Kwadwo A. Koram
A5004594547- Malaria Research and Control
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Global Maternal and Child Health
- Parasites and Host Interactions
- Computational Drug Discovery Methods
- Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research
- Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology
- Mycobacterium research and diagnosis
- Complement system in diseases
- Viral Infections and Vectors
- HIV Research and Treatment
- Research on Leishmaniasis Studies
- Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology
- vaccines and immunoinformatics approaches
- Healthcare Systems and Reforms
- COVID-19 epidemiological studies
- Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
- Pneumonia and Respiratory Infections
- SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Child Nutrition and Water Access
- Trypanosoma species research and implications
- Hemoglobinopathies and Related Disorders
- Pregnancy and preeclampsia studies
- Antibiotic Use and Resistance
- Hepatitis C virus research
Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research
2016-2025
University of Ghana
2016-2025
Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons
2024
Operation PAR
2024
UniMAC-GIJ
2020
University of Cape Coast
2020
University of the Witwatersrand
2017
Tokyo Medical and Dental University
2015
University of Bahrain
2010
Navrongo Health Research Centre
2007-2008
Abstract Malaria infections occurring below the limit of detection standard diagnostics are common in all endemic settings. However, key questions remain surrounding their contribution to sustaining transmission and whether they need be detected targeted achieve malaria elimination. In this study we analyse a range datasets quantify density, detectability, course infection infectiousness subpatent infections. Asymptomatically infected individuals have lower parasite densities on average low...
Abstract The human genetic factors that affect resistance to infectious disease are poorly understood. Here we report a genome-wide association study in 17,000 severe malaria cases and population controls from 11 countries, informed by sequencing of family trios direct typing candidate loci an additional 15,000 samples. We identify five replicable associations with levels evidence including newly implicated variant on chromosome 6. Jointly, these variants account for around one-tenth the...
Background The RTS,S/AS01E malaria vaccine (RTS,S) was introduced by national immunisation programmes in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi 2019 large-scale pilot schemes. We aimed to address questions about feasibility impact, assess safety signals that had been observed the phase 3 trial included an excess of meningitis cerebral cases RTS,S recipients, possibility deaths among girls who received than controls, inform decisions wider use. Methods In this prospective evaluation, 158 geographical...
Abstract In areas of intense Plasmodium falciparum transmission, clinical immunity is acquired during childhood, and adults enjoy substantial protection against malaria. An exception to this rule pregnant women, in whom malaria both more prevalent severe than nonpregnant women. Pregnancy-associated (PAM) endemic concentrated the first few pregnancies, indicating that protective PAM a function parity. The placenta often heavily infected PAM, placental parasites show striking preference for...
The relationship between malaria-related outcomes and cytokine production in whole blood cultures associated with cellular immune responses immunity to Plasmodium falciparum malaria was examined a study southern Ghana. Production of malaria-specific interferon (IFN)-γ reduced risk fever clinical malaria. Protective IFN-γ were induced by live schizonts but not dead parasites. tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α during follow-up. Baseline levels TNF-α phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced interleukin...
Summary A research infrastructure was established in two ecological zones southern Ghana to study the variables of malaria transmission and provide information support country's Malaria Action Plan (MAP) launched 1992. Residents' beliefs practices about causes, recognition, treatment prevention were explored using epidemiological social methods. In both communities females constituted more than 80% caretakers children 1–9 years illiteracy rate high. Fever malaria, which are locally called...
Delays in accessing care for malaria and other diseases can lead to disease progression, user fees are a known barrier health care. Governments introducing free improve outcomes. Free affects treatment seeking, it is therefore assumed improved outcomes, but there no direct trial evidence of the impact removing out-of-pocket payments on outcomes developing countries. This was designed test directly.2,194 households containing 2,592 Ghanaian children under 5 y old were randomised into...
Background. Acquired immune responses to malaria have widely been perceived be short-lived, with previously individuals losing immunity when they move from malaria-endemic areas. However long-lived Plasmodium falciparum–specific antibody lasting for an individual's lifetime are frequently observed. Methods. We fit mathematical models of the dynamics titers P. falciparum antigens longitudinal cohort studies African children estimate half-lives circulating immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies and...
