; p < 0.001), Lesotho (aOR = 2.08; p < 0.001), Malawi (aOR = 4.10; p < 0.001), Namibia (aOR = 4.40; p < 0.001), and Sao-Tome and Principe (aOR = 5.56; p < 0.001) showing higher odds of TB status concealment intentions compared to Eswatini. Conclusions The findings conclude that several social determinants of health, including age, urbanicity, education, and wealth contribute to TB status concealment intentions for family members. Considering these factors is important for designing targeted interventions to improve TB control in the sample. In light of the unavailability of cultural variables in the dataset, future research can leverage qualitative approaches to conduct a more comprehensive exploration of the cultural factors linked to TB status concealment intentions in the population