Malaria poses a significant threat to pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa, necessitating effective interventions like the intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP). However, challenges persist in the uptake and effectiveness of this intervention. This scoping review aims to explore IPTp-SP uptake in African countries, identify influencing factors, and assess its effectiveness in preventing malaria and adverse outcomes in pregnancy. This scoping review follows Arksey and O’Malley’s framework, employing the PRISMA-ScR guidelines for reporting. Searches were conducted in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, JSTOR, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and ProQuest, focusing on studies post-2000 published in the English language. The search produced 15,153 records, of which 104 full-text records were eligible and 101 papers were included in this review. The findings suggest varying IPTp-SP uptake rates, spanning from 5.3% to 98.9%, with their effectiveness supported by longitudinal studies, randomised controlled-trials (RCTs), cross-sectional surveys, and mixed-method studies. IPTp-SP demonstrates efficacy in reducing malaria during pregnancy, placental parasitaemia, and anaemia episodes, alongside improved birth outcomes. Common adverse effects of IPTp-SP include prematurity and low birth weight. Facilitators of IPTp-SP uptake include education and ANC attendance, while commonly reported barriers included inadequate knowledge and healthcare system challenges. The findings also suggest adverse effects such as prematurity, low birth weight, and maternal and perinatal mortality associated with IPTp-SP uptake. It is vital to strengthen antenatal care services by integrating comprehensive counselling on IPTp-SP and address healthcare system challenges. Community engagement, women’s empowerment, and context-specific interventions are necessary for promoting IPTp-SP uptake and improving maternal and neonatal health outcomes in Africa.

Cervical cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among women globally. The condition is both preventable and treatable yet remains a leading cause of cancer death in Ghana. This study aims to explore the unique experiences of women living with cervical cancer with a focus on the challenges and coping strategies. The study employed a qualitative approach with an exploratory, descriptive design. This study was conducted among women with cervical cancer aged 18 years and above who have been diagnosed with the disease for at least 3 months. A total of 16 participants were purposively sampled based on the eligibility criteria and individually interviewed using a semi-structured guide. The six-step technique for qualitative analysis by Braun and Clarke guided data analysis. Most participants resorted to self-medication, over-the-counter drugs and herbal preparations as a first line of defense against the disease. The presence of cervical cancer affected participants’ physical and mental well-being. Other challenges included financial burden and frequent equipment breakdowns which affected patients’ treatment. Participants adopted different coping strategies such as taking blood tonic, increased rest and sleep, spiritual prayers and recreational activities. Family members, friends, the church and health workers provided support in the area of finance, advice, meal preparation and house chores, prayers and counseling to participants. Cervical cancer affects the quality of life of many women and their significant others. The condition puts a lot of financial burden on its victims and there is the need for a system to reduce the burden on patients. It is recommended that the treatment of cervical cancer should be covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme to ease the financial burden on patients. There is a need for expansion of access to cervical cancer treatment across the country to reduce patients’ burden and relieve the pressure on the few pieces of equipment at the current treatment centres.

Several complaints have been lodged by the public on media regarding the attitudes of nurses in Ghana. Even though a few nurses are praised in the media, the negative complaints keep outweighing the positive reports. It has been observed that some nurses in Ghana are fond of sending student nurses to buy food and other items whilst on duty. The purpose of this article, therefore, is to discuss how nurses’ attitudes affect care positively and negatively and to improve the attitudes of nurses towards their patients during care. A situational analysis using a descriptive narrative approach is provided. The article is structured under five main headings, which are maintaining the personal hygiene of patients, respecting the dignity of patients, the dress of nurses in Ghana, selecting the right people for the profession, and inappropriate use of smartphones during work.

Reproductive-aged women are disproportionately represented in the high anaemia burden in sub-Saharan Africa. Understanding the knowledge on anaemia among reproductive-aged women represents a significant milestone towards meeting SDG 3.1 and 3.2 targets. This study acquired biological data on anaemia prevalence and curated knowledge on anaemia among reproductive-aged women in urban and peri-urban settings. This exploratory QUANT–qual study recruited 18 – 42 years old women from Koforidua (urban) and Kade (peri-urban), Eastern region, Ghana. Participants' full blood counts were measured using a haematology analyzer followed by the administration of semi-structured questionnaires to explore participants’ knowledge about anaemia. Subsequently, two focus group discussion (FGD) sessions and structural equation modelling (SEM) were employed to explore participants’ understanding of causes, consequences and prevention strategies of anaemia. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant under two-tailed assumptions. The anaemia prevalence was 25% (95% CI: 0.1945 – 0.3151) with a disproportionate representation in participants from Kade (p < 0.001; 42.5% [34/80] vs 13.3% [16/120] from Koforidua), or with non-tertiary education (p = 0.004; 35.3% [30/85] vs 17.4% [20/115] of those with tertiary education). In logistic regression analyses, a non-tertiary educational attainment (p < 0.001, aOR: 11.252), age (p < 0.001, aOR: 0.028), and marital status (p < 0.001, aOR: 0.009) significantly predicted anaemia. SEM found that participants’ knowledge about causes of anaemia was neither significantly associated with knowledge about anaemia consequences (b = 0.211), nor its prevention strategies (b = 0.051). However, participants’ knowledge about the consequences of anaemia significantly positively moderated a positive association between participants’ knowledge about at-risk groups and anaemia prevention strategies (b = 0.316, p < 0.05), resulting in a > two-fold increase in beta coefficient (0.316 to 0.663; p < 0.05). Misconceptions such as "anaemia is only present in sickly-looking individuals" and "frustrations from the husband or working with firewood cause anaemia" were expressed by participants in the FGD. Anaemia data disaggregation is important in contextualizing its public health relevance. Systems thinking approaches, such as health sector–community working groups adopting culturally-sensitive educational intervention strategies, are needed to address the anaemia knowledge-gap and its public health implications among these reproductive-aged women.