Ghana Institute of Journalism

PV290 / #641Case Report Poster Topic:AS17 - MiscellaneousIntroductionRight from the first symptom, through diagnosis and coping with the many phases of living with lupus, this chronic autoimmune disease has proven to be a lonely journey that most patients thread. With 3 rheumatologists to a population of about 31 million, the huge provider to patient gap in the workforce necessitates the need for interdisciplinary and collaborative efforts from both clinical and nonclinical personnel to meet the demand for holistic care of not only patients, but their caregivers, families, loved ones and society at large.Case Presentation With InvestigationOver the years, the increasing report of autoimmune conditions, particularly lupus, in Ghana, and the continent of Africa at large, suggests their ubiquity and not rareness as was previously perceived. The autoimmune disease landscape, as studies reveal, is complex, almost other-worldly in contexts with dearth of information. Lupus has been a mysterious silent killer in Ghana. It is significantly difficult to get any relevant information required to inform policy as well as garner support for lupus patients.Literature ReviewIn Ghana, this situation is further compounded by challenges such as misdiagnosis, delayed referrals, economic challenges and sociocultural beliefs. The labyrinth of accessing the needed healthcare, lengthy process of obtaining clinical diagnoses and its ripple effect on the quality of life, finances and social life in themselves, often overwhelms many patients and pushes them to the edge of despair. Moreover, the lack of awareness among relevant stakeholders and the public further exacerbates the challenges that exist. Acknowledgment of these challenges has been the reason for the work of Oyemam Autoimmune Foundation (OYEMAM) in creating visibility about lupus and raising support for those affected directly and indirectly through its flagship lupus awareness campaign since 2016 in Ghana.DiscussionThe Foundation, which is a patient-led registered nonprofit has remained committed to inspiring hope through advocacy with policymakers and other relevant stakeholders; education and raising awareness through the media, engaging with diverse audiences in-person and virtually, as well as providing support for people living with lupus and other autoimmune conditions. OYEMAM has been deliberate about the counseling needs for those affected, recognizing this often-overlooked burden and addressing it in many little ways has brough much relief and hope to many patients and their families. This paper adopts a walkthrough approach to examine the strategies of OYEMAM’s interventions by presenting the lived experiences of those we have engaged with and some of the impact made so far. We acknowledge patients and all who have and continue to contact OYEMAM giving us a reason to strive on and contribute to this misunderstood and underserved aspect of human life and health.

Purpose: Climate Change affects all countries in the world. It impacts negatively on the living conditions of humankind, especially livelihood, temperature change, rainfall regime, and rise in tidal waves. Design/Methodology/Approach: The population in the real estate industry. A descriptive design was used, including questionnaires, to gather data. Since the study sought to examine the willingness to purchase accordingly, a logit regression model was used to predict the likelihood that the dependent variable willingness to pay (WTP) equals 1 (rather than 0). Findings: Income level, price of the products, respondent’s age, gender, and availability of policies concerning eco-friendly products and identified associated health risks positively influence respondents’ WTP. The study reveals that in the real estate sector of the Ghanaian economy, there is a positive WTP eco-friendly roofing product; hence, entrepreneurs and investors should take advantage of the urgency to reduce the impact of climate change in Ghana by investing in eco-friendly products for both the real estate and construction sectors of the economy. Recommendations: The results show that any eco-friendly roof material must raise consumer awareness about the effects of climate change and shape consumer perceptions.

Pressure ulcers (PUs), which affect millions of people worldwide, are among the five most prevalent hospitalized cases causing adverse impairment. Nevertheless, pressure ulcers are largely preventable, and their management depends on their severity. The authors, therefore, explored the attitude and preventive practices of pressure ulcers among orthopedic nurses in a tertiary hospital in Ghana. An exploratory descriptive qualitative approach was employed for this study to help researchers explore the attitude and practices toward PU (Pressure Ulcer). Purposive sampling approach was employed, and data was analyzed using thematic content analysis. The sample size for this study was 30 which was obtained based on saturation. Participants were engaged in face-to-face interviews which were transcribed verbatim. Two themes and eight subthemes were generated from the analysis of this study. The two themes were preventive practices and attitude towards PU. The study identified that there were no specific protocols illustrated on the wards for managing pressure ulcers. Nevertheless, the study participants were keen on preventing pressure ulcers and hence engaged in practices such as early patients' ambulation, early identification of PU signs, removing creases and crumps from patient beds, nutritional management for PU prevention, and dressing of PU wounds. Practices of pressure ulcer management were highly valued by the orthopedics nurses. Hence, the nurses recommended the need for accepted guidelines on pressure ulcer management to be illustrated in the various orthopedic wards in the country.

