Homosexuality has been an issue of controversy since time immemorial, and it elicits various reactions and attitude which are influenced by the type of societies, cultural and moral development or political situation. In recent times there has been serious controversy over the incidence of homosexuality in Ghana, with human rights activists, pro-gay groups and religious and traditional leaders approaching the issue from different angles. This paper presents the various views expressed by stakeholders in the

Background Maxillofacial fractures in the paediatric population are peculiar in risks, management, and potential complications. Aim To determine the pattern, psychological distress to parents, and economic cost of paediatric maxillofacial fractures in Ghana. Design This study combined a retrospective evaluation with a cross‐sectional cost‐of‐illness (COI) analysis to describe the pattern and economic cost of paediatric maxillofacial fractures in Ghana. The DASS 21 was used to assess psychological distress to parents. Descriptive summaries were generated, and cross‐tabulations done, with consequent tests of associations. Results In all, 253 patients were included in the study, with 68 households responding to the COI evaluation. Consisting of 179 (70.8%) males and 74 (29.2%) females, the ages ranged from 10 months to 17 years (mean age of 9.0 ± 5.0 years). Maxillofacial fractures frequently resulted from falls (56.5%), while traffic injuries accounted for 27.3%. The average household cost for paediatric maxillofacial fractures in Ghana was US$ 148.77, with the direct cost component accounting for 76% of this amount. At least half of the parents had some degree of psychological distress from the injury sustained. Conclusion Knowledge of the pattern and disease burden of maxillofacial fractures in children is vital in informing preventive strategies, especially for evolving health systems in sub‐Saharan Africa.

Introduction The novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) has become a severe global health threat since its emergence. Overcoming the virus is partly dependent on the holistic well-being of frontline health workers. Implications of COVID-19 on frontline health workers in West Africa could be substantial given the limited resources and logistics. This scoping review maps available literature on the impact of COVID-19 on frontline health workers in West Africa. Materials and methods Literature on the impact of COVID-19 on frontline health workers in West Africa were searched in six databases namely Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, Africa Journals Online (AJOL) and CINAHL. Further search was done across websites of the ministries of health of West African countries and notable organisations. We conducted a narrative synthesis of the findings taking cognisance of the overarching purpose of the study and the research question. Results Of the 67 studies identified, 19 were included in the final synthesis. Three main themes emerged and these are impact of COVID-19 on frontline health workers, drivers of susceptibility to COVID-19 and government/donor support. A greater number of the studies originated from Nigeria. Each study reported at least one impact of COVID-19 on frontline health workers in West Africa. The impacts included death, fear, unwillingness to attend to COVID-19 patients and stigmatisation. Some health workers were not adhering to the safety protocols coupled with periodic shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and thereby had an increased susceptibility. Conclusion Being the first scoping review on the impact of COVID-19 on frontline health workers in West Africa, the study has illustrated the urgent need for West African governments to enact laws/rules that would compel all frontline health workers to adhere to all the COVID-19 protocols at the workplace. To end intermittent shortage or issue of inadequate PPEs, governments ought to liaise with local industries by empowering them, providing financial support and creating a conducive atmosphere for them to produce cost effective PPEs using available local resources.

Background Cancer is a major threat to public health globally and in Ghana. Breast cancer is a serious health problem among women which affects the daily functioning of the individual and their psychological health. Aim The study examined the influence of spirituality and health beliefs on anxiety and depression among preoperative breast cancer patients in Ghana. Methodology This is a qualitative study involving 54 preoperative breast cancer patients selected from 3 referral hospitals in Accra namely: 37 Military hospital, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, and the Sweden Ghana Medical Centre all in Ghana. The study collected data via one-on-one in-depth interviews (IDI) and Focus group discussion (FGD). Result Qualitative thematic analysis techniques were employed to analyse data and the results revealed spirituality and health beliefs influenced patients’ perception and health-seeking, while spirituality in particular helped patients cope with the disease. The results also showed that participants’ levels of anxiety increased due mainly to surgery which is the most common mode of breast cancer treatment. Discussion This study generates knowledge about the relations between spirituality, health beliefs and psychological wellbeing among breast cancer patients in Ghana. The study implies that spirituality and health beliefs of the cancer experience have implications for psychological wellbeing.

This study assessed the influence of health belief on anxiety and depression among preoperative breast cancer patients in Ghana. The cross-sectional survey design was used for data collection via two self-administered structured questionnaires. One hundred and five (105) preoperative breast cancer participants aged between 18 and 60 and one hundred (100) preoperative uterine fibroid patients serving as a comparative group were selected from three (3) referral health facilities in Ghana. The participants were administered tests assessing anxiety, depression and health beliefs. Multiple Regression analyses were carried out and the results revealed that breast cancer participants obtained significantly higher scores on anxiety, depression, severity and vulnerability subscales of the Health Belief Scale (HBS) than the uterine fibroid patients. Further analyses indicated that the measures of Health beliefs of vulnerability predicted higher anxiety and depression for the breast cancer participants compared with those of preoperative uterine fibroid patients. This study generates knowledge about the relations between health belief and psychological wellbeing among breast cancer patients in Ghana.