Background: Bacterial meningitis is a dangerous infection that can kill children and adults alike. An estimated 1.2 million instances of bacterial meningitis are anticipated to occur globally each year, despite the discovery of polysaccharide and conjugate vaccines in recent years [1]. The study aimed to find out which bacteria isolates are linked to meningitis and to compare the culture method to the rT-PCR method. Method: This study examined data on bacterial meningitis from the Ghana Health Service’s Public Health Division from 2015 to 2019. Patients’ information was collected from case-based forms held at the Tamale Public Health and Reference Laboratory. The data from the case-based forms was transcribed into a pre-designed Microsoft Excel template. For analysis, the data was cleaned and loaded into Minitab version 18. Results: There were 2,446 CSM cases documented in all, 34.4 percent were confirmed. Males (52.7%) were more suspected than females (47.3%). Age group 15-44 were affected most (37.5%). The predominant pathogens were Neisseria meningitidis (W135) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (St.1) with NMX, St.14, St.19, and St. 12F/12A/12b as new emerging strains. Notwithstanding that, low NPV (72.6%), NLR (0.69), and sensitivity (31.8%) of culture method for detected pathogens of bacterial meningitis were found to produce a statistically significant false negatives compared to the gold standard (rT-PCR). Conclusion: Emergence of new strains of bacterial meningitis and the false negative results chained out by the culture method is alarming.

Background: Anemia remains one of the most severe and common public health conditions that predominantly affects children and women across the globe. It is defined as a condition in which the hemoglobin (Hb) concentration is less than 11.0 g/dl particularly in women. The World health organization report indicated that 20–50% of the world population was affected by iron deficiency anemia. Method: An institutional cross-sectional study design was the method used through the data collection and management. Information was sought from four selected health centres across the nanton district with systematic sampling deployed to select respondents of interest. A sample of 420 respondents were obtained and processed for analysis. A bi-variate and multivariate analysis uncovered the associated factors and its predictiveness. Results: The prevalence of anaemia in totality was 56.0% (95% CI 51.3%, 60.8%). The divergence of the blood concentration levels between the means of the anaemic and non anaemic group was statistically significance ( F-stat =68.233, t-stat =-35.697, p <0.01). The multivariate statistical model showed that, lactating mothers who have suffered malaria episode(s) after delivery had a 94% chance of being anaemic [ AOR = 0.054; (95% CI : 0.025, 0.119)]. Lack of post-partum iron supplementation increased the risk of having anaemia [ AOR = 15.336; (95% CI : 6.112, 38.483)], and lactating mothers had higher risk [ AOR = 1.927, (95% CI : 1.031, 3.602)] of developing anaemia with increasing ‘child’s age beyond three (3) months. Conclusion: Anaemia remains very high in lactating mothers attributable to episodes of postpartum malaria, iron supplementation, and increasing ‘child’s age beyond 3 months. There is the need for public health interventions and measures such as extension of folic acid distribution and Intermittent Preventive Therapy (IPT) for malaria program to mothers at postnatal care and child welfare clinics across the region.

Background/Objectives: Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria represent a significant public health concern worldwide, particularly in resource-limited settings. In Ghana’s Tamale Metropolis, limited data exist on the prevalence and trends of MDR bacteria, posing challenges to effective antimicrobial stewardship. Methods: This study analyzed microbiological data from 2020 to 2023 to address these knowledge gaps. Results: Among the 4859 clinical samples analyzed, 1570 (33.7%) yielded Gram-negative bacterial isolates, with an MDR prevalence of 40.6%. The most frequently isolated organisms were Klebsiella spp. (28.9%) and Escherichia coli (20.4%). Resistance to cephalosporins (51%) and ciprofloxacin (46%) was particularly pronounced, highlighting the diminishing efficacy of commonly used antibiotics. Older adults (aged 60 years and above) presented the highest MDR prevalence, reflecting the vulnerability of this demographic group. Conclusion:These findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced antimicrobial stewardship programs, improved infection prevention and control measures, and continuous resistance monitoring to combat the growing threat of MDR bacteria in the region. Strengthening laboratory capacity and adherence to strict antibiotic usage policies are crucial for reducing the burden of MDR infections and improving patient outcomes.

Weyori EW, et al. J Glob Health Sci. 2025 Nov;7:e19. https://doi.org/10.35500/jghs.2025.7.e19