Kumasi

Heart failure is a leading cause of hospital admission in Ghana, accounting for about 88.3% of cardiac cases. Despite advances in treatment guidelines, many patients face repeated hospital readmissions, which increase the risk of death. This research aims to evaluate whether extensive counseling after discharge combined with regular phone follow-ups can reduce the rate of hospital readmissions within 30 and 90 days for heart failure patients at a major hospital in Ghana. The study compares two groups of heart failure patients one receiving usual care, which includes counseling by their attending physicians and standard outpatient reviews, and another receiving additional extensive post-discharge counseling from a study doctor, pharmacist, or trained nurse, along with weekly phone follow-ups for the first 30 days and then every four weeks up to day 90. This approach aims to provide more support after hospital discharge to help reduce readmissions. Participants will be monitored over a 90-day period after discharge, with regular assessments through phone calls and outpatient visits. Researchers will track hospital readmission rates at both 30 and 90 days as the primary outcome. The study involves collecting information on patient adherence to treatment and follow-up care, aiming to better understand how enhanced support can impact heart failure management and reduce repeat hospitalizations.

Researchers are evaluating the ADHINCRA Program, a package of evidence-based interventions aimed at improving the control of hypertension among adults aged 18 to 70 in Africa. The program targets factors related to patients, healthcare providers, and health systems to help reduce risks of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and kidney disease. This interventional study is sponsored by Johns Hopkins University and focuses on managing high blood pressure using a nurse-led approach. The ADHINCRA Program includes home blood pressure monitoring, a mobile health application, nurse-led lifestyle counseling, and treatment using a simplified hypertension control protocol. Participants are divided into four cohorts starting the program at staggered intervals immediately, and 3, 6, and 9 months thereafter. All cohorts receive the same intervention to assess its effectiveness and implementation over time. Participants will be monitored for blood pressure control at baseline and at 12 and 24 months after starting the program. Assessments include systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements, medication adherence via the Hill-Bone Medication Adherence Scale, and evaluation of how well the program is adopted and maintained at clinical sites. Researchers will also compare the cost of this intervention to usual care. The study is planned to end in September 2028, with ongoing safety and adherence monitoring throughout.

Researchers are conducting an anonymous online survey to assess the clinical knowledge of sepsis among healthcare professionals in seven sub-Saharan African countries. The study aims to identify knowledge gaps and training needs across different healthcare roles and compare knowledge scores over two survey waves. This research is part of a larger project supported by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space and the STAIRS research network to improve sepsis care through education and capacity building. The survey will be performed in two separate cross-sectional waves a baseline survey from January 19, 2026, to April 30, 2026, and a follow-up survey from April 1, 2027, to July 31, 2027. Each wave will involve about 150 adult healthcare professionals or trainees from Uganda, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria. The project will also include webinars and a learning platform to support clinical capacity building in partner institutions. Participants will complete an anonymous online questionnaire assessing their general and domain-specific sepsis knowledge, self-assessed training needs, and professional role. The study will analyze and compare knowledge scores across countries and between the two survey waves. Data collection relies on internet access and language proficiency in English or French. The primary outcome is the sepsis knowledge score, with secondary outcomes including knowledge by professional role, country comparisons, and changes between survey waves.

This research aims to collect real-world data on the characteristics, management, healthcare use, and outcomes of patients living with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease. It is an international observational registry that includes patients from many countries to better understand how these conditions are treated in everyday clinical practice. Participants in this registry are observed without receiving experimental treatments. Data are collected both retrospectively and prospectively using a cloud-based electronic case report form accessible to investigators and a scientific committee. The registry includes groups of patients with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, or heart failure, either as their primary condition or as a coexisting condition. Patients provide information about their health status, treatments, and outcomes over time. Researchers collect data on demographics, disease characteristics, laboratory tests, treatments, healthcare visits, hospitalizations, and lifestyle factors. The study measures many outcomes such as blood sugar levels, kidney function, heart function, medication use, and health events over an average of three years. Participation is voluntary and ongoing, with data collection continuing until the study end date in 2030.

The ICU-related Out-of-Pocket Expenses ICOPE study is a multinational, prospective observational study conducted in African and Asian countries to understand the financial impact of ICU care on patients and their families. The study focuses on measuring out-of-pocket expenses and the occurrence of catastrophic health expenditure among patients who stay in the ICU for more than 24 hours, including those who receive mechanical ventilation and those who do not. The study addresses the rising cost burden related to ICU care in low- and middle-income countries LMICs and aims to identify factors contributing to financial hardship. Participants include all patients admitted to participating ICUs during a 14-day recruitment period, with a planned sample size of at least 354 patients. The study compares groups of patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation with those who do not, tracking their ICU-related expenses. The follow-up period extends from ICU admission to discharge, with additional assessments at 30 days and 6 months, spanning a total study duration of 18 months. During the study, researchers will collect detailed information about direct and indirect costs associated with ICU care, including medical and non-medical expenses. They will also examine how families cope with these costs and identify risk factors for catastrophic health expenditure. The primary outcomes include out-of-pocket cost per patient episode and the relative risk of catastrophic health expenditure by ICU discharge. Secondary outcomes include risk factors for catastrophic expenditure and the frequency of various coping strategies used by families.

