Setting the scene: a scoping review of gambling research in Ghana.

Ghana, like many other African countries, has seen a rapid expansion in gambling industry activity in the last decade with sports betting becoming a popular pastime among young Ghanaian males. The proliferation of land based, and online gambling operations presents a significant public health threat to the citizenry. Yet little is known about gambling participation and harms, the size of the gambling market and the role of the gambling industry in influencing and perpetuating gambling behaviour in Ghana. The aim of this study was to contribute to understanding the extent of gambling research in Ghana by mapping out what the current literature indicates. Six databases were searched for peer-reviewed journal articles that focused on gambling in Ghana. The findings from this review demonstrate gambling research in Ghana is in a nascent state with a predominant focus on individual factors and limited consideration of public health. The implications for future research are highlighted, including the requirement for a nationally representative study to understand the prevalence of gambling participation and harm, and the role of the gambling industry. Public health action grounded in sound evidence is urgently required to address the individual and community level problems associated with this harmful commodity.

African Hut model of health: a framework for improving African migrant health in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

There is renewed international effort to improve the health and well-being of migrants. For African migrants, theoretical frameworks designed to account for and guide interventions to address the underlying mechanisms that interact to influence health and well-being remain largely underdeveloped. The aim of this study was to address this gap by providing a unique socio-ecological framework with specific entry points for targeted health promotion action aimed at improving the health and well-being of African migrants living in Aotearoa New Zealand. The African Hut model of health was developed through an inductive iterative approach informed by a review of the evidence and semi-structured interviews with key informants. The interviews were conducted in person using one-on-one format and employed to refine initial themes from the literature. A hybrid thematic analysis, involving both inductive and deductive approaches was used to analyse the interview data. The health and well-being of African migrant communities are the outcome of complex interplay of individual, economic, social and structural factors. To protect and promote the health of African communities in Aotearoa requires tailored interventions that centre culture and deliver holistically.

Towards TB Elimination in Aotearoa/New Zealand: Key Informant Insights on the Determinants of TB among African Migrants.

Migrants living in low incidence countries, including New Zealand (NZ), are disproportionately affected by tuberculosis (TB). This foreign-born group poses important challenges to achieving the national TB elimination targets. Thus, the aim of this study was to contribute to the understandingof factors that influence the incidence of TB among African migrants living in NZ. We employed a semi-structured interview approach to explore the perceptions of NZ-based African community leaders, health professionals and a non-governmental TB support organisation about the wider determinants of TB. The findings, though not completely generalizable, suggest that many NZ-based Africans endure a difficult process of integration, perceive themselves as least susceptible to TB and have low awareness about available health services. Furthermore, the cost of general practitioner (GP) services, mistrust of health professionals, TB stigma and the NZ immigration policy were indicated as important barriers to TB services. Strategies to address TB among migrants must therefore be more holistic and not be centred on a fragmented approach that overemphasises the biomedical approaches, as the incidence of TB is more likely the outcome of a complex interplay of several underlying factors.