Background: Health is a basic human right necessary for the exercise of other human rights. Every human being is, therefore, entitled to the highest possible standard of health necessary to living a life of dignity. Establishment of patients' Charter is a step towards protecting the rights and responsibilities of patients, but violation of patients' rights is common in healthcare institutions, especially in the developing world. This study which was conducted between May 2013 and May 2014, assessed the operationalization of Ghana's Patients Charter in a peri-urban public hospital. Methods: Qualitative data collection methods were used to collect data from 25 healthcare workers and patients who were purposively selected. The interview data were analyzed manually, using the principles of systematic text condensation. Results:The findings indicate that the healthcare staff of the Polyclinic are aware of the existence of the patients' Charter and also know some of its contents. Patients have no knowledge of the existence or the contents of the Charter. Availability of the Charter, community sensitization, monitoring and orientation of staff are factors that promote the operationalization of the Charter, while institutional implementation procedures such as lack of complaint procedures and low knowledge among patients militate against operationalization of the Charter. Conclusion: Public health facilities should ensure that their patients are well-informed about their rights and responsibilities to facilitate effective implementation of the Charter. Also, patients' rights and responsibilities can be dramatized and broadcasted on television and radio in major Ghanaian languages to enhance awareness of Ghanaians on the Charter.

We investigated the occurrence of urinary schistosomiasis and estimated predictors for risk of infection among children in the Bunuso community of Ashanti Region of Ghana, West Africa. The cross-sectional survey was conducted between June and December 2009. Information was obtained on socio-demographic characteristics, schistosomiasis symptoms and other risk factors through interviews and questionnaires. Urine samples were analysed for Schistosoma haematobium ova using centrifugation and sedimentation, filtration and microscopy. Bivariate estimations and multiple logistic regression modelling with odds ratios (OR) were used to assess risk factors for S. haematobium infections. Inspections at River Nanakwaw revealed snail vectors, Bulinus truncatus. Overall, 95 out of 100 (95 % confidence interval [CI] 88.8-97.6) children tested positive for S. haematobium infection. The mean ova density (eggs/10 ml of urine) of infections was 58.12 (95 % CI 31.3-71.6) and varied significantly between agegroup distributions (P value = 0.001; Post Hoc, P [ 0.05 for B8 vs 15-17 years, and 9-11 vs 12-14 years), sources of house-hold water (P value = 0.019; Post Hoc, P \ 0.05 for Borehole vs River Nanakwaw), children activities in River Nanakwaw (P value = 0.001), and haematuria (P value = 0.007). Independent variables significantly associated with S. haematobium infections were the use of River Nanakwaw as source of household water (OR 12.54; 95 % CI 3.932-42.12, P value = 0.003), engaging activities in River Nanakwaw (OR 8.76;; P value = 0.008) and haematuria (OR 36.71;; P value = 0.001). The passage of blood urine was prognostic of urinary schistosomiasis with a positive predictive value of 97.5 %. Our results demonstrate the endemicity of urinary schistosomiasis in Bunuso. Schistosomiasis remains a disease of great public health importance in Ghana, and there is the urgent need to intensify surveillance and control programs in remote riparian communities.

Purpose Using a discrete choice experiment (DCE), this study aims to better understand the job preference of postgraduate students studying at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology-Institute of Distance Learning, Ghana and also rank the attributes of a job they deem important. Design/methodology/approach The research adopted a positivist epistemological design contextualised within a deductive approach and case study strategy. Primary survey data was collected from a stratified random sample of 128 postgraduate students with multi-sectorial career prospects. Sample students were subjected to a DCE in which their stated preferences were collected using closed-ended questionnaires with 28 pairs of hypothetical job profiles. Respondents’ preferences from the DCE data were then modelled using the conditional logit. Findings The research reveals that: salary in the range GHC 2,800.00 to GHC 3,400.00 ($1 = GHS 5.3); supportive management; very challenging jobs; and jobs located in the city were the top attributes that were significant and had the most impact in increasing the utility of selecting a particular job. Interestingly, jobs with no extra hours workload were not significant hence, had a negative impact upon student preferences. Originality/value This novel research is the first to use a DCE to better elicit preference and trade-offs of postgraduate students in a developing country towards varying job characteristics that have an impact on their future employment decisions. Knowledge advancements made provide invaluable insight to employers and policymakers on the key criteria that should be implemented to retain the best candidate.