Assessment of serological Plasmodium falciparum–specific antibodies in highly endemic areas provides valuable information about malaria status and parasite exposure in the population. Although serological evidence of Plasmodium exposure... more
Assessment of serological Plasmodium falciparum–specific antibodies in highly endemic areas provides valuable information about malaria status and parasite exposure in the population. Although serological evidence of Plasmodium exposure is commonly determined by Plasmodium-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels; IgM and IgA are likely markers of malaria status that remain relatively unexplored. Previous studies on IgM and IgA responses have been based on their affinity for single antigens with shortage of immune responses analysis against the whole Plasmodium proteome. Here, we provide evidence of how P. falciparum infection triggers the production of specific IgM and IgA in plasma and its relationship with parasite density and changes in hematological parameters. A total of 201 individuals attending a hospital in Breman Asikuma, Ghana, were recruited into this study. Total and P. falciparum–specific IgM, IgA, and IgG were assessed by ELISA and examined in relation to age (0–5, 14–4...
Research Interests:
BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has led to substantial interruptions in critical health services, with 90% of countries reporting interruptions in routine vaccinations, maternal health care and chronic disease management. The use of... more
BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has led to substantial interruptions in critical health services, with 90% of countries reporting interruptions in routine vaccinations, maternal health care and chronic disease management. The use of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as lockdowns and self-isolation had implications on the provision of essential health services (EHS). We investigated exemplary COVID-19 outbreak control strategies and explored the extent to which the adoption of these NPIs affected the provision of EHS including immunization coverage and facility-based deliveries. Finally, we document core health system strategies and practices adopted to maintain EHS during the early phase of the pandemic.MethodsThis study used an explanatory sequential study design. First, we utilized data from routine health management information systems to quantify the impact of the pandemic on the provision of EHS using interrupted time series models. Second, we explored exemplary stra...
Research Interests:
Informal electronic waste (e-waste) recycling in Africa has become a major public health concern. This review examined studies that report on the association between e-waste exposure and adverse human health outcomes in Africa. The review... more
Informal electronic waste (e-waste) recycling in Africa has become a major public health concern. This review examined studies that report on the association between e-waste exposure and adverse human health outcomes in Africa. The review was conducted following the updated version of the Preferred Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA 2020) statement checklist. We included papers that were original peer-reviewed epidemiological studies and conference papers, written in English, and reported on e-waste exposure among human populations and any health-related outcome in the context of Africa. Our results from the evaluation of 17 studies found an association between informal e-waste recycling methods and musculoskeletal disease (MSD) symptoms and physical injuries such as back pains, lacerations, eye problems, skin burns, and noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). In addition, the generation and release of particulate matter (PM) of various sizes, and toxic and essential m...
Research Interests:
Objectvies This study is aimed at establishing reference intervals (RIs) of 40 chemistry and immunochemistry analytes for Ghanaian adults based on internationally harmonized protocol by IFCC Committee on Reference Intervals and Decision... more
Objectvies This study is aimed at establishing reference intervals (RIs) of 40 chemistry and immunochemistry analytes for Ghanaian adults based on internationally harmonized protocol by IFCC Committee on Reference Intervals and Decision Limits (C-RIDL). Methods A total of 501 healthy volunteers aged ≥18 years were recruited from the northern and southern regions of Ghana. Blood samples were analyzed with Beckman-Coulter AU480 and Centaur-XP/Siemen auto-analyzers. Sources of variations of reference values (RVs) were evaluated by multiple regression analysis (MRA). The need for partitioning RVs by sex and age was guided by the SD ratio (SDR). The RI for each analyte was derived using parametric method with application of the latent abnormal values exclusion (LAVE) method. Results Using SDR≥0.4 as threshold, RVs were partitioned by sex for most enzymes, creatinine, uric acid (UA), bilirubin, immunoglobulin-M. MRA revealed age and body mass index (BMI) as major source of variations of m...
