Background: Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease with high endemicity across Africa. As a waterborne parasitic disease, the population at highest risk includes school‐age children, although adults are also affected. The rationale for this review is to assess the effectiveness of the various schistosomiasis control interventions implemented across Africa. Methods: A targeted systematic search for studies published from January 2000 to August 2023 in African Journals Online, ScienceDirect, PubMed, World Health Organization Database, Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases was conducted. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) was followed in the screening of the studies conducted from 2000 to 2023. Results: A total of 165 articles (out of an initial number of 9791) that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed in this study under the broad subthemes: pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions. Praziquantel is the most widely implemented control measure for both preventive and curative purposes across the 35 countries surveyed in this study. Praziquantel either was the sole control strategy (18/35; 51.4%) or was used in conjunction with one or more other interventions (5/35; 14.3%). Studies conducted in 14 countries did not specify the type of schistosomiasis interventions used. Research on schistosomiasis in Africa and its control measures is primarily funded and supported by the WHO and other international research initiatives (49.1%), national governments (17.6%) and private researchers (33.3%). Ineffective coordination at the local, national, regional or continental levels; inconsistent and donor‐driven mass drug administration and lack of an effective approach that integrates pharmacological and nonpharmacological control strategies are major bottlenecks hindering the elimination of schistosomiasis across Africa. Conclusion: There is a paucity of data on a systematic approach by the national governments of Africa that effectively integrates pharmacological and nonpharmacological control strategies to meet the 2030 elimination roadmap targets.

Background: The negative impact of floods on humans and the environment cannot be overemphasized. Annually, different parts of Ghana get flooded resulting in the loss of lives and significant damage to property. Objective: This study assessed the public health impacts of the controlled spillage of the Akosombo and Kpong dams in Ghana on the people living in downstream and upstream communities. Methods: Government reports, published media reports, NGO publications, and field visits were used to assess the extent of damage, challenges faced by local communities, and mitigation measures initiated. Personal observation by the researcher through transect walk of the affected communities between September 15 and October 30, 2023 was also conducted. Results and Discussion: The spillage led to the loss of critical infrastructure such as schools, houses, toilet facilities, water supply systems and electricity. Overcrowding in temporary shelters provided for displaced persons served as a conduit for possible transmission of communicable diseases. The suspension of healthcare services in areas inundated by flood waters worsened the plight of residents including the vulnerable members of the society such as pregnant women, children, the aged, persons living with disability and the very poor. The submersion of farmlands, crops and drowning of livestock and poultry had serious implication for food security and the livelihoods of the affected individuals. The current study comprehensively captured the scale of devastation of the floods on people and their livelihoods in 7 out of the 16 regions within 21 administrative districts across Ghana, and proposed workable strategies to mitigate future happenings. Conclusion: The public health impacts resulting from the controlled spillage of the Akosombo and Kpong Dams on affected individuals was enormous. Possible surge in vector-borne disease transmission such as malaria, dengue, zika, and a probable increase in communicable and non-communicable diseases. Although short term measures were adopted to mitigate the impact of the flood on affected individuals through the provision of clean water, beddings, emergency food relief, long-term resilience strategies including early warning systems, climate sensitive interventions, effective collaboration among key stakeholders and disaster preparedness at the local level will help avert or reduce the severity of future floods. The study underscored the urgent need for comprehensive measures to mitigate the impacts of future disasters and enhance community resilience.

Background and Aim: Human giardiasis poses a significant public health challenge globally, particularly in resource‐limited countries due to poor personal hygiene, environmental sanitation, and unsafe water. It affects approximately 300 million people globally every year, and children are the most at‐risk population. This scoping review assesses the burden, transmission dynamics, and public health implications of human giardiasis in Ghana. Methods: A comprehensive search strategy across PubMed, African Journals Online, Science Direct, Scopus and Web of Science databases using key terms “Giardia duodenalis,” “Giardia intestinalis,” and “Giardiasis.” Published articles on Human giardiasis in Ghana between 2004 and 2024 on epidemiology, prevalence, diagnostic methods, and target populations were extracted. Results: Seventeen studies conducted in Ghana met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. The prevalence of Giardia duodenalis in Ghana varies significantly across studies and settings, with rates ranging from 0.7% to 59.6%, with children being the most affected. However, studies conducted in Ghana since 2020 indicate a lower prevalence, with rates between 0.7% and 13.0%. Regional studies indicate varied prevalence: 0.7%–13.0%, 2.3%–59.6%, and 5.9% in the Southern, Middle, and Northern belts, respectively. Conclusion: The prevalence of human giardiasis in Ghana is relatively low. However, targeted public health interventions are necessary to maintain the progress achieved, in addition to improvements in sanitation and hygiene practices.