Nations which are part of the United Nations are required to institute appropriate measures to fulfil the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, for this to be possible, all stakeholders including the general public need to be fully aware of the SDGs. This research examined the level of public awareness about the SDGs among Ghanaians based on the views of 431 respondents. Means, standard deviation, Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal Wallis and Pearson Product-Moment Correlations were used for data analysis. The study found that awareness level on SDG 1 (ending poverty), SDG 2 (zero hunger, food security, nutrition and sustainable agriculture), SDG 3 (health and well-being), SDG 5 (gender equality), and SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) was high among Ghanaians. However, awareness level on SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), SDG 14 (conservation of life below water), and SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions) was very low among Ghanaians. No significant difference manifested in the level of awareness among male and female Ghanaians. There were statistically significant differences in educational levels of respondents and their overall level of awareness of the SDGs. Also, there was a low, negative correlation between overall level of awareness and the effectiveness of the communication strategies used in creating awareness about the SDGs. Government should re-examine its communication strategies on the SDGs and put in place a more effective communication policy framework which involves grassroots populations and local communities.

The 2022 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) paints a dark picture of the future of life on earth, characterised by ecosystem collapse, species extinction, and climate hazards such as heatwaves and floods (1). These are all linked to physical and mental health problems, with direct and indirect consequences of increased morbidity and mortality.COP27 is the fifth Conference of the Parties (COP) to be organised in Africa since its inception in 1995. Ahead of this meeting, we—as health journal editors from across the continent—call for urgent action to ensure it is the COP that finally delivers climate justice for Africa and vulnerable countries. This is essential not just for the health of those countries, but for the health of the whole world.

This is a study of eleven (11) Ghanaian CR Stations, their mission statements, and the role of local political institutions of chieftaincy and the District Assemblies (DA) in their setting up, activities, programmes and operations. Since mission statements are the raison d’etre for setting up the stations, the study examines them vis-a-vis their resonance with community needs. It also tries to ascertain the role of political institutions of chieftaincy and the District Assemblies in the operations of the stations which serve these communities. It was found that most of the mission statements were development-orientedDevelopment-oriented, aimed at giving voices to their voiceless communities, promoting local cultures and encouraging participation of community members in the programmes and activities of the stations. Through individual interviews of station managers, local chiefs, District Chief Executives (DCEs), local community members and examination of station documents and listening to the stations’ programmes, it was found that the local chiefs and district assemblies had played a pivotal role in the setting up, sustenance and contributing to some of the programmes of the stations and mobilising community support towards attainment of the stations’ missions and objectives.

<p>Although the phenomenon of technology is gradually being integrated into tertiary education in Ghana, challenges<br> impeding effective integration are endemic in an environment where organizational culture is determinant. Challenges include<br> lack of devices and cost involved, network and data bundle and incessant power supply. Organisational culture and mind-set of<br> the key actors towards integration of technology, is an imminent challenge. From the Interpretivist paradigm, this is an<br> exploratory study of the perspectives of Policy-makers towards the organisational culture and challenges of integration.<br> Qualitative method through in-depth interviews was adopted in six (6) accredited public universities. The study found that,<br> generally there is a culture of support for integration of technology and Lack of devices and costs involved were the biggest<br> challenge to both lecturers and students. Network and Connectivity is the most wide-spread institutional mechanism that has been<br> put in place in the public universities.</p>

Wealthy nations must step up support for Africa and vulnerable countries in addressing past, present and future impacts of climate change The 2022 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) paints a dark picture of the future of life on earth, characterised by ecosystem collapse, species extinction, and climate hazards such as heatwaves […]