Healthcare-seeking behaviour in reporting of scabies and skin infections in Ghana – a review of reported cases
Healthcare-seeking behaviour in reporting of scabies and skin infections in Ghana – a review of reported cases
Background
Scabies is a Neglected Tropical Disease. In resource-poor settings, scabies and other skin infections are often unreported to a health centre, or misdiagnosed. Dermatological expertise and training is often lacking. Little is known about patient healthcare-seeking behaviour. This study reviewed diagnosed skin infections reported to urban (Greater Accra) and rural (Oti region) study health centres in Ghana over 6-months in 2019.
Methods
Study staff received classroom and clinical dermatology training. Skin infection diagnoses and anonymised patient information were recorded. Descriptive statistics and spatial analysis described patient demographics, and distance travelled to clinic, noting bypassing of their nearest centre.
Results
Overall, 385 cases of skin infections were reported across Greater Accra and Oti study clinics, with 45 scabies cases (11.6%). For scabies, 29 (64.4%) cases were in males. Scabies was the third most common diagnosis, behind bacterial dermatitis (102, 26.5%) and tinea (75, 19.5%).
In rural Oti region, 48.4% of patients bypassed their nearest clinic, travelling a mean 6.2km further than they theoretically needed to. Females travelled further in comparison to males.
Conclusions
There must be greater public and professional awareness of scabies and skin infections as high-burden but treatable conditions, along with assessment of their community burden.
Ghana, NTDs, dermatology, neglected tropical diseases, scabies, skin infections
830-837
Head, Michael
67ce0afc-2fc3-47f4-acf2-8794d27ce69c
Dotse-Gborgbortsi, Winfred Worlanyo
11fe21e7-431a-442b-a8c7-6a7cb05176d9
Boateng, Laud
fef98898-6a82-4622-aa70-4fc7e9e066b0
Lartey, Margaret
7dfd5502-c5c1-4d69-8b78-4f03366e936f
Head, Michael
67ce0afc-2fc3-47f4-acf2-8794d27ce69c
Dotse-Gborgbortsi, Winfred Worlanyo
11fe21e7-431a-442b-a8c7-6a7cb05176d9
Boateng, Laud
fef98898-6a82-4622-aa70-4fc7e9e066b0
Lartey, Margaret
7dfd5502-c5c1-4d69-8b78-4f03366e936f
Head, Michael, Dotse-Gborgbortsi, Winfred Worlanyo, Boateng, Laud and Lartey, Margaret
(2020)
Healthcare-seeking behaviour in reporting of scabies and skin infections in Ghana – a review of reported cases.
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 114 (11), .
(doi:10.1093/trstmh/traa071).
Abstract
Background
Scabies is a Neglected Tropical Disease. In resource-poor settings, scabies and other skin infections are often unreported to a health centre, or misdiagnosed. Dermatological expertise and training is often lacking. Little is known about patient healthcare-seeking behaviour. This study reviewed diagnosed skin infections reported to urban (Greater Accra) and rural (Oti region) study health centres in Ghana over 6-months in 2019.
Methods
Study staff received classroom and clinical dermatology training. Skin infection diagnoses and anonymised patient information were recorded. Descriptive statistics and spatial analysis described patient demographics, and distance travelled to clinic, noting bypassing of their nearest centre.
Results
Overall, 385 cases of skin infections were reported across Greater Accra and Oti study clinics, with 45 scabies cases (11.6%). For scabies, 29 (64.4%) cases were in males. Scabies was the third most common diagnosis, behind bacterial dermatitis (102, 26.5%) and tinea (75, 19.5%).
In rural Oti region, 48.4% of patients bypassed their nearest clinic, travelling a mean 6.2km further than they theoretically needed to. Females travelled further in comparison to males.
Conclusions
There must be greater public and professional awareness of scabies and skin infections as high-burden but treatable conditions, along with assessment of their community burden.
Text
scabies and skin infections ghana
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 24 July 2020
e-pub ahead of print date: 27 August 2020
Keywords:
Ghana, NTDs, dermatology, neglected tropical diseases, scabies, skin infections
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 442741
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/442741
ISSN: 0035-9203
PURE UUID: e0af8f19-ca91-4ee5-aed7-31bff286a32f
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 24 Jul 2020 16:31
Last modified: 23 Jul 2022 04:57
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Author:
Laud Boateng
Author:
Margaret Lartey
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics