The Tamale Teaching Hospital is a Teaching hospital in Tamale in the Northern region and the third largest hospital in Ghana. It serves as a referral hospital for the five northern regions of Ghana. The main hospital in Northern Ghana, 2km southeast of town. It cooperates with the University for Development Studies in Northern Ghana to offer undergraduate and graduate programs in medicine, nursing and nutrition. It is the third teaching hospital in Ghana after the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) is a critical driver of soil contamination in West Africa, yet quantifying the relative contributions of natural and anthropogenic sources remains a major challenge. This study presents an integrated framework combining contamination indices, receptor modelling, and Machine Learning (ML) to evaluate Potentially Toxic Element (PTE) dynamics in soils from the Nangodi area, northern Ghana. A total of 552 grid-based soil samples were analysed for Cr, Co, Cu, Pb, V, and Zn using ED-XRF. Descriptive statistics revealed highly skewed distributions and elevated coefficients of variation for Cr, Co, and Cu, reflecting heterogeneous contamination patterns typical of ASM terrains. Pollution indices indicated divergent outcomes: the ecological Risk Index (RI) classified all samples as low risk (RI < 150), whereas the Nemerow Integrated Pollution Index (NIPI) identified 35.5
BACKGROUND:Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Northern Ghana reported high resistance to third-generation cephalosporins, but most bacteria remained susceptible to amikacin and meropenem. Increased antimicrobial use during the early COVID-19 pandemic likely heightened antimicrobial resistance. This study compared antimicrobial resistance before (October 2018-March 2020) and during (April 2020-December 2022) the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana's Northern Region. METHODS:A retrospective study was conducted at the Tamale Public Health Reference Laboratory. After the exclusion of incomplete records, 3677 culture cases were selected and analyzed. Antimicrobial susceptibility test results for all pathogenic bacteria were included. RESULTS:Of the 3677 cultures analysed, the majority were sputum samples (1792, 48.7%). From these, 1485 bacterial isolates covering 14 species underwent antimicrobial susceptibility testing. The predominant isolates were Klebsiella spp. (26%), Moraxella catarrhalis (20.7%), and Escherichia coli (18.4%). The majority of the participants were between the ages of (21-30) years. Antimicrobial resistance increased steadily above 50% from the third-quarter of 2021 to the second-quarter 2022. In a chi-square comparison, the susceptibility of bacteria to amoxiclav (p = 0.027), ceftazidime (p = 0.002), ciprofloxacin (p = 0.001), gentamycin (p = 0.035), and meropenem (p < 0.001) was significantly decreased during than before-COVID-19. The percentage increase in resistance observed was amoxiclav (8.8%), ceftazidime (7.9%), ciprofloxacin (9.2%), gentamicin (4.4%), and meropenem (16.7%). CONCLUSION:Our findings reveal an increase in bacterial resistance to antibiotics during the COVID-19 pandemic, reinforcing the need for public health measures to optimize antibiotic use. We recommend further research to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying this bacterial resistance to antibiotics.
Background Work engagement is a critical determinant of workplace performance and healthcare quality. However, empirical evidence among midwives in Ghana remains limited. This study examined work engagement and its relationship with workplace performance among midwives in Northern Ghana. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted among 231 midwives across three public health facilities using stratified and simple random sampling techniques. Work engagement was assessed using the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9), while workplace performance was measured with the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, linear regression, and path analysis with SPSS and AMOS. Results The mean work engagement score was 2.41 ± 0.98, with absorption recording the highest mean score (2.51 ± 1.06). The mean workplace performance score was 1.98 ± 0.67; task performance was the highest-scoring dimension (2.67 ± 1.04), whereas counterproductive work behavior was the lowest (0.78 ± 0.77). Work engagement had a significant positive effect on workplace performance (β = 0.66, S.E. = 0.03, p < 0.001). Vigor, dedication, and absorption were positively correlated with task and contextual performance. Age, work experience, and workplace significantly predicted work engagement, while educational level, work experience, and workplace were significant predictors of workplace performance (p < 0.05). Conclusion Work engagement is a significant positive predictor of workplace performance among midwives in Northern Ghana. Interventions that enhance engagement, particularly dedication and absorption, within supportive organizational environments may improve midwives’ performance and contribute to improved maternal healthcare outcomes.
In southern Ghana, coastal aquifers are a significant water source but are frequently compromised by seawater intrusion, making them unsuitable for drinking and agriculture. This study evaluates seawater intrusion in central coastal communities using integrated hydrogeochemistry and spatial analysis. Sixty-seven groundwater samples from hand-dug wells and boreholes, collected during field measurements, were analysed for major-ion chemistry, nutrients, and metals. The study was analysed using combinations of geochemical plots, hydrochemical indices, and multivariate statistical methods. Total dissolved solids ranged from 120 to 42,431 mg/L (mean 2,158.75 mg/L). 26.47 per cent of the samples exceeded 1,500 mg/L for TDS. Thirty-nine per cent exceeded 200 mg/L for Na+, and 20.59 per cent exceeded 600 mg/L for Cl−. TDS correlated strongly with Cl− (r = 0.95) and Na+ with Cl− (r = 0.93). EC–TDS ratios of 0.5–0.7 and Na+–Cl− dominance on Piper plots indicated marine mixing. Gibbs plots showed rock-water control at moderate salinity and evaporation–mixing at high salinity. Evaporite phases remained undersaturated, supporting mixing and concentration rather than in situ salt dissolution. Positive chloro-alkaline indices signalled reverse ion exchange along saline fringes. Multivariate results separated two regimes. A large carbonate-buffered group represented inland fresh to slightly brackish waters. A smaller Na–Cl-rich group aligned with streams and near-coastal sites, localised saline end members and likely pathways for intrusion. This study recommends that water managers and the government prioritise sentinel-well monitoring in hotspots, seasonal pumping controls, protection of inland recharge zones, and targeted recharge enhancement.
Background Social media addiction is increasingly prevalent among students and has been linked to negative academic and psychological outcomes. Understanding the mechanisms through which SMA impacts student well-being, particularly fatigue, remains limited in the nursing education context. Aim This study investigated the mediating roles of academic engagement and academic procrastination in the relationship between social media addiction and general fatigue among college nursing students in Northern Ghana. Methods A cross-sectional analytical survey was conducted among 373 nursing students. The hypothesized relationships among the variables were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) in R, with the lavaan package. Results The average SMA score was 16.36 ± 4.54. The mean scores for academic engagement, procrastination, and general fatigue were 4.25 ± 1.29, 3.06 ± 0.60, and 2.53 ± 0.64, respectively. SMA significantly predicted lower academic engagement (β = -0.29, p < 0.001) and higher academic procrastination (β = 0.32, p < 0.001). Academic engagement negatively predicted both academic procrastination (β = -0.20, p < 0.001) and general fatigue (β = -0.16, p = 0.003), while academic procrastination positively predicted general fatigue (β = 0.14, p = 0.012). The direct effect of SMA on general fatigue was not statistically significant (β = 0.02, p = 0.801). However, significant indirect effects were found through academic engagement (β = 0.06, p < 0.001), and academic procrastination (β = 0.07, p = 0.004). Conclusion Social media addiction does not directly increase general fatigue among nursing students; rather, its effect occurs indirectly through reduced academic engagement and increased academic procrastination.
