The aim of this study is to assess the level of industrial noise and associated health effects on workers within the Tema Industrial Area, Ghana. A calibrated noise meter, Integrated Average Sound Level Meter, was used to measure noise emanating from each operating machine from plastic, can, food, and cutlass manufacturing industries within the study area. A structured questionnaire was administered to 98 workers to assess the socio-economic and health related characteristics. The results showed that mean noise levels from all 4 industries was 90.0 dB which exceeded the allowable level of 70 dB recommended for heavy industrial area. The noise levels ranged from 78.0 dB recorded at the food processing to 108.5 dB also from the same place. The results of the survey showed that most workers were aged >30 years. Though most of the workers were aware of the effects of noise on human health, few workers used earprotecting devices during work period. More than half (63.3%) of workers cannot hear words clearly at normal conversation. It is clear from the study that workers were exposed to noise levels beyond recommended and they were likely to experienced auditory and non-auditory effects of such exposure.

The study investigated the level of heavy metal concentration in soils at e-waste recycling sites at Tema Community One. Two soil samples were collected from six different sites for laboratory analysis with a seventh location serving as a control. Heavy metals in soil samples were analyzed by digestion method and the use of atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The concentrations of Cadmium, Copper and Mercury were all higher at all the sites than those obtained for the control. The site that recorded higher concentration for copper was about 1200 times higher than the value for the control but statistically, there was significant difference between the concentrations of copper from the six sites (t = 5.168, p = 0.0036). Site 12 and Grand Mollen de Ghana site had concentrations which is 5 times higher than the control and there was significant difference between the concentrations from the six sites and the control (t = 10.39, p = 0.0001) for the cadmium. The mean concentration of mercury from site 12 was found to be 34 times higher than the control value, however, there was no significant difference between the concentrations from the six e-waste recovery sites and the control (t = 2.593, p = 0.05194). E-waste recycling has contributed to the heavy metal contamination of the soil at the recovery sites. Workers safety in relation to these heavy metals is therefore worth researching in the future.

Safe drinking water is essential to the protection of public health and well being of citizenry. The study investigated physico-chemical water quality parameters that could contribute to consumers’ complain from communities benefiting from small town water supply schemes in Ga East Municipality of Ghana. Three samples were collected from each borehole, duplicate physico-chemical analysis was conducted and the result was compared to World Health Organisation guidelines for drinking water. The parameters analysed were based on their ability to impart colour to groundwater, change taste and form scales on storage and pipe fittings. The result showed that, the pH (5.2±0.5, 5.3±0.4 and 5.1±0.2) of the three boreholes were below WHO recommended levels which made the water acidic and aggressive. The study reviewed that the borehole water were moderately hard (66.0±3.6, 91.3±5.1 and 73.7±3.5 mg CaCO₃/L). These two parameters can cause rusting and scale formation in pipe fittings which could lead to consumer complains. Other parameters such as (Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl^-, and SO₄^2- mg/l) were within acceptable limits. Colour imparting ions like iron (0.1±0.0, 0.1±0.0 and 0.1±0.0 mg/l) and manganese (0.02-0.03 mg/l) were within WHO guidelines, were considered safe and had no major health implications on consumers. It was therefore recommended that liming should be considered to bring the pH level to an acceptable limit.

No abstract

Even in the context of a generalized HIV epidemic in Nigeria, men who have sex with men (MSM) carry a disproportionate burden of HIV in the country with 18% reported to be living with HIV compared to 4% of the general population. In the context of emerging HIV prevention strategies including PrEP, consistent condom use (CCU) remains a mainstay of HIV prevention among MSM. The consistent use of condoms may however not only be influenced by individual level behavioural risk factor but also partner risk characteristics. Here we assess the prevalence of consistent condom use across time in a cohort of MSM as well as the partner characteristics and risk factors associated with CCU. TRUST/RV368, as a prospective cohort study, evaluates the efficacy of peer-driven chain referral network-based recruitment of MSM into HIV testing, care, treatment, and prevention services at trusted community-based venues. The cohort enrolls MSM and TGW participants in Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria, using respondent-driven sampling (RDS). Participants who were recruited into the study between March 2013 and March 2018, who reported having anal sex and who had information about at least one sexual partner were included in these analyses. Participants were classified as consistently using condoms if they reported always using condoms all the times they had insertive or receptive anal sex or both types of sex with a male partner. Participants (egos) were then asked questions about the demographics and risk behaviors of up to 5 of their sexual partners (alters) at alternating visits. Crude and multivariable mixed effect Poisson regression models with clustering on the ego and 95% confidence intervals were used to assess the characteristics of the alters associated with the ego's condom use. The multivariable model was adjusted for time, site and how true the egos believed the responses they provided about the alters were. 1474 participants (egos) reported on 9654 most recent sexual partners (alters). The median age of egos was 24 years (1QR: 21–27) while the median age of the alters was 26 (IQR: 23–30). Most of the egos identified as men (79%) while 32% of them were homosexual or gays. Alters tended to be older than the egos (61%), of a higher socio-economic status than the egos (56%), more educated than the egos. Although inconsistent condom use was common in the cohort, there was a trend of increasing consistent usage of condoms across study visits (visit 1: 41%, visit 2: 67%, visit 3: 75%). In the crude analysis, the partner characteristics associated with ego CCU included, a more educated alter, alters consistently using a condom with other sexual partners and the alter encouraging the ego to use condoms with partners. In the multivariable analysis, factors associated with CCU were a more educated alter, alter consistently using a condom with other partners and alter having the same socio-economic status as the ego. Egos who reported that their sexual partners ever had an STI symptom (RR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.87 to 0.99), ever paid money to have sex were less likely to consistently use condoms (RR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.87 to 0.98). Egos who never or rarely discussed HIV with alters also had a reduced risk of CCU (Never—RR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.77 to 0.90, Rarely—RR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.82 to 0.96) as well as a sexual partner being older (RR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.89 to 0.97). Although consistent condom use was observed in this cohort of MSM, condomless sex was still common. High risk behaviors among sexual partners of MSM is associated with a reduced likelihood of CCU. The data presented here highlights the need for new approaches including structural interventions targeted to partners of MSM who may not be engaged in care. Furthermore, approaches that safely increase condom use such as provision of condoms in safe spaces, education on proper usage of condoms as well as better condoms and lubricants are needed to prevent the acquisition and transmission of HIV.