Assessment of the mineralogy of granitoids and associated granitic gneisses responsible for groundwater fluoride mobilization in the Vea catchment, Upper East Region, Ghana

Background: Human rabies, often contracted through dog bites, is a serious but neglected public health problem in the tropics, including Ghana. Due to its high fatality rate, adequate knowledge and vaccination of domestic dogs against the disease are very crucial in reducing its burden. We examined dog owners’ knowledge level on rabies and factors that influenced anti-rabies vaccination of dogs in the Upper East Region of Ghana. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 260 randomly sampled dog owners in six communities from six Districts using a multistage sampling technique, in the Upper East Region of Ghana. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents. Descriptive and inferential analyses were done using STATA 14.1. Results: While knowledge about rabies was 199 (76.5%), that about anti-rabies vaccination was 137 (52.7%). District of residence (χ2 = 112.59, p < 0.001), sex (χ2 = 6.14, p = 0.013), education (χ2 = 20.45, p < 0.001) as well as occupation (χ2 = 11.97, p = 0.007) were significantly associated with rabies knowledge. District of residence (χ2 = 57.61, p < 0.001), Educational level (χ2 = 15.37, p = 0.004), occupation (χ2 = 11.66, p = 0.009), religion (χ2 = 8.25, p = 0.016) and knowledge on rabies (χ2 = 42.13, p < 0.001) were also statistically associated with dog vaccination against rabies. Dog owners with good knowledge on rabies for instance, were more likely to vaccinate their dogs against rabies compared to those with poor knowledge [AOR = 1.99 (95% CI: 0.68, 5.86), p = 0.210]. Dog owners with tertiary level of education were also 76.31 times more likely (95% CI: 6.20, 938.49, p = 0.001) to have good knowledge about rabies compared to those with no formal education. Conclusions: Dog owners in the Upper East Region of Ghana had good knowledge about rabies. This, however, did not translate into correspondingly high levels of dog vaccination against the disease. Rabies awareness and vaccination campaigns should, therefore, be intensified in the region, especially among the least educated and female dog owners.

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Engaging the religiocultural quest in development: An African indigenous perspective

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies ◽

10.4102/hts.v72i4.3502 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 72 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Rose Mary Amenga-Etego

Keyword(s):

Indigenous Knowledge ◽

Knowledge Systems ◽

Alternative Discourse ◽

East Region ◽

Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽

Upper East Region ◽

Indigenous Perspective ◽

Physical Dimensions

The intertwining nature of African life and livelihood is a considerable challenge to the discourse of development. In as much as the view on unlocking both the spiritual and physical dimensions of life in developmental endeavours is frowned upon, contemporary exploration into indigenous knowledge systems as an alternative discourse of development does not simply transform the dialogue but posits it as a discourse of power. This article examines the interplay between indigenous beliefs and knowledge systems and the discourse of development, with a focus on the Nankani in the Upper East Region of Ghana.

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High Hepatitis B Seroprevalence, Low Knowledge, and Poor Attitude towards Hepatitis B Virus Infection among Market Women in Bolgatanga Metropolis in the Upper East Region of Ghana

Journal of Tropical Medicine ◽

10.1155/2020/4219413 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Gideon K. Helegbe ◽

Faiza Tanko ◽

Paul A. Aryee ◽

Setor Aku Lotsu ◽

Mathias J. A. Asaarik ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatitis B Virus ◽

Hepatitis B ◽

Hepatitis B Surface Antigen ◽

Hbv Infection ◽

Health Concern ◽

East Region ◽

B Virus ◽

Market Women ◽

Upper East Region ◽

Knowledge And Attitude

The Bolgatanga Municipal Health Directorate has reported liver cirrhosis among the first three diseases causing mortality from 2013 to 2015. This implicates hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection considering its high prevalence among blood donors in the Upper East Region of Ghana. However, for a vulnerable group such as market women, there is not much information with regard to the prevalence, knowledge, and attitude towards HBV infection. Thus, this study sought to bridge this gap by determining the seroprevalence, knowledge, and attitude of market women in the Bolgatanga Municipality of Ghana, towards HBV infection. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted (from October 2017 to March 2018) among 404 market women using a pretested questionnaire to ascertain the knowledge and attitudes of market women towards HBV infection, while hepatitis B surface Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Test strips were used to screen for the infection. The study revealed that the seroprevalence of hepatitis B among the market women was 15.6%, and majority of the study subjects (>60%) were unaware of HBV infection. Overall, knowledge on and attitude towards HBV infection were low and poor, respectively, with a significantly high number of the market women not wanting infected individuals to be isolated (p=0.049). A high seroprevalence, together with poor attitude and low knowledge levels, as seen in this study is of great public health concern. The study recommends regular HBV screening for market women for prompt treatment and vaccination as well as continuous health education to increase knowledge level and improve the poor attitudes of market women towards HBV infection.

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