Research Interests:
Background Malaria remains one of the most devastating diseases globally, and the control of mosquitoes as the vector is mainly dependent on chemical insecticides. Elevated temperatures associated with future warmer climates could affect... more
Background Malaria remains one of the most devastating diseases globally, and the control of mosquitoes as the vector is mainly dependent on chemical insecticides. Elevated temperatures associated with future warmer climates could affect mosquitoes' metabolic enzyme expression and increase insecticide resistance, making vector control difficult. Understanding how mosquito rearing temperatures influence their susceptibility to insecticide and expression of metabolic enzymes could aid in the development of novel tools and strategies to control mosquitoes in a future warmer climate. This study evaluated the effects of temperature on the susceptibility of Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (s.l.) mosquitoes to pyrethroids and their expression of metabolic enzymes. Methods Anopheles gambiae s.l. eggs obtained from laboratory-established colonies were reared under eight temperature regimes (25, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40 °C). Upon adult emergence, 3- to 5-day-old female non-blood-fed mo...
Research Interests:
Higher temperatures expected in a future warmer climate could adversely affect the growth and development of mosquitoes. This study investigated the effects of elevated temperatures on longevity, gonotrophic cycle length, biting rate,... more
Higher temperatures expected in a future warmer climate could adversely affect the growth and development of mosquitoes. This study investigated the effects of elevated temperatures on longevity, gonotrophic cycle length, biting rate, fecundity, and body size of Anopheles gambiae (s.l.) (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes. Anopheles gambiae (s.l.) eggs obtained from laboratory established colonies were reared under eight temperature regimes (25, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40°C), and 80 ± 10% RH. All adults were allowed to feed on a 10% sugar solution soaked in cotton wool; however, some mosquitoes were provided blood meal using guinea pig. Longevity was estimated for both blood-fed and non-blood-fed mosquitoes and analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. One-way ANOVA was used to test the effect of temperature on gonotrophic cycle length, biting rate, and fecundity. Adult measurement data were log-transformed and analyzed using ordinary least square regression with robust sta...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Introduction. Exposure to electrical and electronic equipment waste (e-waste) has become a growing health concern. The objective of this study was to measure the effect of exposure to e-waste on respiratory symptoms and on lung function... more
Introduction. Exposure to electrical and electronic equipment waste (e-waste) has become a growing health concern. The objective of this study was to measure the effect of exposure to e-waste on respiratory symptoms and on lung function parameters in workers involved in informal recycling activities in Cotonou city, Benin. Methods. This was a cross-sectional study, in which exposed e-waste workers in Cotonou city were randomly selected. A matching nonexposed group based on age and sex was recruited from the general population. Respiratory symptoms were investigated using a questionnaire adapted from the British Medical Research Council’s standardized respiratory questionnaire. Participants underwent lung function test using a portable spirometer (MIR SPIROBANK). Data were analyzed with STATA version 15 software. Results. The overall prevalence of respiratory symptoms in e-waste workers was statistically higher in the exposed group (33.1% vs. 21.6%; p = 0.027 ). Chest tightness (11.8...
Research Interests:
Vital registration systems (VRS) are impor-tant in the collection of routine data on indica-tors of development. These are particularly useful if they are properly built to address weaknesses in the system leading to poor data quality.... more
Vital registration systems (VRS) are impor-tant in the collection of routine data on indica-tors of development. These are particularly useful if they are properly built to address weaknesses in the system leading to poor data quality. For instance, routine data on health events (e.g. morbidity, mortality etc.) are cru-cial for rapid assessment of disease burden and mortality trends in the population. They are also useful in the identification of vulnera-ble groups in populations. Despite their useful-ness, VRS in many developing countries including Ghana are poorly structured raising questions about the quality of the output data from these systems. The present study aimed at assessing and documenting the structure and function of the VRS in Ghana, as well as at identifying the structural features that poten-tially compromise the reliability and validity of the output data from the Ghanaian VRS. To perform this study, collection and review of pol-icy and legal documents establishin...
