Malaria and Pneumonia are major killers of children underfive. However, fever and cough are major signs of Malaria and Pneumonia respectively and hence making proper management of fever and cough ...indispensable in the fight against underfive mortality. This study therefore investigated the factors that influence the choice of first healthcare provider for children with fever or cough in Ghana. The study used the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) as the main source of data. By employing the multinomial probit model, the study found that urban children, children with higher birth rank, older children, children from the Ga/Dangme, Akan, Mole-Dagbani, Ewe, Mande and Gurma ethnicity and children of mothers with big problems with regards to permission and distance to seek self-medical care were more likely to be given self-medication or to be sent to a traditional practitioner initially for fever or cough. Contrary, mothers with health insurance, aging mothers and wealthy households were less likely to first resort to self-medication or a traditional practitioner in order to seek care for children with fever or cough. The study therefore concludes that ethnicity, residence, permission and distance to seek medical care by mother, mother’s health insurance, household wealth, child’s age, mother’s age and birth order are the factors that influence the choice of first healthcare provider for children with fever or cough in Ghana.
The mortality of children which has pneumonia and diarrhoea as some of its major causes remains a major concern for all countries of which Ghana is no exception. Ghana’s current child mortality rate ...is far above the sustainable development goal 3.2. However, given that vaccination is one of the most effective ways of preventing childhood diseases, it was surprising that, the 2014 Ghana demographic and health survey (GDHS) report showed a falling up-take or coverage in the successive doses of the pneumococcal (pneumonia vaccine) and rotavirus (diarrhoea vaccine) vaccines among children in Ghana. This study therefore using data from the children’s recode file of the 2014 GDHS, investigated the determinants of demand for subsequent doses of the pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines for children in Ghana by employing the binary probit model. The study among other findings revealed that, unemployed mothers were less likely to demand for the subsequent and initial doses of both the pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines for their children. Also male household heads were revealed to be less likely to demand for all the doses of the rotavirus vaccines for children. In addition, single mothers were also revealed to be less likely to demand for all the subsequent doses of the pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines. Therefore targeting unemployed and single mothers as well as women empowerment through job opportunities coupled with public education, especially of household heads, would serve as effective tools in tackling the falling demand for subsequent doses of the pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines for children in Ghana.
BackgroundFemale Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS) remains one of the most critical and neglected topics in Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and the health of women and girls worldwide. Health workers’ ...knowledge of FGS is vital to the prevention and management of the disease. This study, therefore, conducted implementation research to identify and address the FGS knowledge gap among health workers in Ghana.MethodsThis study was a 3-year (2020 -2022) implementation research study applying a pragmatic uncontrolled quasi-experimental study design. The study involved a baseline assessment, an intervention phase involving the training of health workers about FGS and an endline assessment. A mixed-method approach was applied to data collection. The qualitative data involved 20 In-depth Interviews while the quantitative data involved 116 health workers. NVIVO 12 and STATA 14 were used for qualitative and quantitative data analysis, respectively. ResultsBefore the intervention, there was little knowledge about FGS among health workers as most participants only understood FGS as merely urogenital schistosomiasis in females. Based on the baseline assessments, an FGS education intervention in the form of training of health workers and distribution of FGS educational materials was carried out. The impact of this intervention enhanced health workers’ awareness and management of FGS. However, access (availability and affordability) to praziquantel (the main drug used in treating and preventing schistosomiasis) was cited as a challenge. ConclusionThe FGS intervention has improved health workers’ awareness and understanding of FGS. However, there is a need to improve access to praziquantel to facilitate FGS management. In addition, a holistic strategy encompassing all stakeholders at the individual, community, and health-system levels is required to improve the general knowledge and management of FGS.
Background
Malaria is a public health problem in Ghana with children being one of the most vulnerable. Given this, in 2019, Ghana decided to add the first malaria vaccine (RTS, S) as part of routine ...immunisations for children in the near future. This study, thus, examines the determinants of malaria vaccine awareness and willingness to uptake the vaccine for children in Ghana.
Method
The study uses data from the 2019 Ghana Malaria Indicator Survey while employing the binary logistic regression as the empirical estimation technique.
Results
The study finds that religion, region of residence and awareness of the malaria vaccine, influence the willingness to uptake the vaccine for children. Moreover, younger mothers (15–26 years), households in the richest wealth quintile, male‐headed households and the number of children aged five years and below in a household, are found to be associated with less willingness to uptake the vaccine for children.
Conclusion
Paying attention to awareness creation, region, religion, younger mothers (15–26 years), households in the richest wealth quintile, male‐headed households and households with more children aged five years and below, can ensure optimal uptake of the malaria vaccine for children in Ghana.
