Student health initiatives for enhanced disease surveillance in Ghana

Bibliographic Data

ID22067224
AuthorsDoreen Tachie-Donkor Narh (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology), Rosina Boateng Osei (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology), Hillary Naki Debrah (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology), Yvonne Osei Adobea (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology), Emmanuel Osei Sackey-Aidoo (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology), Janice Anum (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology), Paul Kwadwo Addo (0000-0002-4669-4699, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, corresponding author), Charles A Narh (0000-0002-2018-5634, University of Ghana, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume13
Pages1679104-1679104
Publication date2025-12-16
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565
PublisherFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpubh.2025.1679104
PMID41477227
OpenAlexW4417354589
LanguageEN
References cited21

Background: Student Health Initiatives for Enhanced Disease Surveillance (SHIEDS) is a student-driven program that aims to strengthen infectious disease surveillance and enhance healthy lifestyles within university communities in Ghana. This study aimed to assess SHIEDS feasibility and implementation at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana. Methods: Between 29th June and 6th July 2024, educational campaigns were conducted, through radio and social media, to raise awareness about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among the student population. These campaigns ended with free screening for two STIs: human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Hepatitis B virus (HBV). Participants provided verbal feedback that were reviewed and included in a recommendation report for the KNUST administration. Positive cases were offered counseling and referred for confirmatory testing at the University Hospital, KNUST, Ghana. Results: The SHIEDS awareness campaigns reached more than 20,000 people through social media and the radio outreach benefitted over 3,000 students, with 4 and 5-star ratings for overall program delivery and media campaigns, respectively. A total of 228 students, with mean age of 23 years (range of 18-29) consented to screen for STI by rapid diagnostic testing. The combined STI positivity rate was 0.87%, with rates of 1.01% for HBV and 0.77% for HIV detection among males and females, respectively; all being self-reported old cases on active treatment. Conclusion: Review of student feedback recommended screening for other STIs including gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia, and instituting SHIEDS as an annual event in the university calendar. Feasibility studies in other universities will inform program standardization and implementation across Ghana. Our findings indicated a healthy student community, which could serve as reference for future SHIEDS programs in KNUST, with scaling up at the national level

Disease control · Disease surveillance · Health Surveillance · Public health · Public health surveillance · Standardization · Syphilis · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · Antibiotic Use and Resistance · Reproductive tract infections research

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