John Koku Awoonor‐Williams
Dados Biográficos
| ID | 5991835 |
|---|---|
| NOME | John Koku Awoonor‐Williams |
| PRENOMES | John Koku |
| SOBRENOME | Awoonor‐Williams |
| ASSINATURA | WILLIAMS J K A |
| AFILIAÇÕES | Ghana Health Service |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-1094-8212 |
| VERIFICADO | Sim |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 22 |
| TOTAL DE CITAÇÕES | 22 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 22 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMEIRO ANO DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2004 |
| ANO MAIS RECENTE DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2025 |
| ÍNDICE H | 2 |
Comparing apples with apples
This paper proposes a taxonomy for Community Health Workers (CHWs) and others engaged in front-line community health activities, encompassing formally-employed workers extending government primary health care (PHC) service delivery as well as a range of other actors with roles at the nexus of government PHC and communities. The taxonomy is grounded in current definitions from the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization,…
Uncovering the determinants of health in deprived urban neighborhoods in Accra, Ghana
Background: Delivering primary care services within the context of rapid urbanization and a changing disease burden is a major challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. Rural models of primary care, including the "Community-based Health Planning and Services" (CHPS) programme in Ghana, have shown improved health outcomes. However, adapting these to the urban context has proved problematic. Differences in the determinants of health found in these settings …
Factors influencing healthcare workers’ and health system preparedness for the Covid-19 pandemic
Adequate preparedness of health systems, particularly healthcare workers (HCWs), to respond to COVID-19 is critical for the effective control of the virus, especially in low- and middle-income countries where health systems are overburdened. We examined Ghanaian HCWs’ perceived preparedness to respond to the pandemic and the factors that shaped their preparedness and that of the health system. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted wi…
Unpacking the impact of Covid-19 on child immunization
Our results indicate that the negative effect on child immunization was less severe and shorter than predicted by experts. Fear of COVID-19 and delayed vaccination campaigns had a substantial impact on childhood immunization while rising COVID-19 cases and moderate social distancing regulations did not seem to affect immunization rates
Trial-based economic evaluation of the system-integrated activation of community health volunteers in rural Ghana
BACKGROUND: Globally, steps to revitalise programmes deploying community health workers (CHWs) on a national scale have been growing, but few economic evaluations have been done on system-integrated CHW programmes. Ghana has dual cadres of CHWs: community health officers (CHOs) and community health volunteers (CHVs). CHO plays a major role in primary health services but has suffered from chronic staff shortages. We activated CHVs in communities t…
Covid-19 and resilience of healthcare systems in ten countries
Declines in health service use during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic could have important effects on population health. In this study, we used an interrupted time series design to assess the immediate effect of the pandemic on 31 health services in two low-income (Ethiopia and Haiti), six middle-income (Ghana, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mexico, Nepal, South Africa and Thailand) and high-income (Chile and South Korea) coun…
Supporting the utilization of community-based primary health care implementation research in Ghana
Ever since the 1990s, implementation research in Ghana has guided the development of policies and practices that are essential to establishing community-based primary health care. In response to evidence emerging from this research, the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) policy was promulgated in 1999 to scale-up results. However, during the first decade of CHPS operation, national monitoring showed that its pace of coverage expa…
Job satisfaction among healthcare workers in Ghana and Kenya during the Covid-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected job satisfaction among healthcare workers; yet this has not been empirically examined in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We addressed this gap by examining job satisfaction and associated factors among healthcare workers in Ghana and Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a cross-sectional study with healthcare workers (N = 1012). The two phased data collection included: (1) survey data collected in Ghana fr…
Supervision of community health nurses in Ghana
Adequate supervision is critical to maintain the performance of health workers who provide essential maternal and child health services in low-resource areas. Supportive supervision emphasizing problem-solving, skill development and mentorship has been shown to improve the motivation and effectiveness of health workers, especially at the community level, but it is not always routinely provided. Previous studies have assessed the uptake of support…
Effect of a lay counselor-delivered integrated maternal mental health and early childhood development group-based intervention in Northern Ghana
This real-world evaluation had null findings; however, post-intervention depression levels were very low in both arms (3%). Future research should examine the potential impact of women's groups on postpartum mental health more broadly with varying content
The impact of a maternal mental health intervention on intimate partner violence in Northern Ghana and the mediating roles of social support and couple communication
ClinicalTrials.gov # NCT03665246 , Registered on August 20th, 2018
Community perceptions of universal health coverage in eight districts of the Northern and Volta regions of Ghana
Background: Ever since Ghana embraced the 1978 Alma-Ata Declaration, it has consigned priority to achieving ‘Health for All.’ The Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Initiative was established to close gaps in geographic access to services and health equity. CHPS is Ghana’s flagship Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Initiative and will soon completely cover the country with community-located services.Objectives: This paper aims to i…
