Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) refers to any behavior by either a current or ex-intimate partner or would-be rejected lover that causes physical, sexual, or psychological harm. It is the most common form of violence in women’s lives. According to a World Health Organization report, about 1 in 3 women worldwide experience at least one form of IPV from an intimate partner at some point in her life. In the Gambia, about 62% of pregnant women experience at least one form of violence from an intimate partner. IPV has severe physical and mental health consequences on a woman ranging from minor bodily injury to death. It also increases the risk of low birth weight, premature delivery, and neonatal death. Methods A health facility-based cross-sectional study design was carried out to assess the magnitude and factors associated with intimate partner violence among pregnant women seeking antenatal care in the rural Gambia. The study enrolled 373 pregnant women, and a multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the respondents. An interviewer-administered structured questionnaire was used to obtain information from the study participants. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS Ver.22. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to determine the association between dependent and independent variables. Odds ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI) was computed to determine the presence and strength of associated factors with IPV. Result The study reveals that the prevalence of IPV in The Gambia is 67%, with psychological violence (43%) being the most common form of IPV reported by the respondents. The multivariate logistic regression result reveals that being aged 35 years or older [AOR 5.1(95% CI 1.5–17.8)], the experience of parents quarreling during childhood [AOR 1.7(95% CI 1.0–2.75)], and having cigarette smoking partners [AOR 2.3 (95% CI 1.10–4.6)] were significantly associated with IPV during pregnancy. Conclusion This study has demonstrated that all forms of IPV in rural Gambia are frequent. Women older than 35 years, had experienced parents quarreling, had a partner who smoked, and a partner who fight with others were more likely report IPV compared to other pregnant women in the study. We recommend that IPV screening should be included as an integral part of routine antenatal care services in The Gambia. Community-based interventions that include indigenous leaders, religious leaders, and other key stakeholders are crucial to create awareness on all forms of IPV and address the risk factors found to influence the occurrence of IPV in rural Gambia.

Background: The novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak that began in Wuhan, China rapidly became a public health concern and a challenge for healthcare systems globally.  In the wake of the first confirmed case in The Gambia, concerns were raised in some quarters about the health system's preparedness to handle the outbreak. Therefore, we aimed to assess health personnel's knowledge and preparedness in fighting the COVID-19 outbreak in The Gambia. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using self-administered questionnaires distributed online through social media. Descriptive, bivariate, and binary logistic analyses were done using SPSS Version 22. Results: We obtained 333 valid responses. Most participants reported that their health facility has some form of preparedness; however, only a small proportion reported enough PPEs in the health facility. About half (50.5%) showed good knowledge of COVID-19. There was a statistically significant difference among the professions regarding their reaction if they were found positive of COVID-19 (p=0.006). There was a significant association between health professions [other professions (Odds ratio [OR]=0.2, 95% Confidence interval [CI]:0.04–0 .9; p=0.038)] and overall knowledge of COVID-19. Conclusion: Our findings showed some form of preparedness towards COVID-19 among healthcare workers. However, many aspects, such as the availability of PPEs and their proper use and knowledge, need improvement. Thus, training and an adequate supply of equipment are required to better respond to upcoming COVID-19 waves and future outbreaks. Doi: 10.28991/SciMedJ-2021-03-SI-5 Full Text: PDF