Interactions between HLA class I molecules and killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) control natural killer cell (NK) functions in immunity reproduction. Encoded by genes on different chromosomes, these polymorphic ligands correlate highly with disease resistance susceptibility. Although studied at low-resolution many populations, high-resolution analysis of combinatorial diversity KIR is limited to Asian Amerindian populations low genetic diversity. At the other end spectrum West...
The rising burden of chronic non-communicable diseases in low and middle income countries has major implications on the ability these to achieve universal health coverage. In this paper we discuss impact cardiovascular (CVD) primary healthcare services urban poor communities Accra, Ghana. We review evidence evolution coverage Ghana central role community-based planning (CHPS) programme National Health Insurance Scheme care. present preliminary findings from a study community CVD knowledge,...
Seeking consent for genetic and genomic research can be challenging, particularly in populations with low literacy levels, emergency situations. All of these factors were relevant to the MalariaGEN study influencing immune responses malaria northern rural Ghana. This sought identify issues arising practice during enrollment paediatric cases severe matched healthy controls into study.The used a rapid assessment incorporating multiple qualitative methods including depth interviews, focus group...
On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was cause of respiratory illness in cluster people Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. The disease christened COVID-19 and pathogen (an RNA virus) identified as SARS-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2).1,2
 virus is primarily spread through contact with small droplets produced from coughing, sneezing, or talking by an infected person. While substantial proportion individuals may remain asymptomatic, most...
Summary We studied the malaria transmission dynamics in Kassena Nankana district (KND), a site northern Ghana proposed for testing vaccines. Intensive mosquito sampling 1 year using human landing catches three micro‐ecological sites (irrigated, lowland and rocky highland) yielded 18 228 mosquitoes. Anopheles gambiae s.l. funestus constituted 94.3% of total collection with 76.8% captured from irrigated communities. Other species collected but relatively few numbers were pharoensis (5.4%)...
ABSTRACT In areas of intense Plasmodium falciparum transmission, protective immunity is acquired during childhood in parallel with acquisition agglutinating antibodies to parasite-encoded variant surface antigens (VSA) expressed on parasitized red blood cells. a semi-immune child such an area, clinical disease caused mainly by parasites expressing VSA not recognized preexisting VSA-specific that child. Such malaria episodes are known cause increase specifically recognizing the parasite...
Natural killer (NK) cells contribute to the essential functions of innate immunity and reproduction. Various genes encode NK cell receptors that recognize major histocompatibility complex (MHC) Class I molecules expressed by other cells. For primate cells, killer-cell immunoglobulin-like (KIR) are a variable rapidly evolving family MHC receptors. Studied here is KIR3DL1/S1, which encodes for highly polymorphic human HLA-A -B comprises three ancient allelic lineages have been preserved...
In 2005, Ghana adopted artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) for primary treatment of falciparum malaria. A comprehensive study the drug-resistance-associated mutations and their genetic lineages will lead to a better understanding evolution antimalarial drug resistance in this region.The pfcrt, pfmdr1, dhps, dhfr associated with chloroquine (CQ) sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) microsatellite loci flanking these genes were genotyped Plasmodium isolates from Ghana.The prevalence both CQ...
Background Reference values are very important in clinical management of patients, screening participants for enrolment into trials and monitoring the onset adverse events during these trials. The aim this was to establish gender-specific haematological biochemical reference healthy adults central part Ghana. Methods A total 691 between 18 59 years resident Kintampo North Municipality South District Ghana were randomly selected using Health Demographic Surveillance System enrolled...
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is believed to confer protection against Plasmodium falciparum malaria, but the precise nature of protective effect has proved difficult define as G6PD multiple allelic variants with different effects in males and females, it heterogeneous on clinical outcome P. infection. Here we report an analysis forms a large multi-centre case-control study severe using WHO classification mutations estimate each individual’s level enzyme activity from...
With the introduction of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) in 2005, monitoring anti-malarial drug efficacy, which includes use molecular tools to detect known genetic markers parasite resistance, is important for first-hand information on changes susceptibility drugs Ghana. This study investigated Plasmodium falciparum multidrug resistance gene (pfmdr1) copy number, mutations and chloroquine transporter (pfcrt) Ghanaian isolates collected seven years trends prevalence mutations....