Impact of combined intermittent preventive treatment of malaria and helminths on anaemia, sustained attention, and recall in Northern Ghanaian schoolchildren
BACKGROUND: The benefits of integrated control of malaria, schistosomiasis, and soil-transmitted helminth infections have not been fully explored in Ghanaian schoolchildren. OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of co-administered artemether-lumefantrine plus albendazole, and artemether-lumefantrine plus albendazole plus praziquantel compared to albendazole plus praziquantel on anaemia, sustained attention, and recall in schoolchildren. DESIGN: This th…
A qualitative appraisal of stakeholder reactions to a tool for burden of disease–based health system budgeting in Ghana
BACKGROUND: In 2010, the Ghana Health Service launched a program of cooperation with the Tanzania Ministry of Health and Social Welfare that was designed to adapt Tanzania's PLANREP budgeting and reporting tool to Ghana's primary health care program. The product of this collaboration is a system of budgeting, data visualization, and reporting that is known as the District Health Planning and Reporting Tool (DiHPART). OBJECTIVE: This study was con…
Ebola virus disease surveillance and response preparedness in northern Ghana
BACKGROUND: The recent Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak has been described as unprecedented in terms of morbidity, mortality, and geographical extension. It also revealed many weaknesses and inadequacies for disease surveillance and response systems in Africa due to underqualified staff, cultural beliefs, and lack of trust for the formal health care sector. In 2014, Ghana had high risk of importation of EVD cases. OBJECTIVE: The objective of th…
Does the operations of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Ghana align with the goals of Primary Health Care? Perspectives of key stakeholders in northern Ghana
In 2005, the World Health Assembly (WHA) of the World Health Organization (WHO) urged member states to aim at achieving affordable universal coverage and access to key promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health interventions for all their citizens on the basis of equity and solidarity. Since then, some African countries, including Ghana, have taken steps to introduce national health insurance reforms as one of the key s…
Conducting an audit to improve the facilitation of emergency maternal and newborn referral in northern Ghana
Ghana Health Service conducted an audit to strengthen the referral system for pregnant or recently pregnant women and newborns in northern Ghana. The audit took place in 16 facilities with two 3-month cycles of data collection in 2011. Midwife-led teams tracked 446 referred women until they received definitive treatment. Between the two audit cycles, teams identified and implemented interventions to address gaps in referral services. During this …
Evaluation of the integrated disease surveillance and response system for infectious diseases control in northern Ghana
The DHIMS2 has improved the availability of IDSR reports, but the quality of data reported is not sufficient. Particularly the inconsistencies between weekly and monthly data need to be addressed. Moreover, support for and communication within the IDSR system is inadequate and calls for attention
Socio-economic and demographic determinants of under-five mortality in rural northern Ghana
BACKGROUND: In spite of global decline in under-five mortality, the goal of achieving MDG 4 still remains largely unattained in low and middle income countries as the year 2015 closes-in. To accelerate the pace of mortality decline, proven interventions with high impact need to be implemented to help achieve the goal of drastically reducing childhood mortality. This paper explores the association between socio-economic and demographic factors and…
The complex association of health insurance and maternal health services in the context of a premium exemption for pregnant women
BACKGROUND: Health insurance premium exemptions for pregnant women are a strategy to increase coverage of maternal health services in sub-Saharan countries. We examine health insurance registration among pregnant women before or after the introduction of a premium exemption, and test whether registration increases utilization of maternal health services. METHODS: Data were drawn from a retrospective cohort study of 1641 women having given birth b…
The Ghana Community-based Health Planning and Services Initiative for scaling up service delivery innovation
Research projects demonstrating ways to improve health services often fail to have an impact on what national health programmes actually do. An approach to evidence-based policy development has been launched in Ghana which bridges the gap between research and programme implementation. After nearly two decades of national debate and investigation into appropriate strategies for service delivery at the periphery, the Community-based Health Planning…
Bridging the Gap Between Evidence‐based Innovation and National Health‐sector Reform in Ghana
Although experimental trials often identify optimal strategies for improving community health, transferring operational innovation from well‐funded research programs to resource‐constrained settings often languishes. Because research initiatives are based in institutions equipped with unique resources and staff capabilities, results are often dismissed by decisionmakers as irrelevant to large‐scale operations and national health policy. This arti…
The Ghana Community-based Health Planning and Services Initiative for scaling up service delivery innovation
Research projects demonstrating ways to improve health services often fail to have an impact on what national health programmes actually do. An approach to evidence-based policy development has been launched in Ghana which bridges the gap between research and programme implementation. After nearly two decades of national debate and investigation into appropriate strategies for service delivery at the periphery, the Community-based Health Planning…
Bridging the Gap Between Evidence‐based Innovation and National Health‐sector Reform in Ghana
