Joseph Sam Kanu
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View article: Genomic epidemiology uncovers the origin of the mpox epidemic in Sierra Leone
Genomic epidemiology uncovers the origin of the mpox epidemic in Sierra Leone Open
In January 2025, Sierra Leone reported its first mpox case in eight years, followed by a rapid nationwide surge that made it the epicenter of the continental mpox virus (MPXV) Clade IIb A.2.2 outbreak, with more than 5,000 confirmed cases …
View article: Fast-tracking international health regulations in Sierra Leone through implementation of the third edition of Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) guidelines during COVID-19 pandemic, 2019–2021: a mixed methods study
Fast-tracking international health regulations in Sierra Leone through implementation of the third edition of Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) guidelines during COVID-19 pandemic, 2019–2021: a mixed methods study Open
View article: Progress in epidemic-ready primary health care: early pilot results from four African countries (Ethiopia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Uganda), December 2023 – October 2024
Progress in epidemic-ready primary health care: early pilot results from four African countries (Ethiopia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Uganda), December 2023 – October 2024 Open
Primary healthcare (PHC) is the first point of contact with communities and essential for epidemic preparedness. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed gaps in PHC resilience. Epidemic Ready Primary Healthcare (ERPHC) was designed to bridge these g…
View article: Scaling up of electronic case-based disease surveillance reporting for COVID-19 and other notifiable diseases through capacity building and antigen RDT provision: a case study of Sierra Leone
Scaling up of electronic case-based disease surveillance reporting for COVID-19 and other notifiable diseases through capacity building and antigen RDT provision: a case study of Sierra Leone Open
Introduction Electronic case-based disease surveillance (eCBDS) provides timely and detailed data collection on diseases and their risk factors for control actions. Use of eCBDS is still low in many African countries including Sierra Leone…
View article: Exclusive breastfeeding and its associated factors among children aged 0–5 months in Sierra Leone: a multilevel analysis
Exclusive breastfeeding and its associated factors among children aged 0–5 months in Sierra Leone: a multilevel analysis Open
View article: Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on drug-resistant tuberculosis treatment outcomes at a national referral hospital in Sierra Leone, 2017 to 2022: a retrospective study
Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on drug-resistant tuberculosis treatment outcomes at a national referral hospital in Sierra Leone, 2017 to 2022: a retrospective study Open
Introduction Sierra Leone is one of the 30 high TB burden countries, with an incidence rate in 2023 of 286 per 100,000 population. Despite progress in case notification and treatment coverage, around 5,000 cases of TB in Sierra Leone are m…
View article: Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the post-Ebola referral system in Sierra Leone: A descriptive analysis
Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the post-Ebola referral system in Sierra Leone: A descriptive analysis Open
Background The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted health systems in several countries, including Sierra Leone, which was recovering from the 2014-2016 Ebola Virus Disease epidemic. The National Referral Service was established in 2017 fol…
View article: Prevalence of stillbirth deliveries and associated factors at Princess Christian Maternity Hospital, Sierra Leone, 2019 to 2022
Prevalence of stillbirth deliveries and associated factors at Princess Christian Maternity Hospital, Sierra Leone, 2019 to 2022 Open
Introduction: Globally, 1.9 million babies were stillborn at 28 or more weeks of gestation in 2021. In sub-Saharan Africa, the stillbirth rate is 28.7 per 1000 total births, and in Sierra Leone, it is 118.1 per 1000 total births. There is …
View article: High fatality of Lassa fever outbreak in Kenema District- Sierra Leone, January 2023
High fatality of Lassa fever outbreak in Kenema District- Sierra Leone, January 2023 Open
Introduction: In Sierra Leone, Lassa fever is an endemic disease with an estimated 16% fatality rate among hospitalized cases. On January 16, 2023, the Kenema District Health Management Team received notification about suspected cases of L…
View article: Progress in Epidemic Ready Primary Health Care: Early Pilot Results from Four African Countries (Ethiopia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Uganda), December 2023 – October 2024
Progress in Epidemic Ready Primary Health Care: Early Pilot Results from Four African Countries (Ethiopia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Uganda), December 2023 – October 2024 Open
Primary healthcare (PHC) is the first point of contact with communities and essential for epidemic preparedness. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed gaps in PHC resilience. Epidemic Ready Primary Health Care (ERPHC) was designed to bridge these …
