Prevalence and predictors of viral load suppression in adults living with HIV in the western region of Ghana: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Although antiretroviral therapy is beneficial and available free of cost to patients, several roadblocks still prevent patients from reaching viral suppression. This research aimed to determine the prevalence rate of viral suppression among people living with HIV in the western region of Ghana and identify the factors contributing to viral non-suppression. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 7199 HIV-positive adults. All data from the Sekondi Public Health Laboratory database was exported to Microsoft Excel and then verified and filtered before being exported to STATA 16.1. Viral non-suppression was modeled statistically using logistic regression. Results: Viral load suppression was achieved in 5465 (75.91%) study participants who received antiretroviral treatment. However, 1734 participants (24.0%) did not achieve viral suppression. Patients with poor adherence to ARV (AOR 0.30; 95% CI 0.16, 0.58) and fair adherence to ARV (AOR 0.23; 95% CI 0.12, 0.45) were associated with a lower odd of viral non-suppression. Patients with six (6) months to two (2) years of treatment before viral load testing (AOR 0.67; 95% CI 0.46, 0.98) were also associated with a lower likelihood of viral non-suppression. Conclusions: The rate of non-suppression was high, and the suppression rate fell short of the UNAIDS target. Poor ARV adherence, fair ARV adherence, and a treatment duration of six (6) months to two (2) years before viral load testing appear to be obstacles to viral load suppression. The research findings seem to suggest that viral load testing supports viral non-suppression. Therefore, using viral load tests to monitor medication's effects on health can motivate patients to adhere to their prescribed medication regimen. More research is needed to determine whether viral load testing can improve adherence. Given the high rate of virologic failure, the study highlights the importance of identifying antiretroviral resistance patterns.

Profile of suicide within the northern part of Ghana: A decade under review.

BACKGROUND: Several reports show that suicide is the second and third leading cause of untimely death in young people below the age of 30. Little, however, is known about the profile and trend of suicide in this country due to lack of systematic studies and a lack of national statistics on suicide. This study seeks to examine the profile and pattern of suicide cases recorded within northern Ghana for the past decade. AIM: This study aimed to report the prevalence of suicide as an independent cause of death; the choice of suicide method and the alleged reasons for suicide within the northern part of Ghana. SETTING: Retrospective review of coroners' reports within the northern part of Ghana. METHOD: In this descriptive study, 309 completed suicides as archived by the office of the coroner were examined. The coroners' reports of 309 individuals, whose deaths received a suicide verdict or an open verdict in which the cause of death was likely to be suicide from 2008 to 2017, were examined. Student's t-test was used to ascertain significant age differences between the genders involved. RESULTS: Amongst the 309 decedents examined, approximately, 61% were male, with ages ranging from 5 to 81 years. Hanging and poisoning were the most commonly used methods to complete suicide accounting for 124 (40.1%) and 102 (33.0%) deaths, respectively. Regarding the reasons for completed suicide, 78 (25.2%) were because of unknown reasons and 66 (21.4%) were because of social stigma. There was a notable decline in the prevalence of suicide from 2014 to 2017 compared with the years from 2010 to 2013. CONCLUSION: Suicide was highest in the 30-39 year age group with hanging and poisoning being the most common method employed. Stigmatisation and psychosocial problems arising from chronic illness and economic hardship were significant triggers of suicide amongst the suicide decedents in the northern part of Ghana.

Nursing students' perception of medical errors: A cross-sectional study in a university.

AIM: To assess the perception of nursing students on medical errors. DESIGN: A descriptive cross-sectional survey. METHOD: Data were collected from March-April 2019 in a university in Ghana from two hundred (200) students using simple random sampling and analysed with SPSS version 21. RESULTS: Mean age of respondents was 22.64 years. Medication error was perceived as the most common medical errors (MEs; 76%). Negligence was perceived as the most common cause of MEs (80.5%); nurses and doctors (84.5%-89.5%) were considered as staff who make most MEs. Respondents perceived that students commit MEs due to less knowledge about procedures (79%) and inadequate supervision (77%) in the clinical setting. CONCLUSION: Medication errors were observed as the most common of MEs that can affect patients' safety. Taking prudent measures in addressing this can reduce MEs in health facilities. Enhanced supervision and effective ways of teaching drug administration are recommended.