Informal e-waste recycling is associated with several health hazards. Thus far, the main focus of research in the e-waste sector has been to assess the exposure site, such as the burden of heavy metals or organic pollutants. The aim of... more
Informal e-waste recycling is associated with several health hazards. Thus far, the main focus of research in the e-waste sector has been to assess the exposure site, such as the burden of heavy metals or organic pollutants. The aim of this study was to comprehensively assess the health consequences associated with informal e-waste recycling. A questionnaire-based assessment regarding occupational information, medical history, and current symptoms and complaints was carried out with a group of n = 84 e-waste workers and compared to a control cohort of n = 94 bystanders at the e-waste recycling site Agbogbloshie. E-waste workers suffered significantly more from work-related injuries, back pain, and red itchy eyes in comparison to the control group. In addition, regular drug use was more common in e-waste workers (25% vs. 6.4%). Both groups showed a noticeable high use of pain killers (all workers 79%). The higher frequency of symptoms in the e-waste group can be explained by the spec...
Research Interests:
Background Informal electronic waste recycling activities are major contributors to ambient air pollution, yet studies assessing the effects or relationship between direct/continuous exposure of informal e-waste workers to particulate... more
Background Informal electronic waste recycling activities are major contributors to ambient air pollution, yet studies assessing the effects or relationship between direct/continuous exposure of informal e-waste workers to particulate matter and cardiovascular function are rare. Methods Repeated measurements of fractions of PM2.5, PM10–2.5, and PM10 in personal air of informal e-waste workers, (n = 142) and a comparable group (n = 65) were taken over a period of 20 months (March 2017 to November, 2018). Concurrently, 5-min resting electrocardiogram was performed on each participant to assess resting heart rate variability indices. Linear mixed-effects models were used to assess the association between PM fractions and cardiac function. Results SDNN, RMSSD, LF, HF and LH/HF ratio were all associated with PM. Significant associations were observed for PM2.5 and Mean NN (p = 0.039), PM10 and SDNN (p = 0.035) and PM 10–2.5 and LH/HF (p = 0.039). A 10 μg/m3 increase in the concentrations...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Objectives Inappropriate processing and disposal of electronic waste (e-waste) expose workers and surrounding populations to hazardous chemicals, including clastogens and aneugens. Recently, considerable literature has grown around... more
Objectives Inappropriate processing and disposal of electronic waste (e-waste) expose workers and surrounding populations to hazardous chemicals, including clastogens and aneugens. Recently, considerable literature has grown around e-waste recycling, associated chemical exposures and intermediate health outcomes, including DNA damage. Micronuclei (MN) frequency has been widely used as a biomarker to investigate DNA damage in human populations exposed to genotoxic agents. We conducted a systematic review of published studies to assess DNA damage in e-waste-exposed populations and performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the association between e-waste exposure and DNA damage. Methods This systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement checklist. Articles published in English from January 2000 through December 2020 investigating the associations between e-waste exposure and DNA damage ...
Research Interests:
Background: Electronic waste recycling processes such as dismantling with rudimentary tools and open-air burning result in the release of several toxic chemicals into the environment. Exposure to these toxic chemical mixtures has been... more
Background: Electronic waste recycling processes such as dismantling with rudimentary tools and open-air burning result in the release of several toxic chemicals into the environment. Exposure to these toxic chemical mixtures has been associated with many adverse health outcomes affecting respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, and reproductive systems. DNA methylation has been associated with exposure to toxic chemicals, including heavy metals in several epidemiological studies. DNA methylation profile due to exposure to toxic chemicals among e-waste recyclers has not been studied.Objective: This study assessed the associations between blood and urine levels of heavy metals; cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and arsenic (As) and methylation levels of the LINE1 gene among e-waste and control populations in Ghana.Methods: The study enrolled 100 male e-waste workers and 51 all-male non e-waste workers or controls. Body burden of Cd, Pb and As was measured in blood and urine using Inductivel...
