Prioritizing Workplace Health Promotion Policy to Address High Blood Pressure and Obesity in a Public University in the Northern Region of Ghana.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) recommends the engagement of the world of work in providing comprehensive and effective prevention strategy for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Workers are at risk of developing 1 or more cases of NCDs due to their exposure to risk factors at work. The ILO suggests that the work-related risk factors can be prevented by improving working conditions and integration of workplace health promotion programs. Workplace health promotion policies promote workers general health, improve working environment, work practices, and reduces the risks of common NCDs including hypertension (high blood pressure) and obesity among employees. A number of studies have described the increasing trends of hypertension and obesity among civil servants but are limited in assessing the availability and effectiveness of workplace health promotion policies to address them. We assessed the availability and effectiveness of workplace health promotion policy to address the prevalence of high blood pressure in a public university in the Northern Region of Ghana. Using a mixed method study design, 191 administrative staff were recruited and in-depth qualitative interviews conducted among 5 key informants. The study found significant number of participants with elevated and high blood pressure and overweight and obesity with no functional workplace health promotion at the time of the study. We therefore recommend the prioritization and development of a workplace health policy to reduce the prevalence of high blood pressure and obesity among staff of the university using the integrative workplace health promotion model.

Application of the hub and spokes model in improving access to cervical cancer screening in Ghana

Objective: To examine the contribution of lower-level health facilities in increasing access to cervical cancer screening in the North Tongu District. Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. The Cervical Cancer Prevention and Training Centre (CCPTC) of the Catholic Hospital, Battor, served as the hub, and six health facilities (3 health centres and 3 CHPS compounds) served as the spokes. From April 2018 to September 2019, the well-resourced CCPTC trained 6 nurses at selected Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) / Health Centres (HCs) (spokes) to provide cervical cancer screening services. The nurses, after training, started screening with VIA and HPV DNA testing. Participants: A total of 3,451women were screened by the trained nurses. This comprised 1,935 (56.1%) from the hub and 1,516 (43.9%) from the spokes. Main outcome measure: The detection of screen positives Results: The screen positives were 19.4% (375/1935) at the hub and 4.9% (74/1516) at the spokes. Conclusion: We have demonstrated that a hub and spokes model for cervical cancer screening is possible in limited resource settings. Designating and resourcing a 'hub' that supports a network of 'spokes' could increase women's access to cervical cancer screening. This approach could create awareness about cervical cancer screening services and how they can be accessed