Although experimental trials often identify optimal strategies for improving community health, transferring operational innovation from well‐funded research programs to resource‐constrained settings often languishes. Because research initiatives are based in institutions equipped with unique resources and staff capabilities, results are often dismissed by decisionmakers as irrelevant to large‐scale operations and national health policy. This arti…
The complex association of health insurance and maternal health services in the context of a premium exemption for pregnant women
BACKGROUND: Health insurance premium exemptions for pregnant women are a strategy to increase coverage of maternal health services in sub-Saharan countries. We examine health insurance registration among pregnant women before or after the introduction of a premium exemption, and test whether registration increases utilization of maternal health services. METHODS: Data were drawn from a retrospective cohort study of 1641 women having given birth b…
Bridging the Gap Between Evidence‐based Innovation and National Health‐sector Reform in Ghana
Although experimental trials often identify optimal strategies for improving community health, transferring operational innovation from well‐funded research programs to resource‐constrained settings often languishes. Because research initiatives are based in institutions equipped with unique resources and staff capabilities, results are often dismissed by decisionmakers as irrelevant to large‐scale operations and national health policy. This arti…
The Ghana Community-based Health Planning and Services Initiative for scaling up service delivery innovation
Research projects demonstrating ways to improve health services often fail to have an impact on what national health programmes actually do. An approach to evidence-based policy development has been launched in Ghana which bridges the gap between research and programme implementation. After nearly two decades of national debate and investigation into appropriate strategies for service delivery at the periphery, the Community-based Health Planning…
Socio-economic and demographic determinants of under-five mortality in rural northern Ghana
BACKGROUND: In spite of global decline in under-five mortality, the goal of achieving MDG 4 still remains largely unattained in low and middle income countries as the year 2015 closes-in. To accelerate the pace of mortality decline, proven interventions with high impact need to be implemented to help achieve the goal of drastically reducing childhood mortality. This paper explores the association between socio-economic and demographic factors and…
The complex association of health insurance and maternal health services in the context of a premium exemption for pregnant women
BACKGROUND: Health insurance premium exemptions for pregnant women are a strategy to increase coverage of maternal health services in sub-Saharan countries. We examine health insurance registration among pregnant women before or after the introduction of a premium exemption, and test whether registration increases utilization of maternal health services. METHODS: Data were drawn from a retrospective cohort study of 1641 women having given birth b…
Conducting an audit to improve the facilitation of emergency maternal and newborn referral in northern Ghana
Ghana Health Service conducted an audit to strengthen the referral system for pregnant or recently pregnant women and newborns in northern Ghana. The audit took place in 16 facilities with two 3-month cycles of data collection in 2011. Midwife-led teams tracked 446 referred women until they received definitive treatment. Between the two audit cycles, teams identified and implemented interventions to address gaps in referral services. During this …
Evaluation of the integrated disease surveillance and response system for infectious diseases control in northern Ghana
The DHIMS2 has improved the availability of IDSR reports, but the quality of data reported is not sufficient. Particularly the inconsistencies between weekly and monthly data need to be addressed. Moreover, support for and communication within the IDSR system is inadequate and calls for attention
Impact of combined intermittent preventive treatment of malaria and helminths on anaemia, sustained attention, and recall in Northern Ghanaian schoolchildren
BACKGROUND: The benefits of integrated control of malaria, schistosomiasis, and soil-transmitted helminth infections have not been fully explored in Ghanaian schoolchildren. OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of co-administered artemether-lumefantrine plus albendazole, and artemether-lumefantrine plus albendazole plus praziquantel compared to albendazole plus praziquantel on anaemia, sustained attention, and recall in schoolchildren. DESIGN: This th…
A qualitative appraisal of stakeholder reactions to a tool for burden of disease–based health system budgeting in Ghana
BACKGROUND: In 2010, the Ghana Health Service launched a program of cooperation with the Tanzania Ministry of Health and Social Welfare that was designed to adapt Tanzania's PLANREP budgeting and reporting tool to Ghana's primary health care program. The product of this collaboration is a system of budgeting, data visualization, and reporting that is known as the District Health Planning and Reporting Tool (DiHPART). OBJECTIVE: This study was con…
Ebola virus disease surveillance and response preparedness in northern Ghana
BACKGROUND: The recent Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak has been described as unprecedented in terms of morbidity, mortality, and geographical extension. It also revealed many weaknesses and inadequacies for disease surveillance and response systems in Africa due to underqualified staff, cultural beliefs, and lack of trust for the formal health care sector. In 2014, Ghana had high risk of importation of EVD cases. OBJECTIVE: The objective of th…
Does the operations of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Ghana align with the goals of Primary Health Care? Perspectives of key stakeholders in northern Ghana
In 2005, the World Health Assembly (WHA) of the World Health Organization (WHO) urged member states to aim at achieving affordable universal coverage and access to key promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health interventions for all their citizens on the basis of equity and solidarity. Since then, some African countries, including Ghana, have taken steps to introduce national health insurance reforms as one of the key s…