Research Interests:
Background: Growing evidence suggests that heavy metals (e.g., cadmium, lead and arsenic) negatively influence micronutrient status. Electronic waste (e-waste) recyclers are amongst the highest metals-exposed groups worldwide, though... more
Background: Growing evidence suggests that heavy metals (e.g., cadmium, lead and arsenic) negatively influence micronutrient status. Electronic waste (e-waste) recyclers are amongst the highest metals-exposed groups worldwide, though their micronutrient status is yet to be explored. This study therefore assessed the micronutrient status of e-waste recyclers using dietary information and biomarker data. Methods: Micronutrient status of 151 participants (100 e-waste recyclers and 51 controls from the Accra region, Ghana) was assessed in March 2017 using a 2-day 24-hour recall survey and biomarker (blood and urine) levels. Blood and urine levels of iron [Fe], calcium [Ca], magnesium [Mg], selenium [Se], zinc [Zn] and copper [Cu] were analyzed by ICP-MS. Linear regression models were used to assess associations between work-related factors and sociodemographic characteristics with micronutrient intake, blood and urine micronutrient levels. Results: Dietary Fe and Zn were adequately cons...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Electronic waste (e-waste) is a worldwide problem in terms of increasing production rate in the global waste stream. Its recycling is known to be associated with adverse health outcomes. The recycling site at Agbogbloshie is a major... more
Electronic waste (e-waste) is a worldwide problem in terms of increasing production rate in the global waste stream. Its recycling is known to be associated with adverse health outcomes. The recycling site at Agbogbloshie is a major e-waste recycling hub which presents enormous health threats to the residents in this community as a result of exposure to complex mixtures of chemicals associated with the poor work methods employed. This paper describes the processes involved in e-waste recycling at Agbogbloshie and discusses some of the associated health and psychosocial challenges. Direct field observations and in-depth interviews of eight e-waste workers were conducted from November, 2017 to December, 2017. Results from a thematic analysis of the data gathered; suggest that inappropriate recycling methods, financial constraints, and the high physical demands of e-waste recycling work were associated with adverse musculoskeletal health conditions among the workers. A more systematic ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Incomplete non-sterile immunity to malaria is attained in endemic regions after recurrent infections by a large percentage of the adult population, who carry the malaria parasite asymptomatically. Although blood-stagePlasmodium... more
Incomplete non-sterile immunity to malaria is attained in endemic regions after recurrent infections by a large percentage of the adult population, who carry the malaria parasite asymptomatically. Although blood-stagePlasmodium falciparumrapidly elicits IgG responses, the target antigens of partially protective and non-protective IgG antibodies as well as the basis for the acquisition of these antibodies remain largely unknown. We performed IgG-immunomics to screen forP. falciparumantigens and to identify epitopes associated with exposure and clinical disease. Sera from malaria cases identified five prevalent antigens recognized by all analyzed patients’ IgGs. For further epitope mapping, peptide microarrays designed to cover their sequences were probed with a set of 38 sera samples from adult individuals of an endemic malaria region in Ghana. Eight 20-mer peptides with the highest affinity and frequency of recognition among the population were subsequently validated with 16 sera fr...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Malaria incidence has declined considerably over the last decade. This is partly due to a scale-up of control measures but is also attributed to increasing urbanization. This study aimed to analyse the association between malaria and... more
Malaria incidence has declined considerably over the last decade. This is partly due to a scale-up of control measures but is also attributed to increasing urbanization. This study aimed to analyse the association between malaria and urbanization and the effect of urbanicity on the acquisition of semi-immunity. In 2012, children with fever presenting to St Michael's Hospital Pramso/Ghana were recruited. The malaria-positive-fraction (MPF) of fever cases was calculated on community-level to approximate the malaria risk. The mean age of malaria cases was calculated for each community to estimate the acquisition of semi-immunity. The level of urbanicity for the communities was calculated and associations between MPF, urbanicity and immunity were modelled using linear regression. Twenty-six villages were included into the study with a mean MPF of 35 %. A linear decrease of 5 % (95 % CI: 4-6 %) in MPF with every ten-point increase in urbanicity was identified. The mean age of malaria...
