<< Back             Poser >> Study reveals high rate of uropathogens among Ghanaian elderly A study in selected care homes in the Greater Accra Region has found a high prevalence of drug-resistant urinary pathogens among Ghanaian elderly. The findings indicated that the elderly could constitute a significant reservoir of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), particularly among immunocompromised populations. Mr Emmanuel Armah, Assistant Research Scientist at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Water Research Institute (CSIR-WRI), said the findings were based on nearly three years of surveillance involving about 200 people aged 50 years and above in care facilities for the aged. He made the disclosure when he presented a paper titled “Candida and Bacterial Infections of the Urinary Tract of the Elderly: Implications for Antimicrobial Stewardship among Residents of Ghanaian Elderly Nursing Care Homes” at the 2026 Mid-Year Review of the Institute in Accra. Mr Armah said the study assessed antimicrobial resistance among elderly Ghanaians residing in aged-care homes. He said early-morning urine samples were collected from participants and screened for urinary tract infections using microbial diagnostic tools, while Polymerase Chain Reaction was used to assess the genetic determinants of the uropathogens. Mr Armah said the project, supported by the Foundation to Prevent Antibiotic Resistance (PAR), had also highlighted concerns about the improper use of antibiotics, self-medication, personal hygiene and nutrition. He therefore advised care homes against routine empirical use of antibiotics without microbiological evidence and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). Mr Armah also stressed the need for caregivers to adhere to proper hand hygiene practices to help prevent infections. He said the scientists were working with stakeholders to raise awareness of antimicrobial resistance and mitigate its effects on the elderly through education and advocacy. Medical scientists consider antimicrobial resistance (AMR) a serious threat to healthcare that requires urgent attention. Day Three of the Mid-Year Review was chaired by Professor Mike Osei-Atweneboana, immediate-past Director of CSIR-WRI, on the theme: “Water-Environment-Food-Health Nexus: Building Resilience for the Future”. Other papers presented included “Plastic on the Menu: Microplastics (MPs) in Aquatic Foods, and Coastal Waste in Ghana – From Environmental Contamination to Human Exposure and Policy Action”, and “Urban Sanitation Infrastructure Performance, Antimicrobial Realities and Physicochemical Quality: A Case of the Ashaiman Wastewater Treatment Plant”. Source: GNA Ghana Business News	Food inflation rate rises 5th consecutive month to 20.31% By Elizabeth Adegbesan Nigeria’s food inflation rate rose significantly by 2.79 percentage points to 20.31 percent in July from 17.52 percent in June, representing the fifth consecutive month’s rise since March 2026. The 20 percent threshold in food inflation rate was last recorded in February 2021. The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, disclosed this yesterday in its […] HBM Nigeria’s profit rises 57% to N208bn in H1’26 By Peter Egwuatu HBM Nigeria Plc, formerly Lafarge Africa Plc, recorded a 57 per cent increase in profit after tax (PAT) to N208 billion in the first half of 2026 (H1’26), from N132.677 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2025. The cement manufacturer, in its financial results released on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), also […] How 24 firms control over 70% of Nigeria’s stock market Twenty-four companies have emerged as the most valuable stocks on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) year-to-date (YtD) as of August 17, 2026, collectively accounting for 74.8 per cent of the total market capitalisation of the equities market. Ghana government shifts economic focus from stability to growth, jobs – Minister Mr Thomas Nyarko Ampem, Deputy Minister of Finance, says the government is shifting its economic focus from restoring macroeconomic stability to translating the gains into higher investment, production, exports and quality jobs. Nigeria-China trade hits $18bn in H1’26 Nigeria’s aquatic products have secured zero-tariff access to China’s market of about 1.4 billion consumers under a new protocol, as bilateral trade between both countries reaches $18 billion in the first half of 2026 (H1’26). The development is expected to boost Nigerian exports and foreign exchange earnings, with Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, disclosing that […] Cedi appreciates against US dollar from GH¢11.75 – GH¢10.94 in one week  The Ghana cedi appreciated significantly against the United States dollar over the past week, strengthening from an interbank buying rate of GH¢11.75 on August 10 to GH¢10.94 on August 17, according to Bank of Ghana daily exchange rate data.