Highlights
Malaria is a public health problem in Ghana with children being one of the most vulnerable
Ghana has decided to add the first malaria vaccine (RTS, S) as part of routine immunisations for children in the near future
It is therefore imperative to examine the factors associated with willingness to accept child vaccination against malaria in Ghana
Our findings show that, paying attention to awareness creation, region, religion, younger mothers (15–26 years), households in the richest wealth quintile, male‐headed households and households with more children aged five years and below, can ensure optimal uptake of the malaria vaccine for children in Ghana
Purpose
Bipolar and depression disorders are some of the most common mental health disorders affecting millions of people in low-and middle-income countries, including those in Africa. These ...disorders are therefore major contributors to the burden of diseases and disability. While an enhancement in income is seen as a major approach towards reducing the burden of these disorders, empirical evidence to support this view in the African context is lacking. This study therefore aims to examine the effect of per capita income growth on bipolar and depression disorders across African countries.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses data from secondary sources comprising 42 African countries over the period, 2002–2019, to achieve its objective. The prevalence of bipolar and major depressive disorders (depression) are used as the dependent variables, while per capita income growth is used as the main independent variable. The system Generalised Method of Moments regression is used as the estimation technique.
Findings
In the baseline, the authors find per capita income growth to be associated with a reduction in the prevalence of bipolar (coefficient: −0.001, p < 0.01) and depression (coefficient: −0.001, p < 0.1) in the short-term. Similarly, in the long-term, per capita income growth is found to have negative association with the prevalence of bipolar (coefficient: −0.059, p < 0.01) and depression (coefficient: −0.035, p < 0.1). The results are similar after robustness checks.
Originality/value
This study attempts at providing the first empirical evidence of the effect of per capita income growth on bipolar and depression disorders across several African countries.
Globally, and in Ghana, a lot of people do practice open defecation as well as share toilet facilities with other households. Meanwhile, open defecation in particular, is associated with numerous ...negative health and economic effects. To this end, a number of empirical studies have been conducted on the determinants of access to sanitation facilities among households in Ghana. Nonetheless, while financial inclusion (sustainable ways of ensuring easier accessibility to cheap and useful financial products and services among individuals/firms) can enhance the ability of households or individuals to afford toilet facilities, hence, could help in curbing open defecation and sharing of toilet facilities among households, the previous studies on Ghana did not pay attention to it. This study therefore uses data from the 7th round of the Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS7) to examine the association of financial inclusion with open defecation and sharing of toilet facilities among households in Ghana. The binary logit regression is used as the empirical estimation technique. The results show that, financial inclusion in general is associated with lesser likelihood of open defecation and sharing of toilet facilities among households in Ghana after controlling for welfare quintile, urban or rural residence and other covariates. Moreover, while informal financial inclusion is statistically insignificant, formal financial inclusion is found to be associated with reduced open defecation and sharing of toilet facilities among households. Thus, in the attempt to eliminate open defecation as well as reduce the sharing of toilet facilities among households in Ghana, conscious efforts should be devoted towards enhancing formal financial inclusion.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Background. The COVID-19 pandemic and government-led interventions to tackle it have had life-changing effects on vulnerable populations, especially rural and urban slum dwellers in developing ...countries. This ethnographic study explored how the Ghanaian government’s management of COVID-19, socio-cultural factors, infrastructural challenges, and poverty influenced community perceptions, attitudes, and observance of COVID-19 prevention measures in Ghana. Methods. The study employed focused ethnography using in-depth interviews (IDIs), focus group discussions (FGDs), and nonparticipant observations to collect data from an urban slum and a rural community as well as from government officials, from October 2020 to January 2021. The data were triangulated and analyzed thematically with the support of qualitative software NVivo 12. All ethical procedures were followed. Results. The Ghanaian government’s strategy of communicating COVID-19-related information to the public, health-related factors such as health facilities failing to follow standard procedures in testing and tracing persons who came into contact with COVID-19-positive cases, poverty, and lack of social amenities contributed to the poor observance of COVID-19 preventive measures. In addition, the government’s relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions, community and family values, beliefs, and misconceptions contributed to the poor observance of COVID-19 preventive measures. Nevertheless, some aspects of the government’s intervention measures and support to communities with COVID-19 prevention items, support from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and high knowledge of COVID-19 and its devastating effects contributed to positive attitudes and observance of COVID-19 preventive measures. Conclusion. There is a need for the government to use the existing community structures to engage vulnerable communities so that their concerns are factored into interventions to ensure that appropriate interventions are designed to suit the context. Moreover, the government needs to invest in social amenities in deprived communities. Finally, the government has to be consistent with the information it shares with the public to enhance trust relations.
Globally, tobacco use claims millions of lives every year. This has necessitated policy responses including tax measures aimed at reducing the consumption of tobacco. Nonetheless, opponents of ...tobacco taxation posit that, it may hurt economic growth. This study, therefore, examines the effect of tobacco taxation on economic growth in 38 African countries from 2008 to 2018. The system generalised method of moments (GMM) regression is used as the estimation technique. The findings show that, tobacco taxation enhances economic growth both in the short‐ and long‐run periods, especially, through its effect on population health. Thus, African governments should be confident when increasing tobacco tax because, it has an added advantage of propelling economic growth.
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