May Measurement Month 2019: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Ghana-Sub-Saharan Africa.

Raised blood pressure (BP) remains the biggest single risk factor contributing to the global burden of disease and to global mortality. Although a substantial number of people who have hypertension are either oblivious of it, not treated, or being managed but remain uncontrolled. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global initiative led by the International Society of Hypertension (ISH) with the goal of increasing awareness of high BP and serving as a spur to establish screening programmes worldwide. An opportunistic cross-sectional survey of volunteers aged ≥18 years was carried out in May 2019. Measurement of BP and collection of relevant health information were performed according to a standardized protocol for MMM. Screening sites were set up in churches, mosques, health facilities, pharmacies, recreational parks, sports facilities, shopping centres, marketplaces, universities, workplaces, and community centres across four regions of Ghana. A total of 7102 participants gave their consent and were screened during MMM 2019. After multiple imputation, of all 7102 participants 1836 (25.9%) had hypertension. Of all 1836 participants with hypertension, 36.5% were aware of their status and 30.0% were on anti-hypertensive medication. Of 550 participants on antihypertensive medications, 46.1% had controlled BP (systolic BP <140 mmHg and diastolic BP <90 mmHg). Also, of all 1836 participants with hypertension, 13.8% had their BP controlled. Again, the proportion of participants with hypertension of those not receiving anti-hypertensive treatment was 1286 (19.6%). Data obtained from this project demonstrates that there is still a significant number of people with hypertension who are unaware of having it, are untreated, or are on treatment but remain uncontrolled. It also highlights the significance of BP screening campaigns as a tool to identify persons with elevated BP.

Prevalence and Determinants of Occupational Injuries among Solid Waste Collectors of Zoomlion Ghana Limited.

Background: Globally, occupational injuries account for 15% of the mortalities associated with occupational accidents. The work of the solid waste collectors exposes them to numerous occupational hazards, which results in injuries. Increasing rates of occupational injuries from 43.7% to 63.9% among solid waste collectors in sub-Saharan Africa opens room for more research to be done. The study assessed the magnitude of occupational injuries and associated factors among solid waste collectors of Zoomlion Ghana Limited in the Accra Metropolis. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study was carried out among the solid waste collectors. The occupational injuries and their associated factors among the solid waste collectors were assessed using questionnaires. Multistage sampling approach was used to select study respondents. Data were collected through the administration of questionnaires. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between the dependent and independent variables. Results: In this study, 21.79% (78/358) with 95% CI (0.1749, 0.2608) among the solid waste collectors reported having at least one work-related injury in the last 6 months. The factors that were significantly associated with at least one occupational injury among the solid waste collectors in the Accra Metropolis were work duty (collection and transportation), the zone of assignment for respondents, and lack of personal protective equipment (PPE). Conclusion: This study showed that the prevalence of occupational injuries among municipal solid waste collectors in the Accra Metropolis was lower as compared to similar research conducted in Ethiopia, Egypt, and India. Working in the collection and transportation category and lack of PPE for use at work were significantly and positively associated with occupational injury among the solid waste collectors. Again, working in the La Dade Kotopon zone had reduced odds of sustaining injuries as compared to those in the Ablekuma South zone. The result of the study demonstrated that cuts/puncture was the injury that was mostly sustained by the municipal solid waste workers, while the leg was the body part that was mostly injured followed by the hands. Public health education in the municipality should target solid waste collectors with the aim of improving their health-seeking behaviour.

May Measurement Month 2018: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Ghana.

Elevated blood pressure (BP) is one of the leading risk factors for death and disability globally. It is also an important global health challenge because of its high prevalence and resulting morbidities. Albeit, a substantial number of people who have hypertension are either oblivious of it, not treated, or being managed but remain uncontrolled. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global initiative led by the International Society of Hypertension (ISH) with the goal of increasing awareness of high BP and serving as a spur to establish screening programmes worldwide. An opportunistic cross-sectional survey of volunteers aged ≥18 years was carried out in May 2018. Measurement of BP and collection of relevant health information were performed according to a standardized protocol for MMM. Screening sites were set up in churches, mosques, health facilities, pharmacies, recreational parks, sports facilities, shopping centres, marketplaces, universities, workplaces, and community centres across four regions of Ghana. A total of 6907 participants were screened during MMM 2018. After multiple imputation, 2354 (34.1%) had hypertension. Of individuals not taking antihypertensive medications 1526 (25.1%) were hypertensive of whom 48.4% were aware of having it. Also, of individuals taking antihypertensive medications 432 (52.2%) had uncontrolled BP. Data obtained from this project demonstrates that a significant number of people with hypertension are unaware of having it, are untreated, or are on treatment but remain uncontrolled. It also highlights the effectiveness of BP screening campaigns as a tool to identify persons with elevated BP.