View article: Assessing the implementation of an electronic Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response System using DHIS2, 2024: Sierra Leone´s experience
Assessing the implementation of an electronic Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response System using DHIS2, 2024: Sierra Leone´s experience Open
Introduction: The Sierra Leone Ministry of Health has transitioned disease surveillance reporting from a paper-based system to an electronic one. The electronic Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (eIDSR) system was developed to e…
View article: Evaluation of the Maternal Death Surveillance and Response System, Sierra Leone, 2019
Evaluation of the Maternal Death Surveillance and Response System, Sierra Leone, 2019 Open
Introduction: Sierra Leone has one of the world's highest maternal mortality ratios (1,120 per 100,000 live births in 2017). It implemented the Maternal Death Surveillance and Response (MDSR) system in 2016 to track maternal deaths in real…
View article: Feasibility of introducing integrated disease surveillance and response into curricula of public health training institutions in Sierra Leone: the process and lessons learnt
Feasibility of introducing integrated disease surveillance and response into curricula of public health training institutions in Sierra Leone: the process and lessons learnt Open
Introduction Response to public health emergencies is a big challenge in African countries due to inadequate workforce. Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) is a strategy implemented by African member states of WHO to streng…
View article: Complementary and alternative medicine use and its impact on quality of life among cancer patients in Freetown, Sierra Leone: considerations for a resource-limited setting
Complementary and alternative medicine use and its impact on quality of life among cancer patients in Freetown, Sierra Leone: considerations for a resource-limited setting Open
View article: Promoting Awareness of Data Confidentiality and Security During the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Low-Income Country—Sierra Leone
Promoting Awareness of Data Confidentiality and Security During the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Low-Income Country—Sierra Leone Open
Objectives World Health Organization issued Joint Statement on Data Protection and Privacy in the COVID-19 Response stating that collection of vast amounts of personal data may potentially lead to the infringement of fundamental human righ…
View article: Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use and its Impact on Quality of Life among Cancer Patients in Freetown, Sierra Leone: Considerations for a Resource-Limited Setting
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use and its Impact on Quality of Life among Cancer Patients in Freetown, Sierra Leone: Considerations for a Resource-Limited Setting Open
Background Cancer patients are increasingly resorting to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to alleviate the effects of the disease and enhance their quality of life (QoL). However, to our knowledge, no study has investigated CAM…
View article: Evaluating the tolerability and acceptability of a locally produced alcohol-based handrub and hand hygiene behaviour among health workers in Sierra Leone: a longitudinal hospital-based intervention study
Evaluating the tolerability and acceptability of a locally produced alcohol-based handrub and hand hygiene behaviour among health workers in Sierra Leone: a longitudinal hospital-based intervention study Open
View article: Assessment of self-medication practices and safety profile of medicines utilisation among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Freetown, Sierra Leone: a multicentre cross-sectional study
Assessment of self-medication practices and safety profile of medicines utilisation among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Freetown, Sierra Leone: a multicentre cross-sectional study Open
Self-medication practice was highly prevalent and was associated with educational status, monthly income, and perceived maternal illness during pregnancy. Therefore, intervention programmes should be designed and implemented to minimise th…
View article: Assessment of antimicrobial stewardship programmes and antibiotic use among children admitted to two hospitals in Sierra Leone: a cross-sectional study
Assessment of antimicrobial stewardship programmes and antibiotic use among children admitted to two hospitals in Sierra Leone: a cross-sectional study Open
Introduction Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global public health concern and irrational use of antibiotics in hospitals is a key driver of AMR. Even though it is not preventable, antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes will reduce …
View article: Digitalizing disease surveillance: experience from Sierra Leone
Digitalizing disease surveillance: experience from Sierra Leone Open
The Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) system was adopted by the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health (MOH) in 2008, which was based on paper-based tools for health data recording and reporting from health facilities to the nat…
