The study explores the language barriers between two language minority populations and healthcare professionals in the Volta Region of Ghana. An interpretive description with a qualitative approach to data collection and analysis was used. This study was carried out in the Tafi-Atome and Avatime-Vane communities, the Hohoe Municipal Hospital and the Margaret Marquart Catholic Hospital in the Kpando Municipality. In all, 46 respondents comprising 19 purposively sampled community members (patients) from the two selected communities and 27 conveniently sampled healthcare professionals from the two health facilities were interviewed. The face-to-face in-depth interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed. The study revealed a barrier in language use between healthcare professionals and patients from the two language minority communities. While healthcare professionals preferred to use English, Akan and Ewe, the patients, on the other hand, preferred their native languages, which are Sideme and Tegbor. The services of unqualified interpreters were utilised by both healthcare professionals and patients. Study participants were aware of these challenges, which prevented the patients from receiving optimum healthcare services, and the healthcare workers from delivering client-centred healthcare services. The presence of communication challenges emanating from language barriers between healthcare professionals and patients should be considered as a key hindrance to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goal Three (SDG3), which aims to promote health and well-being at all ages. Therefore, stakeholders in the healthcare delivery system in Ghana need to prioritize stronger communication and translation practices and policies.

There are many claims to the benefits of open access publishing in general and for Africa in particular. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of scholarly journals expected to publish articles on public health from a number of African countries. Using African Journals Online and African Index Medicus, 174 journals from 13 African countries were identified. The six countries above the group’s median gross domestic product (GDP) published 145 journals, while the seven countries at or below the median GDP published 29 journals. Two thirds of the journals were freely available to download, but only a third had a Creative Commons licence, and most were not indexed. Around half of the journals levied full article processing charges (APCs) – journals from countries at median GDP or below were less likely to charge APCs than those from countries above the median GDP. One of the key findings is that only a few journals were indexed, limiting the ability of potential readers to find the results of research performed in local settings. The results suggest a need to assist journals and researchers to make the work they publish more accessible to the audience who might want to use the results.

Purpose: The aim was to find out the knowledge of health information among adolescent postpartum mothers and their perceptions on how libraries can help in “ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all”. Methodology: A hospital-based case-control study was conducted between September 2017 and October 2017. One hundred and one (101) participants were involved in this study. They included Fifty-three (53) adolescents and Forty-eight (48) adult postpartum mothers who were receiving postnatal services at the Takrowase, Kusi and Wenchi Health Centres in the Denkyembour District of the Eastern Region, Ghana. Questionnaire was used as the tool for data collection. Findings: All respondents in the case group 53(100.00%) and majority of the control group 47(97.92%) exhibited poor knowledge of libraries with majority of them having negative perceptions for the roles libraries play in disseminating health information. The need for information on “baby-related” and “health-related” issues was high among the study population, and there was no clearly identified source of information. However, the oral medium for information dissemination was highly acknowledged by the case group 51(96.23%) and the control group 47(97.92%). Conclusion: Lack of awareness of libraries and their role in disseminating health information was the general view among the study population. Extension of library services to vulnerable people, particularly, adolescent postpartum mothers in rural communities will help make them information conscious, and it will help eradicate some basic health challenges faced by these women.

Background: This cross-sectional survey aimed to ascertain the knowledge of malaria patients in determining the nature and extent of health information needed; accessing the needed health information effectively and efficiently; evaluating such health information and its sources critically in order to use the information. Methods/Results: A self-reported questionnaire was given to 155 participants in selected “drug stores” in Ho in the Volta Region of Ghana. Positive relationships were found between respondents whose decision to purchase malaria drugs was based on laboratory tests and high health information literacy skills. Low knowledge of libraries among the respondents was recorded even though there was no significant difference between the health information literacy of those who see the library as a source of health information and those who do not. Conclusion: There is a need to involve libraries in the health delivery system in order to help extend literacy training/skills to the citizenry.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to focus on describing the experience of occupational psychosocial stress among librarians in Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa. It further seeks to identify the various psychosocial stress components and how they interact to determine the stress level of librarians. Design/methodology/approach: Using the Effort-Reward Imbalance scale, this descriptive study employed a web-based data collection tool (Google Form) to design and solicit data from respondents. Convenient sampling technique was used to employ 153 librarians from Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa with at least a diploma in any library-related programme, who work in either academic, public or special libraries. Findings: This study established the prevalence of occupational psychosocial stress among librarians from Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa. It was realised that gender, country of residence of respondents, age, work experience, workers with children under 13 years of age and work roles were the main factors that influenced the occupational stress among the respondents. Research limitations/implications: The response rate for this study was low. As a result, undertaking any inferential statistics to explain relationships was not possible. Originality/value: The value of this study lies in the depth of narrative data collected and the insight it affords with regards to contemporary work within libraries in Africa and beyond. The results presented may provide both a starting point for further discussion and may also promote an increased openness about issues of employee safety in the library environment.

The use of mobile medical apps in clinical settings has recently received considerable attention. While some practitioners are using this technology to optimize decision making, others, on the other hand, are indifferent about its usage. Therefore, this study has utilized a modified UTAUT2 model to determine factors that influence the acceptance and use of mobile medical apps among professional nurses in the Ghanaian setting. A web-based data collection tool (Google Forms) was used to solicit data from 216 health professionals. Of the 216 respondents, 126 (58.33%) of them were Public Health Nurses, with 85 (39.35%) being General Nurses, and the remaining 5 (2.32%) were midwives, resulting in an average age of 31.57±4.14 years. The study used a previously validated self-administered questionnaire (UTAUT 2) to find out factors that informed respondents to adopt and use mobile medical apps. The findings established that professional qualification, gender, and the number of years that the individual had used smartphones were key determinants in accepting and using mobile medical apps. That is why this study makes the case that using technology in clinical practice has enormous advantages. It is, however, important to understand the factors that will influence the intention to adopt such technologies and their possible use.