Background: Neonatal mortality surveillance has not been prioritized in The Gambia, despite the global target of the SDGs to reduce Neonatal Mortality Rate to <12/1000 livebirth by 2030. We conducted this study to describe the epidemiology of neonatal mortality in Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in the Gambia January to December 2021.Methods: We conducted a cross sectional study in (EFSTH) among neonates who died within the period under study. We extracted data from various sources in the hospital. We analyzed demographic variables, listed sources of data, and determined risk factors for death at 95% confidence interval. Results: Of the 306 neonatal deaths in 2021, 161 (52.6%) were female, the median age is 2.4 days at a range of 0.04-26 days. Majority 242 (79.1%) of the neonates that died in EFSTH were delivered via vagina spontaneously. There were more 174 (56.9) preterm and 95 (35.3%) very low birth weight babies. The highest cause of death was pneumonia among 82 (26.8%), while highest non-infectious cause of death was asphyxia accounting for 29 (9.5%) deaths. Male neonates and neonates born in Western regions (Western1 & 2) are more likely to die of infectious causes compared to those from other 5 regions [POR:1.36 (CI= 0.8513-2.1679)] and [POR 0.57 (CI= 0.2650-1.2120)] respectively. These possible risk factors are not statistically significant. Sources of data varies for each hospital: case folders, admission registers, hospital database and death certificates. Conclusion: We found that the neonatal mortality rate for the hospital is higher than the national one. More female neonates die and majority of the mortalities occur within the first day of life. More deaths occur in the Western Regions who are less likely to die of infectious causes as compared to other regions. The leading causes of deaths among neonates were found to be pneumonia, sepsis, low birth weights among others.

Résumé Introduction Le programme ghanéen de lutte contre les maladies tropicales négligées visait à sensibiliser la population aux géohelminthiases et à atteindre une couverture de 100 % de la chimiothérapie préventive (CTP) d'ici 2020. Cette étude vise à déterminer les facteurs associés au niveau de connaissances des enfants d’âge scolaire et à décrire leurs perceptions à Krachi East Municipal au Ghana. Patients et méthodes Il s'agissait d'une étude transversale à collecte quantitative et dans les ménages, effectuée en juillet-août 2020. Les enfants de 7-14 ans et leurs tuteurs, consentant librement à participer à l’étude, ont été sélectionnés selon un échantillonnage stratifié à deux degrés. Ainsi, 5 communautés rurales et 3 communautés urbaines ont été sélectionnées par échantillonnage aléatoire simple. Puis, un échantillonnage systématique a été appliqué pour sélectionner les enfants et leurs tuteurs dans les ménages. Les statistiques descriptives ont concerné individuellement les variables quantitatives et qualitatives. Une régression logistique binaire uni et multivariée a été réalisée pour déterminer les facteurs associés au niveau de connaissances des enfants, considérant un niveau de signification de 5 %. Résultats 352 enfants et 352 tuteurs provenant principalement de Dambai (66,48%) ont été interrogés. L’âge médian des enfants était de 11 (IIQ : 9-12) ans et les enfants étaient âgés de 7 à 14 ans. La majorité des enfants étaient de sexe masculin (53,13%), et les tuteurs de sexe féminin (66,48%). Les tuteurs avaient un âge compris entre 15 et 74 ans, avec un âge médian de 36 (IIQ : 30-45) ans. Ils étaient le plus souvent mariés (79,55%). La plupart des enfants ont perçu un bénéfice associé à la CTP (334; 94,89%). La proportion d'enfants percevant un risque associé à la CTP ne différait pas significativement de celle des enfants n'en percevant pas (49,72 % contre 50,28 %; p = 0,8802). Pour les élèves, les enseignants étaient leur principale source d'information sur les vers intestinaux (96,59%). La majorité d'entre eux percevait un soutien de leurs enseignants vis-à-vis de la CTP (96,00%). La proportion d'enfants ne connaissant pas les modes de transmission et les moyens de prévention des vers était respectivement de 41,48 % et de 33,24 %. Globalement, 115 enfants (32,67%) ne connaissaient pas les vers intestinaux. Après cumul des scores de connaissances et classification, les enfants avaient en général une mauvaise connaissance des géohelminthiases et de la CTP (91,19 % contre 8,81 %; p < 0,0001). La bonne connaissance était associée au groupe ethnique [Guan : ORa = 3,96 95%CI 1,11-14,12; p = 0,034], à l’âge de l'enfant [(11-12 ans : ORa = 6,05 95%CI 1,21-30,22; p = 0,026); (13-14 ans : ORa = 8,19 95%CI 1,64-40,89; p = 0,010)] et au sexe des tuteurs (Femme : ORa = 2,97 95%CI 1,02-8,66; p = 0,046) dans le modèle ajusté. Conclusion Les plus jeunes enfants et les tuteurs hommes semblent avoir...