BackgroundTobacco smoking is a public health issue and has been implicated in adverse reproductive outcomes including semen quality. Available data however provides conflicting findings. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of tobacco smoking on semen quality among men in Ghana.MethodsIn this study, a total of 140 subjects were recruited, comprising 95 smokers and 45 non-smokers. Smokers were further categorized into mild, moderate and heavy smokers. Semen parameters such as sperm concentration, motility, viability and normal morphology were measured according to the World Health Organisation criteria.ResultsThe study showed that smokers had significantly lower semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility, total sperm count, sperm morphology, free testosterone and follicle stimulating hormone (p <0.05 respectively), compared with non-smokers. Smokers were at a higher risk of developing oligospermia, asthenozoospermia and teratozoospermia (OR = 3.1, 4.2 and, 4.7; p <0.05) than non-smokers.ConclusionResults demonstrated a decline in semen quality in a dose dependent tobacco smoking manner.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12978-016-0207-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Introduction Kisspeptin influence on male androgens is partially understood. We aimed to evaluate serum concentrations of kisspeptin among Ghanaian men with type 2 diabetes and to identify related factors that may contribute to altering circulating kisspeptin. Methods A cross‐sectional, observational study. Sixty persons with type 2 diabetes and 60 nondiabetic controls were included in this study. Blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), kisspeptin, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH), total testosterone (T), glucose (FBG), glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and lipid levels were assessed. Results Type 2 diabetic men had lower kisspeptin and T concentrations than controls (P = 0.001 for both). Levels of LH and FSH were, respectively, higher in diabetic men compared with their control counterparts (P = 0.003; P = 0.017). There were negative associations within the diabetic group for kisspeptin vs age (r = −0.590, P = 0.0001) and kisspeptin vs BMI (r = −0.389, P = 0.002). Positive associations were also found within the diabetic group for kisspeptin vs T (r = 0.531, P = 0.001), kisspeptin vs LH (r = 0.423, P = 0.001) and kisspeptin vs FSH (r = 0.366, P = 0.004). Lower T (OR = 1.473, P = 0.003) and advancing age (OR = 0.890, P = 0.004) contributed to decreased kisspeptin levels among Ghanaian males with type 2 diabetes. Conclusion Our data demonstrate that circulating kisspeptin and T concentrations are lower among men with type 2 diabetes and highlight the importance of considering kisspeptin concentrations in the management of hypogonadism and type 2 diabetes.

Introduction: Ghana, as of July 2022, has had 168,350 Real-Time Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (rRT-PCR)-confirmed cases of CoViD-19 infections and 1,458 deaths. Besides, 2 cases of Marburg virus diseases (MVD) were confirmed in the country within the same month. Both CoViD-19 and MVD require rRT-PCR for diagnosis, however, rRT-PCR facilities are scarce in Ghana, especially, hitherto, the CoViD-19 pandemic. The objectives of this study were to assess the current testing capacity of CoViD-19 rRT-PCR in Ghana, and to make some recommendations in case of an MVD outbreak, or recurrence of the CoViD-19 pandemic. Methods: The study was cross-sectional. Questionnaires were administered to 100 health professionals actively involved in the testing cycle of CoViD-19 across rRT-PCR testing institutions. Responses with regards to CoViD-19 rRT-PCR testing, biosafety, and relationship with Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System (SORMAS), PanaBios and Zipline, were obtained for 2020-through-2022. The responses were analyzed with Microsoft Excel office-365 and SPSS v.23. Results: Thirty-five (35) of the 53 testing institutions were in the Greater Accra Region, but none in seven (7) regions of the country. Many (49%) were privately owned. Nine (9) different professionals were involved in rRT-PCR testing. The testing institutions increased from 2 (in March 2020) to 53 by June-ending 2022, and most (90%) had Biosafety Cabinet class II (BSCII). PPEs were inadequate between march and June, 2020 (25%), but enough (100%) by June 2022. Zipline, SORMAS, and PanaBios, respectively, saw transactions from 28%, 81%, and 77% of the institutions. Conclusion: Ghana is adequately resourced for recurrence of CoViD-19, or any MVD outbreak, in terms of diagnosis with rRT-PCR. However, the country needs redistribution of these testing resources, expand the services of Zipline and SORMAS, satisfy additional biosafety requirements for MVD testing and equip over 180 GeneXpert facilities to help in accessible and affordable testing. KEYWORDS: CoViD-19, rRT-PCR, Testing, BSC, SORMAS, Zipline, Marburg virus, Ghana

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