Community perceptions of universal health coverage in eight districts of the Northern and Volta regions of Ghana
Background: Ever since Ghana embraced the 1978 Alma-Ata Declaration, it has consigned priority to achieving ‘Health for All.’ The Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Initiative was established to close gaps in geographic access to services and health equity. CHPS is Ghana’s flagship Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Initiative and will soon completely cover the country with community-located services.Objectives: This paper aims to i…
Job satisfaction among healthcare workers in Ghana and Kenya during the Covid-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected job satisfaction among healthcare workers; yet this has not been empirically examined in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We addressed this gap by examining job satisfaction and associated factors among healthcare workers in Ghana and Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a cross-sectional study with healthcare workers (N = 1012). The two phased data collection included: (1) survey data collected in Ghana fr…
Supervision of community health nurses in Ghana
Adequate supervision is critical to maintain the performance of health workers who provide essential maternal and child health services in low-resource areas. Supportive supervision emphasizing problem-solving, skill development and mentorship has been shown to improve the motivation and effectiveness of health workers, especially at the community level, but it is not always routinely provided. Previous studies have assessed the uptake of support…
Effect of a lay counselor-delivered integrated maternal mental health and early childhood development group-based intervention in Northern Ghana
This real-world evaluation had null findings; however, post-intervention depression levels were very low in both arms (3%). Future research should examine the potential impact of women's groups on postpartum mental health more broadly with varying content
The impact of a maternal mental health intervention on intimate partner violence in Northern Ghana and the mediating roles of social support and couple communication
ClinicalTrials.gov # NCT03665246 , Registered on August 20th, 2018
Covid-19 and resilience of healthcare systems in ten countries
Declines in health service use during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic could have important effects on population health. In this study, we used an interrupted time series design to assess the immediate effect of the pandemic on 31 health services in two low-income (Ethiopia and Haiti), six middle-income (Ghana, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mexico, Nepal, South Africa and Thailand) and high-income (Chile and South Korea) coun…
Supporting the utilization of community-based primary health care implementation research in Ghana
Ever since the 1990s, implementation research in Ghana has guided the development of policies and practices that are essential to establishing community-based primary health care. In response to evidence emerging from this research, the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) policy was promulgated in 1999 to scale-up results. However, during the first decade of CHPS operation, national monitoring showed that its pace of coverage expa…
Trial-based economic evaluation of the system-integrated activation of community health volunteers in rural Ghana
BACKGROUND: Globally, steps to revitalise programmes deploying community health workers (CHWs) on a national scale have been growing, but few economic evaluations have been done on system-integrated CHW programmes. Ghana has dual cadres of CHWs: community health officers (CHOs) and community health volunteers (CHVs). CHO plays a major role in primary health services but has suffered from chronic staff shortages. We activated CHVs in communities t…
Uncovering the determinants of health in deprived urban neighborhoods in Accra, Ghana
Background: Delivering primary care services within the context of rapid urbanization and a changing disease burden is a major challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. Rural models of primary care, including the "Community-based Health Planning and Services" (CHPS) programme in Ghana, have shown improved health outcomes. However, adapting these to the urban context has proved problematic. Differences in the determinants of health found in these settings …
Factors influencing healthcare workers’ and health system preparedness for the Covid-19 pandemic
Adequate preparedness of health systems, particularly healthcare workers (HCWs), to respond to COVID-19 is critical for the effective control of the virus, especially in low- and middle-income countries where health systems are overburdened. We examined Ghanaian HCWs’ perceived preparedness to respond to the pandemic and the factors that shaped their preparedness and that of the health system. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted wi…
Unpacking the impact of Covid-19 on child immunization
Our results indicate that the negative effect on child immunization was less severe and shorter than predicted by experts. Fear of COVID-19 and delayed vaccination campaigns had a substantial impact on childhood immunization while rising COVID-19 cases and moderate social distancing regulations did not seem to affect immunization rates
Comparing apples with apples
This paper proposes a taxonomy for Community Health Workers (CHWs) and others engaged in front-line community health activities, encompassing formally-employed workers extending government primary health care (PHC) service delivery as well as a range of other actors with roles at the nexus of government PHC and communities. The taxonomy is grounded in current definitions from the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization,…
Medicine (22 obras) · Global Maternal and Child Health (16 obras) · Nursing (16 obras) · Environmental health (15 obras) · Business (11 obras) · Health care (11 obras) · Public health (11 obras) · Economic growth (10 obras) · Healthcare Systems and Reforms (9 obras) · Political science (9 obras)