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Perception, Health Behavior, Biostatistics, Health Care, Environmental Health, and 15 moreGhana, Public Health, Adolescent, Medicine, Humans, Male, Electronic waste, Adult, Occupational Exposure, Public health systems and services research, Health Care Costs, Occupational Diseases, Occupations, Health Services Accessibility, and Delivery of Health Care
Research Interests:
Blood samples of 218 children ages 2-14 years old with confirmed malaria in hospitals across Ghana were tested for dengue virus exposure. We detected dengue-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies in 3.2% of the children, indicating... more
Blood samples of 218 children ages 2-14 years old with confirmed malaria in hospitals across Ghana were tested for dengue virus exposure. We detected dengue-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies in 3.2% of the children, indicating possible coinfection, and IgG antibodies in 21.6% of them, which suggests previous exposure. Correlates of exposure are discussed.
Research Interests:
Presumptive treatment of febrile illness patients for malaria remains the norm in endemic areas of West Africa, and... more
Presumptive treatment of febrile illness patients for malaria remains the norm in endemic areas of West Africa, and "malaria" remains the top source of health facility outpatient visits in many West African nations. Many other febrile illnesses, including bacterial, viral, and fungal infections, share a similar symptomatology as malaria and are routinely misdiagnosed as such; yet growing evidence suggests that much of the burden of febrile illness is often not attributable to malaria. Dengue fever is one of several viral diseases with symptoms similar to malaria, and the combination of rapid globalization, the long-standing presence of Aedes mosquitoes, case reports from travelers, and recent seroprevalence surveys all implicate West Africa as an emerging front for dengue surveillance and control. This paper integrates recent vector ecology, public health, and clinical medicine literature about dengue in West Africa across community, regional, and global geographic scales. We present a holistic argument for greater attention to dengue fever surveillance in West Africa and renew the call for improving differential diagnosis of febrile illness patients in the region.
Research Interests:
While metal exposures are generally high among informal electronic waste (e-waste) recyclers, the joint effect of metals and dietary macronutrients on their metabolic health is unknown. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between... more
While metal exposures are generally high among informal electronic waste (e-waste) recyclers, the joint effect of metals and dietary macronutrients on their metabolic health is unknown. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between metal exposures, dietary macronutrients intake, and blood glucose levels of e-waste recyclers at Agbogbloshie using dietary information (48-h recall survey), blood metals (Pb & Cd), and HbA1C levels of 151 participants (100 e-waste recyclers and 51 controls from the Accra, Ghana) in March 2017. A linear regression model was used to estimate the joint relationship between metal exposures, dietary macronutrient intake, and blood glucose levels. Except for dietary proteins, both groups had macronutrient deficiencies. Diabetes prevalence was significantly higher among controls. Saturated fat, OMEGA-3, and cholesterol intake were associated with significant increases in blood glucose levels of recyclers. In a joint model, while 1 mg of cholesterol consum...
