Browsing by Author "Amoaku, W.M.K."
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Item Alternate Eye Care Services in a Ghanaian District(Ghana Medical Journal, 2005-03) Ntim-Amponsah, C.T.; Amoaku, W.M.K.; Ofosu-Amaah, S.OBJECTIVE: To determine eye care services sought outside the regular hospital system and their providers. STUDY SETTING: Akwapim South district METHOD: Questionnaire survey and in depth interviews. RESULTS: We recruited 1,537 persons with a previous history of eye disease and alternate service providers (21 chemical shop attendants and 55 herbalists). There was no significant difference between patronage of the regular and the alternative providers (p value 0.78). Most of the herbalists were trained by relations; parents (29/55) and grandparents (10/55). Two thirds had some formal education and 96% practiced part-time. Over 75% claimed they treated cataracts, eye injuries, and "kooko" and 28% also treated red eyes. Chemical shop attendants were all literates, sold only antibiotic eye drops, and 64% practiced full time. CONCLUSIONS: Herbalists and chemical sellers provided substantive eye care along the regular hospital services but some of their practices may be harmful.Item Causes of childhood visual impairment and unmet low-vision care in blind school students in Ghana(International Ophthalmology, 2008-10) Ntim-Amponsah, C.T.; Amoaku, W.M.K.The purpose of this study was to determine the causes of childhood visual impairment and blindness in students of a school for blind children, to determine how many students had some residual vision, and to evaluate any unmet low-vision care. A survey of students in the blind school was conducted in two parts in May-June and then October 2003. The sample consisted of 201 students who became blind before the age of 16. Information was obtained from student interviews, doctors' referral notes and ophthalmic examination of all students who consented. Students with residual vision had low-vision assessments. These investigations were supplemented with active participation of the investigators in Parent-Teacher Association meetings and focus group discussions with parents. One hundred and ninety-nine students consented and were recruited, whereas two declined. Ninety-six became visually impaired within their first year of life and 33 by the age of 5 years. Pathology of the cornea and then the lens were the commonest causes of blindness. One hundred and eight students were totally blind, whereas 87 (43.7%) had some residual vision and formed the target for the second part of the study. Fifty-one out of 77 of this target group who turned up for low-vision examination had useful residual vision by the World Health Organisation (WHO) low-vision examination chart. Spectacle magnifiers aided two students to read normal print at N5 and N8, respectively. Different visual aids would help enhance the residual vision in some of the others. Emotional trauma was apparent in parents and teachers. Children who became blind later in life remained in shock for a longer time and adapted less well to their visual impairment. Visual impairment in the population is not uncommon. Some causes are preventable. There is a significant unmet need for low-vision care, particularly amongst children in Ghana, and perhaps many countries in the West Africa subregion. It is hoped that the findings from this study will help spur sustained interventions. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2007.Item Evaluation of risk factors for advanced glaucoma in Ghanaian patients(Eye, 2005-05) Ntim-Amponsah, C.T.; Amoaku, W.M.K.; Ewusi, R.K.; Idirisuriya-Khair, R.; Nyatepe-Coo, E.; Ofosu-Amaah, S.Purpose: This study was to determine factors associated with individuals presenting late with advanced glaucomatous optic nerve damage. Methods: A case-control study recruiting 123 patients with early features of primary open angle glaucoma (control) and 93 patients with advanced glaucoma (cases) was carried out for risk-factor analysis. Exposures of interest included those already established as major risk factors for glaucoma. These were initial intraocular pressure (IOP), age, and family history. In addition, occupation, ethnic origin, history of diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, sickle cell disease, and previous eye examination were of interest. Results: Univariate analysis showed that initial IOP>31mmHg, age of > 60 years, absence of family history of glaucoma, occupational grouping, ethnicity, and male sex were associated with advanced glaucoma at presentation. Adjusted odds ratio or by multiple logistic regression model showed that initial IOP>31mmHg in a patient was more likely to present with advanced glaucoma (OR 2.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.45, 4.91; P-value 0.0017) than lower pressures. Patients aged 60-69 years (OR 2.53, 95% CI 1.01, 6.31; P-value 0.0473) and 70-90 years (OR 5.16, 95% CI 1.97, 13.51; P-value 0.0008) were more likely to present with advanced glaucoma than younger ones. Conclusions: Subjects with initial IOP>31 mmHg were nearly three times more likely to present with advanced glaucoma than those with IOP<32mmHg. Subjects over the age of 60 years were more than two times likely to present with advanced glaucoma than younger subjects. © 2005 Nature Publishing Group All rights reserved.Item Prevalence of glaucoma in an African population(Eye, 2004-06) Ntim-Amponsah, C.T.; Amoaku, W.M.K.; Ofosu-Amaah, S.; Ewusi, R.K.; Idirisuriya-Khair, R.; Nyatepe-Coo, E.; Adu-Darko, M.Purpose. To determine the prevalence of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in a Ghanaian population aged 30 years and above and to describe any ethnic variations in glaucoma prevalence in this population. Method. A cross-sectional prevalence survey for POAG was carried out on residents of 30 years and above in the Akwapim-South district of Ghana. The principal investigator examined all glaucoma suspects and those diagnosed as glaucoma in the initial screening to determine all definite cases of POAG. All cases had intraocular pressure measurements. Glaucoma cases and suspects and some normal subjects had fundus biomicroscopy with 78 D Volk lens, and Humphrey FDT N-30 visual fields plotted. Results. A total of 1843 people aged 30 years were screened from the population. The standardized age-specific prevalence was 7.7% (30 years and above) and 8.5% (40 years and above). The best-fit trend line for prevalence/age relationship was exponential. No gender or ethnic difference in prevalence was found. Conclusions. The prevalence of POAG in this population is high and comparable to those in black populations in Barbados and St. Lucia. © 2004 Nature Publishing Group All rights reserved.Item Trachoma in Northern Ghana: A need for further studies(2010-12) Gyasi, M.E.; Nsiire, A.; Yayemain, D.; Debrah, O.A.; Asamani, D.; Gyapong, J.; Amoaku, W.M.K.Background: The northern Ghana Upper East Region [UER], Upper West Region [UWR], and Northern Region (NR) lie within the African trachoma belt. The 3 regions share common features of poverty, dryness, dusty environments, and poor environmental hygiene. Trachoma has been identified previously in the NR and the UWR as a disease of public health importance and a control program is underway. Purpose: To establish baseline prevalence and risk factor parameters in the Upper East for possible control of trachoma in the region. Methods: Population-based cross-sectional survey using multi-staged cluster sampling techniques was used. In all 26,323 participants from 4,374 households in 160 communities were examined with a 2.5x magnifying binocular loupe for trachoma; 7,763 were children aged 19 years and 15,191 were aged 15 years and over. Results: Only 3 children were identified with active trachoma (trachoma with follicles, TF=1; trachoma with intense inflammation, TI=2) giving regional prevalence of 0.01% (Confidence Limits, CL: 0.0-0.1) for TF and 0.03% (CL: 0.0-0.1) for TI. Trachomatous trichiasis was measured at 0.05% (CL: 0.0-0.1) while children with clean faces was measured at 95.5%. Only 3.6% of the examined households in the region had access to a toilet facility. Conclusion: Trachoma is not a disease of public health importance in the UER of Ghana despite being in a trachoma endemic zone and sharing the necessary risk factors for the disease. © 2010 Informa Healthcare USA, Inc.