Background: Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) pose a significant public health burden in developing regions, disproportionately affecting children. This study investigated the prevalence, determinants, and co‐occurrence patterns of IPIs among schoolchildren in rural Krachi East Municipality, Oti Region, Ghana. Methodology: A cross‐sectional study (March–August 2024) enrolled 204 schoolchildren (aged 4–15 years) via simple random sampling. Sociodemographic and risk factor data were collected, using standardized questionnaires. Single fresh stool specimens were microscopically examined using direct wet mount, sedimentation, and Kato–Katz techniques. Data were analyzed with STATA version 18. Results: Overall IPI prevalence was 63.23% ( n = 129), with monoparasitism at 33.3% ( n = 68). Key parasites included Ascaris lumbricoides (57.4%), Hookworm (38.7%), and Giardia duodenalis (21.6%), Entamoeba dispar/histolytica (14.2%), and Trichuris trichiura (11.3%). Polyparasitism was common, with protozoan–helminth (19.38%) and helminth–helminth (27.13%) co‐infections. A. lumbricoides and Hookworm were predominant in co‐infections. Home‐cooked meals and awareness of IPIs reduced the odds of infection. Conversely, Kumasi Ventilated Improved Pit (KVIP) and pit latrines at school paradoxically increased G. duodenalis infection risk, whereas fingernail‐biting showed a counterintuitive protective association against G. duodenalis infections. Conclusion: A high IPI burden, including significant polyparasitism, exists among the schoolchildren in the study area. The findings underscore the urgent need for integrated deworming programs, improved sanitation, and targeted health education to reduce morbidity in this vulnerable population, directly contributing to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well‐being) by addressing preventable diseases and promoting health, and SDG 4 (Quality Education) by improving the health and educational outcomes of schoolchildren.

Exposure to fecal pollution in urban environments of LMICs poses significant health threats due to dense populations, particularly affecting vulnerable groups with age extremities, pregnant women, occupational risk groups, and the immunocompromised. Widespread deficiencies in urban sanitation infrastructure, improperly treated sewage, improper disposal of human and animal feces, and runoff from urban areas carrying intestinal pathogens of human and animal origin might compromise the quality of environmental media for human uptake, thus exposing urban residents to a wide range of health threats. The public health consequences of human exposure to fecal pollutants may range from mild gastrointestinal manifestations to more severe diarrheagenic events like cholera, salmonellosis, and typhoid fever. By understanding these complex exposure pathways and using the one-health approach to mitigation, efforts to accelerate the attainment of SDGs-3 and 11 in urban settings of LMICs by ensuring safer, more resilient, and sustainable environments and improved health and well-being of urban dwellers can be achieved by 2030.

Background: Trichomoniasis is a non‐viral neglected sexually transmitted disease of public health importance. Undergraduate students, often experiencing newfound freedom from family oversight, may engage in risky sexual behaviors, predisposing them to trichomoniasis and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards trichomoniasis and associated factors among the Central University students in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Methods: An institutional cross‐sectional study was conducted between March and July 2024, involving 387 undergraduate students from Central University who were selected using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured researcher‐led interview with respondents in the Schools of Nursing and Midwifery, Pharmacy, and Medical Sciences. The study used bivariate and multivariable logistic regression (STATA MP Version 16) to identify factors linked to trichomoniasis, calculating odds ratios (95% confidence intervals [CI]) to measure associations. Multivariable analysis considered variables with a p value <0.05 to be statistically significant factors associated with knowledge and attitudes regarding Trichomonas vaginalis infection. Results: The study included 387 participants (81.40% female, 18.60% male; mean age 20). About 171 (44.19%), 150 (38.76%), and 66 (17.05%) were pharmacy, nursing, and physician assistantship studies students, respectively. Significant associations with T. vaginalis infection were observed for gender ( p = 0.0169), age ( p < 0.0001), attitude ( p < 0.0001), and knowledge (68.0% good knowledge; 82.89% good attitude). Females exhibited twice the likelihood of higher knowledge (aOR = 2.022, 95%CI = 1.128–2.912, p = 0.012) compared to males. Conclusion: The study revealed a good level of knowledge, positive attitudes, and effective preventive practices regarding trichomoniasis among the students. Gender, age, program of study, knowledge, and attitudes were significantly associated with self‐reported risk behaviors. The study recommends targeted reproductive health education, particularly on trichomoniasis and STIs, to enhance safer sexual behaviors among tertiary students.