Blog
Scenes from Wasteland: Researching health and illness in South Africa’s Karoo Heartland
In 1966, Mary Douglas famously defined pollution as ‘matter out of place.’ The now-ubiquitous presence of waste in South Africa’s Karoo Heartland is one such incongruity. Traditionally, The Karoo has conjured images of desolate, pristine landscapes. Over the...
Mental health and mental illness in Africa: ‘The Fifth NCD’
October is recognised as Mental Health Awareness Month and several events were organised throughout the UK around this issue. One event I attended in London was a discussion entitled, ‘The Fifth NCD: Integrating Mental Health Care within NCD Prevention and Control’....
Community perceptions on the role of sexual activity on stroke: a qualitative study exploring the views of Ghanaian local community residents
Stroke is a major cause of morbidity and mortality and sometimes comes with multifaceted complications including sexual dysfunction. Even though there is some evidence that living with a stroke can result in sexual dysfunction, there are contradictory views regarding...
Improving Stroke Rehabilitation in Ghana
Overview and context On 14th February 2019, a public engagement workshop on ‘improving stroke rehabilitation in Ghana’ was held at the University of Ghana. This was a collaboration between the Institute of Advanced Studies (UCL) and the Academic Partnership for...
Hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment and control in Ghanaian population
Hypertension is a global public health issue and it contributes significantly to cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, premature deaths and disabilities. Due to the increase in the burden of hypertension in Ghana, and the visible impact on cardiovascular disease,...
Community perceptions on sexual activity and stroke
Sexual Activity and Stroke: Does Cause-and-Effect Exist? Between October 2017 and February 2018, I was in Ghana to conduct a study on local communities’ perceptions on chronic illnesses and stroke. We conducted 30 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) in five communities...