Research Interests:
Waste electronic and electrical equipment (e-waste) consists of used and discarded electrical and electronic items ranging from refrigerators to cell phones and printed circuit boards. It is frequently moved from developed countries to... more
Waste electronic and electrical equipment (e-waste) consists of used and discarded electrical and electronic items ranging from refrigerators to cell phones and printed circuit boards. It is frequently moved from developed countries to developing countries where it is dismantled for valuable metals in informal settings, resulting in significant human exposure to toxic substances. E-waste is a major concern in Africa, with large sites in Ghana and Nigeria where imported e-waste is dismantled under unsafe conditions. However, as in many developing countries, used electronic and electrical devices are imported in large quantities because they are in great demand and are less expensive than new ones. Many of these used products are irreparable and are discarded with other solid waste to local landfills. These items are then often scavenged for the purpose of extracting valuable metals by heating and burning, incubating in acids and other methods. These activities pose significant health...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Perceived stress at work is an important risk factor that affects the mental and physical health of workers. This study aims to determine the prevalence and factors associated with perceived stress in the informal electronic and... more
Perceived stress at work is an important risk factor that affects the mental and physical health of workers. This study aims to determine the prevalence and factors associated with perceived stress in the informal electronic and electrical equipment waste processing sector in French-speaking West Africa. From 14 to 21 November 2019, a cross-sectional survey was carried out among e-waste workers in five countries in the French-speaking West African region, and participants were selected by stratified random sampling. Participants were interviewed on socio-demographic variables and characteristics related to e-waste management activities using a questionnaire incorporating Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale (10-item version). Factors associated with perceived stress were determined by multivariate logistic regression. A total of 740 e-waste workers were interviewed. The mean age of the workers was 34.59 ± 11.65 years, with extremes of 14 and 74 years. Most of the interviewees were repaire...
Research Interests:
Abstract: The influence of socioeconomic status (SES) on health inequalities is widely known, but there is still poor understanding of the precise relationship between area-based socioeconomic conditions and neighborhood environmental... more
Abstract: The influence of socioeconomic status (SES) on health inequalities is widely known, but there is still poor understanding of the precise relationship between area-based socioeconomic conditions and neighborhood environmental quality. This study aimed to investigate the socioeconomic conditions which predict urban neighbourhood environmental quality. The results showed wide variation in levels of association between the socioeconomic variables and environmental conditions, with strong evidence of a real difference in environmental quality across the five socioeconomic classes with respect to total waste generation (p < 0.001), waste collection rate (p < 0.001), sewer disposal rate (p < 0.001), non-sewer disposal (p < 0.003), the proportion of households using public toilets (p = 0.005). Socioeconomic conditions are therefore important drivers of change in environmental quality and urban environmental interventions aimed at infectious disease prevention and contr...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Background. Heavy metals are usually present in trace amounts in various environmental media such as water, soil, and air, and many are poisonous to human health even at very low concentrations. Objectives. To assess the risk of heavy... more
Background. Heavy metals are usually present in trace amounts in various environmental media such as water, soil, and air, and many are poisonous to human health even at very low concentrations. Objectives. To assess the risk of heavy metal contamination of water, soil, and plants around a used lead acid battery (ULAB) recycling center in Ibadan, Nigeria. Methods. Environmental samples (water, soil, and plants) were collected using standard methods and concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), antimony (Sb), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), selenium (Se), and zinc (Zn) were determined using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, Nigeria. Results. The concentration of metals detected in water samples were higher than permissible limits at more than 50% of the sampling locations. In contrast, heavy metals in soil were within permissible limits. Most of the heavy met...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The rearing temperature of the immature stages can have a significant impact on the life-history traits and the ability of adult mosquitoes to transmit diseases. This review assessed published evidence of the effects of temperature on the... more
The rearing temperature of the immature stages can have a significant impact on the life-history traits and the ability of adult mosquitoes to transmit diseases. This review assessed published evidence of the effects of temperature on the immature stages, life-history traits, insecticide susceptibility, and expression of enzymes in the adult Anopheles mosquito. Original articles published through 31 March 2021 were systematically retrieved from Scopus, Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed, ProQuest and Web of Science databases. After applying eligibility criteria, 29 studies were included. The review revealed that immature stages of Anopheles arabiensis were more tolerant (in terms of survival) to a higher temperature than An. funestus and An. quadriannulatus. Higher temperatures resulted in smaller larval size and decreased hatching and pupation time. The development rate and survival of Anopheles stephensi were significantly reduced at a higher temperature than a lower temperatu...