Researchers are conducting a randomized control trial to evaluate the Jada4 System, a novel vacuum-induced device designed to treat postpartum hemorrhage PPH, a leading cause of maternal death worldwide, especially in low and middle income countries. The study aims to compare the effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness of this device against standard care in women experiencing PPH, defined as significant blood loss or symptoms of hypovolemia after childbirth. PPH commonly results from uterine atony, where the uterus does not contract properly after delivery. The trial includes two groups one group will receive the Jada4 System when initial medical treatments fail and blood loss reaches 1000 mL this device uses low-level vacuum pressure to help the uterus contract and control bleeding rapidly. The other group will receive standard care which may include additional medications, tranexamic acid, condom catheter balloon tamponade, or surgical interventions if bleeding continues. The device remains in place for at least one hour during treatment, followed by monitoring before removal. Participants are enrolled at two hospitals in Ghana, a country with a high burden of PPH. Participants will be monitored from delivery until six weeks postpartum. Researchers will assess maternal survival without needing surgery, time to control bleeding, hemoglobin levels, blood transfusion rates, surgical procedures, maternal death rates, additional medication use, patient satisfaction, and any adverse events related to the device. The study also evaluates quality of life and cost-effectiveness. Safety and treatment outcomes will be closely followed during this period to determine the devices potential benefits compared to standard care.

Researchers are evaluating the efficacy, safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of VX-147 in adults and children aged 10 to 65 who have APOL1-mediated proteinuric kidney disease. This study includes participants with specific APOL1 genotypes and aims to understand how VX-147 affects kidney function over time in this population. Participants are randomly assigned to receive different doses of VX-147 or a matching placebo. Those in the initial phase Part A will receive their assigned treatment for at least 96 weeks. Participants who complete Part A will then receive VX-147 for an additional 96 weeks in Part B. The study uses tablets taken orally and includes a placebo control group. During the trial, participants will be monitored regularly for changes in urine protein to creatinine ratio and kidney function measured by estimated glomerular filtration rate eGFR. Safety and tolerability are assessed through tracking adverse events throughout the study, which may last around four years after the last participant enrolls. Blood levels of VX-147 will also be measured, and pediatric participants will be asked about their satisfaction with the tablet form.

Researchers are evaluating the use of surfactant given by a less invasive surfactant administration LISA technique to treat respiratory distress syndrome in preterm infants in low- and middle-income African countries. This pragmatic clinical trial aims to determine whether this method improves survival compared to standard care, especially where invasive ventilators are not available. The study focuses on preterm neonates with respiratory distress who are managed with continuous positive airway pressure CPAP and caffeine citrate. The trial compares two groups one receiving standard care with CPAP and caffeine citrate, and the other receiving surfactant therapy administered through the LISA technique, which involves instilling surfactant into the lungs via a thin catheter during laryngoscopy while on CPAP. Participants are preterm infants born between 24 and 35 weeks gestation or weighing between 750 and 2000 grams with respiratory distress defined by a Silverman Anderson Score of 5 or greater. The study includes monitoring for complications and follows infants throughout hospitalization. Participants will be observed during their hospital stay, which averages about six months, to assess survival and other health outcomes such as incidence of major preterm neonatal morbidity and pneumothorax. Researchers will monitor participants from admission within 24 hours of life until discharge, evaluating hospital survival and complications related to respiratory distress and surfactant treatment. The primary outcome is all-cause in-hospital survival.

Researchers are evaluating various treatments to prevent death in patients hospitalized with pneumonia, including COVID-19, influenza, and community-acquired pneumonia. This Phase 3 randomized trial has previously assessed many therapies for COVID-19 and now focuses on treatments for influenza and bacterial pneumonia. The trial aims to provide reliable evidence about the effectiveness and safety of these treatments to improve patient care worldwide. The study compares multiple treatment arms alongside usual hospital care. These include drugs such as baloxavir marboxil and oseltamivir for influenza, corticosteroids dexamethasone for influenza and community-acquired pneumonia, and several therapies previously tested for COVID-19. Treatment dosages and schedules vary by drug, such as oral or intravenous corticosteroids given once daily for up to 10 days or antiviral medications given for 5 days. The trial adapts over time, adding or removing treatments as new evidence emerges. Participants are hospitalized patients diagnosed with pneumonia and randomized to receive one of the treatments or usual care. Researchers collect data on mortality, hospital discharge, need for ventilation, and renal replacement therapy within 28 days after randomization. Safety monitoring includes tracking adverse events and serious reactions. Follow-up information may be obtained through medical records or databases for up to six months. Enrollment and data collection are streamlined for ease, even during hospital overloads, with key outcomes recorded at a single timepoint.

Researchers are evaluating whether taking azithromycin as a preventive treatment can reduce the risk of death in adults with advanced HIV disease. This is a Phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving multiple centers. The study aims to understand if azithromycin prophylaxis can lower mortality compared to a placebo in this vulnerable population. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either an oral azithromycin tablet or a matching placebo tablet once daily for 28 days. After this treatment period, they will be followed for 24 weeks to measure the main outcome of all-cause mortality. The total study participation will last 48 weeks to monitor both short-term and longer-term effects. During the study, participants will undergo assessments to track survival and hospitalizations at 12 and 24 weeks after starting the treatment. Researchers will closely monitor health outcomes and any hospital stays to evaluate the impact of azithromycin prophylaxis. Safety and adherence will be followed throughout the trial to ensure accurate measurement of results.