KHRC Partakes in the 2023 Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research Annual Research Meeting

November 27, 2023 | News | Reading time: 2 min

KHRC participated in the 8th Annual Research Meeting (ARM) organized by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) of the University of Ghana on November 23, 2023. The Centre was represented by Dr. Samuel Kofi Tchum, Dr. John Amoah, Mr. Tawfiq Yussif and Miss Hellen Taiwo Agor.

At the meeting, Miss Helen Taiwo Agor made a presentation on the study “Prevalence of stillbirth among a cohort of pregnant women in Kintampo – Ghana: Analysis from a Kintampo Brith Cohort”. The study is a longitudinal maternal and newborn health study, with emphasis on pregnancy risk factors and their associations with adverse pregnancy outcomes, including stillbirth and neonatal mortality. The research spanned from March 2021 to December 2022, encompassing a cohort of 2300 pregnant women from 90 communities within the Kintampo North Municipality and South District. Throughout this period, monthly visits were diligently conducted to capture a comprehensive overview of the women's clinical, antenatal, intrapartum, and post-natal care, as well as morbidity and mortality data.

The study recorded 2,065 deliveries, revealing 44 instances of stillbirths, corresponding to a stillbirth rate of 21 per 1000 live births. Analysis of the findings highlighted that among the participants experiencing stillbirth (n=44), a significant proportion (36.4%) fell within the age range of 30-39 years. Moreover, 86.4% had attended antenatal care fewer than four times before delivery, and approximately 34.1% were pregnant with their first child.

The study's conclusion emphasized that the observed stillbirth rate aligns with the national average, underscoring the substantial burden of stillbirths in Ghana. The research also identified multiple factors contributing to the occurrence of stillbirths within the studied population.

Additionally, Dr. Samuel Kofi Twum presented on the “effect of iron fortification on anaemia and risk of malaria among Ghanaian pre-school children with haemoglobinopathies and different ABO blood groups”. The study concluded that Iron supplementation increased anaemia in children with HbAS genotypes and provided less protection against malaria in children with HbAC and AS and blood groups A and O.

Mr. Tawfiq Yussif discussed “Temperature and pH of selected mosquito larval sites in Kintampo”. The objective was to identify mosquito larval sites and to determine a range of temperature and pH in selected larval sites in central Ghana”. The study successfully revealed that the water Temperature and pH for mosquito larval sites in their natural habitat in selected larval sites in Kintampo were found to be within a range of 28-33oc, 7.0-7.4, respectively.

Dr. John Amoah also made a poster presentation on “knowledge, motivation and behavioral skills in averting risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases: a cluster randomized controlled trial”.

The study recommended that the intervention module be adopted and incorporated into the curriculum of secondary schools.