Research Interests:
In Ghana, diagnostic laboratories rely on reference intervals (RIs) provided by manufacturers of laboratory analyzers which may not be appropriate. This study aimed to establish RIs for hematological parameters in adult Ghanaian population.
Research Interests:
Background An unusual feature of SARS-Cov-2 infection and the COVID-19 pandemic is that children are less severely affected than adults. This is especially paradoxical given the epidemiological links between poor air quality and increased... more
Background An unusual feature of SARS-Cov-2 infection and the COVID-19 pandemic is that children are less severely affected than adults. This is especially paradoxical given the epidemiological links between poor air quality and increased COVID-19 severity in adults and that children are generally more vulnerable than adults to the adverse consequences of air pollution. Objectives To identify gaps in knowledge about the factors that protect children from severe SARS-Cov-2 infection even in the face of air pollution, and to develop a transdisciplinary research strategy to address these gaps. Methods An international group of researchers interested in children’s environmental health was invited to identify knowledge gaps and to develop research questions to close these gaps. Discussion Key research questions identified include: what are the effects of SAR-Cov-2 infection during pregnancy on the developing fetus and child; what is the impact of age at infection and genetic susceptibili...
Research Interests:
Presumptive treatment of febrile illness patients for malaria remains the norm in endemic areas of West Africa, and “malaria” remains the top source of health facility outpatient visits in many West African nations. Many other febrile... more
Presumptive treatment of febrile illness patients for malaria remains the norm in endemic areas of West Africa, and “malaria” remains the top source of health facility outpatient visits in many West African nations. Many other febrile illnesses, including bacterial, viral, and fungal infections, share a similar symptomatology as malaria and are routinely misdiagnosed as such; yet growing evidence suggests that much of the burden of febrile illness is often not attributable to malaria. Dengue fever is one of several viral diseases with symptoms similar to malaria, and the combination of rapid globalization, the longstanding presence of Aedes mosquitoes, case reports from travelers, and recent seroprevalence surveys
Biomonitoring methylmercury (MeHg) exposure is problematic in resource-limited settings and with difficult-to-access populations where traditional biomarker approaches present logistical, economic, and ethical issues. The present study... more
Biomonitoring methylmercury (MeHg) exposure is problematic in resource-limited settings and with difficult-to-access populations where traditional biomarker approaches present logistical, economic, and ethical issues. The present study aimed to validate the use of dried blood spots (DBS) to assess MeHg exposure in a real-world contaminated field setting. DBS and whole blood samples were collected from electronic waste (e-waste) workers (n=20) from Agbogbloshie (Ghana) in 2017, and DBS were also artificially created in the laboratory using the field-collected blood. Whole blood MeHg concentrations averaged 0.84µg/L, which was not different from levels measured in the corresponding DBS samples (field-collected or artificial-created). Whole blood MeHg comprised 61% of the blood total mercury concentrations. Linear regression analysis revealed no differences in MeHg concentrations between whole blood samples and field-collected DBS (slope 0.89, R2 =0.94), and between field- and laborato...
Background: Several toxic metals are known to interact with, and affect absorption of micro nutrients in the gastro-intestinal tract. Although studies have reported high levels of lead (Pb) in elec...
Extracted from text ... editorial Volume 12 No. 1 March 2006 - SAJP Serious mental illness and HIV / AIDS A previous editorial1 emphasised the need for leadership from all sectors of society in tackling the HIV / AIDS epidemic. This... more
Extracted from text ... editorial Volume 12 No. 1 March 2006 - SAJP Serious mental illness and HIV / AIDS A previous editorial1 emphasised the need for leadership from all sectors of society in tackling the HIV / AIDS epidemic. This certainly does not exclude a critical role for mental health practitioners. There is growing global recognition of the interrelationship between mental health and HIV / AIDS and in developing countries, where the impacts of the pandemic are by far the greatest, we need increased efforts to better understand these interactions and to intervene effectively. In this editorial we look specifically at relationships between ..