Ghana

SDSU CNSA Global Initiaves in Nursing

Directors: Lynn Rivers & Nicole Voelker

Spring 2013, January Issue

AKWAABA (Welcome)
CNSAs Global Initiatives in Nursing Committee aims to increase cultural competency to help eliminate culture related healthcare disparities between patient and provider. As many of us SDSU SON students are about to venture to Ghana in a few short days, we excitedly would like to present our eighth issue on Ghana.

Most Prevalent Health Issues Waterborne diseases, sanitation problems, HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, cholera, typhoid, pulmonary tuberculosis, anthrax, pertussis, tetanus, chicken pox, yellow fever, measles, infectious hepatitis, trachoma, malaria, and schistosomiasis

Demographics o Major Languages o English, African languages including Akan and Ewe Major Religions o Christianity, indigenous beliefs, Islam Capital o Accra Population o 25 million (2011) Life Expectancy o Men: 64 years o Women: 66 years

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Culture is a vital component in our ability to empower a patients behavior. Cultural barriers should not be a limitation in meeting the needs of our patients or should it reduce their opportunity to gain from our services. Since culture so strongly influences what people define as healthy, it is by expanding our understanding of culture that we can improve our role in providing the best health care that is efficacious, understandable and costeffective.

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Cultural Considerations and Taboos

o Use your right hand to shake, touch, eat food with or handle money. Using the left hand is considered rude. Pointing and giving a thumbs up is considered rude. A handshake with the right hand is most respectful. It is disrespectful to now acknowledge someone. It is common to see men standing near each other or holding hands this is a sign of friendship. You wont often see men and women holding hands. An arms length away is generally the appropriate amount of space to give someone. Timeliness is a big issues and people will often be up to 2 hours late. A kissing sound is used to get someones attention to watch out. Expect to bargain for everything. It is considered a way of life and is expected.

In January 2013 a group of students from SDSU, along with medical professionals, will be traveling to Ghana for 10 days on a Global Medical Brigade. They will provide comprehensive health services to a rural community with limited access to healthcare. Volunteers duties on brigades vary based on the medical background/skill of the volunteer. Volunteers with little to no medical experience have the opportunity to assist during triage/intake of patients, shadow doctors during consultations, and help pack medications in the pharmacy under the direction of a pharmacist. Volunteers with greater medical experience have the opportunity to take a

larger leadership role during triage and assisting with health education workshops, both under the supervision of licensed doctors. Regardless of medical skill level, there is a role for any type of volunteer, as well as the chance to learn about providing sustainable healthcare to rural communities who would otherwise have limited access. Through Global Brigades, the community in Ghana receives a brigade every 3 to 4 months where hundreds of patients are treated. Between brigades, an in-country team maintains relationships with the community to provide followup care and sustain a consistent level of healthcare.

Tips for Travelers

Immunizations/medications: CDC recommends having getting all immunizations 4-6 weeks before traveling. Yellow Fever- Ghana requires proof of yellow fever vaccine upon arrival. Routine vaccinations (those which should be updated, whether or not you travel frequently)- Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Polio, DPT, chickenpox, flu. Additional CDC-suggested vaccines for Ghana include- Hepatitis A and B, Typhoid, Rabies, Meningitis. Travelers will also need an AntiMalarial prescription.

Money: The unit of currency is the cedi (C). There are C1000, C2000, C5000, C10,000 and C20,000 notes, as well as C100, C200, C250 and C500 coins. Foreignexchange (forex) bureaus in most major towns usually offer a slightly better rate than the banks and stay open later. However, they dont generally change travellers cheques. Most banks throughout the country have ATMs - you can get a cash advance in cedis up to C800,000 (US$80) with Visa or MasterCard.(*Generally only Visa and MasterCard, are accepted by major hotels and travel agencies). Credit card fraud in Ghana has become a problem, so it is recommended to pay cash whenever possible.

Climate
Ghana has a tropical climate, meaning that its hot year-round with seasonal rains and a constantly high humidity (around 80%). In general, the rainy seasons are from April to June, and during September and October. In the central region, the rains are heavier and last longer. Throughout the year, maximum temperatures are around 3035C, dropping three or four degrees between rainy seasons. The hottest time of the year being from December to March, due to the harmattan wind (a fierce, dry desert wind) blowing in from the Sahara.

Politics and Economy

Politics: Ghana is one of the more stable nations in the region, with a good record of power changing hands peacefully Economy: Ghana is the world's second largest cocoa producer behind Ivory Coast, and Africa's biggest gold miner after South Africa. It is one of the continent's fastest growing economies, and newest oil producer.