ABSTRACT
The current study assessed the city of Kumasi, Ghana to find out the extent of urban heat and the views of the populace about their climate. Both the subjective and objective approaches were utilized in the study. Secondary data from the Meteorological Survey Department in Kumasi covering temperature and relative humidity values for a 42- year period (1976 - 2018) was retrieved and used in the analysis to find the trend of urban heat phenomenon. Alongside, a developed questionnaire had a response from 2,083 people. The findings reveal among other things that there’s a 2ºC rise in mean annual temperature from 1976 to 2018. Additionally, the data shows that the past 4 years have had high mean temperature values. Subjectively, 1, 271 residence representing 61% voted in the “slightly warm-hot” range on the thermal sensation scale. Majority of the respondents across all the ages indicated how uncomfortable their outdoor spaces have become in recent times. 36% of the respondents attributed this discomfort to the lack of greenery with over 95% across all ages indicating that Kumasi city has lost its greenery and green spaces to buildings and other infrastructural activities. Whiles climate change and global warming have both become a global menace, the onus lies on individual countries and for that matter, various city authorities to make a conscious effort in planning our cities with greenery to alleviate the menace we already find ourselves. A conscious effort to retrieve and restore encroached green spaces must be undertaken by the city authorities while the parks and gardens division ought to be efficiently resourced to manage our green spaces.
ABSTRACT
Aim: In 2005, the Ghana Health Service mandated malaria and helminths chemoprophylaxis during antenatal care visits. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of malaria and helminth infections and their relationship with adverse birth outcomes (low birth weight, stillbirth, and preterm) following the implementation of these treatments. Study Design: A quantitative cross-sectional study. Method: The study was conducted on 630 women presenting for delivery in the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and the Manhyia District Hospital from July to November 2011. Socio-demographic information and medical and obstetric history were collected. Laboratory analyses for the presence of malaria and helminths were performed. Association of malaria and helminths with birth outcomes was assessed using logistic regression to obtain odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals. Results: The prevalence of malaria, helminths and adverse birth outcomes was 9.0%, 5.0% and 22.2%, respectively. Compared with women who received malaria prophylaxis, women without malaria prophylaxis were two times more likely to have malaria infection (aOR = 2.1; 95% CI = 1.06-4.17). Women who were not screened for helminths were twice as likely to be infected with helminths (aOR = 2.4; 95% CI = 1.15-5.12) than women who were screened for helminths. For women infected with hookworm or Schistosoma mansoni, the odds of having an adverse birth outcome (aOR = 3.9; 95% CI = 1.09-14.20) and stillbirth (aOR = 7.7; 95% CI = 1.21-36.38) were greater than for women who were not infected. Conclusion: The prevalence of malaria, helminths and adverse birth outcomes was lower than previously reported 9.0% vs. 36.3, 5.0% vs. 25.7 and 22.2% vs. 44.6, respectively. Helminth but not malaria infection was found to be significantly associated with adverse birth outcomes.
ABSTRACT
Aims: To assess the semen characteristics of primary and secondary male infertile couples in the Kumasi metropolis. Study Design: A cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi; between February 2012 and May 2013. Methodology: The study involved 150 men whose female partners reported to the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of Komfo Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Ashanti Region of Ghana for infertility treatment. Semen of the respondents were examined for various characteristics (viscosity, pH, volume, presence of RBC and bacteria, motility, etc). Results: Eighty-eight partners involved in the study representing 59% of total respondents were partners of primary infertile couples whereas 41% were partners of secondary infertile couples. Semen abnormalities were reported in terms of sperm motility, sperm concentration, pH and presence of bacteria and these were significantly different among primary and secondary infertile couples. Conclusion: Sperm abnormalities influence infertility among males of infertile couples. There is the urgent need to include male partners in the screening, detection and treatment of infertility among couples.