View article: Evaluating the tolerability and acceptability of a locally produced alcohol-based handrub and hand hygiene behaviour among health workers in Sierra Leone: a hospital-based longitudinal intervention study
Evaluating the tolerability and acceptability of a locally produced alcohol-based handrub and hand hygiene behaviour among health workers in Sierra Leone: a hospital-based longitudinal intervention study Open
Background Alcohol-based handrub (ABHR) is the gold standard for hand hygiene (HH) which is a cornerstone of infection prevention and control (IPC) strategies. However, several factors influence the efficient use of ABHR by health workers.…
View article: Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of road traffic accident cases admitted at the Connaught Teaching Hospital Freetown, 2020 -2022
Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of road traffic accident cases admitted at the Connaught Teaching Hospital Freetown, 2020 -2022 Open
Introduction: Road traffic accidents account for a significant proportion of unintentional injuries, morbidity, disabilities, and mortalities. In 2020, Sierra Leone recorded 2,763 accidents with 867 (31%) deaths. The study described the cl…
View article: An Assessment of Medication Errors Among Pediatric Patients in Three Hospitals in Freetown Sierra Leone: Findings and Implications for a Low-Income Country
An Assessment of Medication Errors Among Pediatric Patients in Three Hospitals in Freetown Sierra Leone: Findings and Implications for a Low-Income Country Open
A Low GAS indicates poor compliance with prescription writing guidelines and high prescription errors. Medication errors were observed at each phase of the medication use cycle, while clinically significant pDDIs were also reported. Thus, …
View article: Behavioral practices towards antibiotic use among health care workers - Sierra Leone, 2021: a facility-based cross-sectional study
Behavioral practices towards antibiotic use among health care workers - Sierra Leone, 2021: a facility-based cross-sectional study Open
this study identified a low level of good practice toward antibiotic prescription. We initiated health education campaigns and recommended continuous professional development programs on antibiotic use.
View article: Antibiotic use among hospitalised patients in Sierra Leone: a national point prevalence survey using the WHO survey methodology
Antibiotic use among hospitalised patients in Sierra Leone: a national point prevalence survey using the WHO survey methodology Open
Objective Inappropriate use of antibiotics is a major driver of antibiotic resistance. A few studies conducted in Africa have documented that about half of hospitalised patients who receive antibiotics should not have received them. A few …
View article: Infectious Disease Outbreaks in Sierra Leone: Exploration of the Emergency Preparedness and Response in a Decade
Infectious Disease Outbreaks in Sierra Leone: Exploration of the Emergency Preparedness and Response in a Decade Open
Introduction: The African region is constantly contending with more than one hundred public health emergencies annually with infectious disease outbreaks being considerably rampant.The outbreaks of infectious diseases in Sierra Leone in th…
View article: Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response to Natural Disaster in Sierra Leone: The Milestone in a Decade
Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response to Natural Disaster in Sierra Leone: The Milestone in a Decade Open
Introduction: The African continent has always been faced with myriads of public health emergencies associated with natural disasters.The level of preparedness for and response to each of the natural disasters, which are most often unantic…
View article: High incidence of catheter-associated urinary tract infections and related antibiotic resistance in two hospitals of different geographic regions of Sierra Leone: a prospective cohort study
High incidence of catheter-associated urinary tract infections and related antibiotic resistance in two hospitals of different geographic regions of Sierra Leone: a prospective cohort study Open
View article: Hand Hygiene Practices and Promotion in Public Hospitals in Western Sierra Leone: Changes Following Operational Research in 2021
Hand Hygiene Practices and Promotion in Public Hospitals in Western Sierra Leone: Changes Following Operational Research in 2021 Open
Hand hygiene is the most important intervention for preventing healthcare-associated infections and can reduce preventable morbidity and mortality. We described the changes in hand hygiene practices and promotion in 13 public hospitals (si…
View article: Antibiotic use and consumption among medical patients of two hospitals in Sierra Leone: a descriptive report
Antibiotic use and consumption among medical patients of two hospitals in Sierra Leone: a descriptive report Open
Background Although one of the main drivers of antimicrobial resistance is inappropriate antibiotic prescribing, there are limited resources to support the surveillance of antibiotic consumption in low-income countries. In this study, we a…