Fred Stephen Sarfo
101 Publications38 Research Themes87 Open Access
Research Overview & Focus
A researcher focused on health science advancements in Sub-Saharan Africa has been concentrating on improving stroke rehabilitation, healthcare mechanisms addressing motor complications, acute ischemic stroke management, COVID-19 impact, Alzheimer's disease research, mycobacterium diagnosis, lipid transport issues, neurological impairments, telemedicine applications, HIV-related health complications, immunocompromhesion, brain-based interventions, and diabetes management. Despite significant progress in stroke rehabilitation, preventive measures, and treatment options for neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, acute ischemic strokes remain challenging due to resource limitations and a lack of standardized care strategies. The researcher highlights the need for further research into community engagement, telemedicine tools, and comprehensive healthcare systems to enhance access and outcomes for underserved populations. Additionally, addressing underlying causes such as inflammation, neuroinflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction requires collaboration with neurobiologists and mathematicians to develop targeted interventions.
Faculty Biography
Dr. Fred Stephen Sarfo is a researcher, a clinician and an educator. I practiced as a Neurologist from 2010 to date and hold 2 doctoral degrees in Epidemiology and Molecular Medicine from Durham University, UK and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology respectively. In 2010, I started a Neurology clinic at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi where I lead in providing services for a population of 12 million Ghanaians in the middle and northern sectors of the country as the only practicing neurologist for this sector of Ghana. I am passionate about context-specific research as a way of fashioning out locally relevant solutions to the health challenges of my society.Findings from my research enterprise is used to inform teaching of medical students and residents. To date, I have 193 peer-reviewed publications in Medical journals.
Key Research Themes (38)
Health Sciences
Acute Ischemic Stroke Management
Health Sciences
Aging, Elder Care, and Social Issues
Health Sciences
Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
Health Sciences
Atrial Fibrillation Management and Outcomes
Life Sciences
Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
Health Sciences
Blood Pressure and Hypertension Studies
Health Sciences
Chronic Kidney Disease and Diabetes
Health Sciences
COVID-19 and healthcare impacts
Health Sciences
Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
Health Sciences
Diabetes, Cardiovascular Risks, and Lipoproteins
Health Sciences
Diabetic Foot Ulcer Assessment and Management
Health Sciences
Dialysis and Renal Disease Management
Health Sciences
Epilepsy research and treatment
Health Sciences
Ethics in Clinical Research
Life Sciences
Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
Health Sciences
Global Health and Epidemiology
Social Sciences
Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology
Health Sciences
Helicobacter pylori-related gastroenterology studies
Health Sciences
Hepatitis B Virus Studies
Health Sciences
Hepatitis C virus research
Health Sciences
Hepatitis Viruses Studies and Epidemiology
Health Sciences
HIV-related health complications and treatments
Health Sciences
HIV/AIDS drug development and treatment
Health Sciences
HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
Life Sciences
Inflammation biomarkers and pathways
Health Sciences
Intracerebral and Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Research
Life Sciences
Kruppel-like factors research
Health Sciences
Lipoproteins and Cardiovascular Health
Health Sciences
Medication Adherence and Compliance
Health Sciences
Mycobacterium research and diagnosis
Health Sciences
Neonatal and fetal brain pathology
Life Sciences
Parasitic Infections and Diagnostics
Health Sciences
Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
Social Sciences
Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy
Health Sciences
Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery
Health Sciences
Telemedicine and Telehealth Implementation
Health Sciences
Thyroid Disorders and Treatments
Health Sciences
Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology
Publications (101)
Healthcare system barriers and facilitators to hypertension management in Ghana
Open AccessNovel functional insights into ischemic stroke biology provided by the first genome-wide association study of stroke in indigenous Africans
Open AccessTransforming Parkinson's Care in Africa (TraPCAf): protocol for a multimethodology National Institute for Health and Care Research Global Health Research Group project
Open AccessHealth systems interventions for hypertension management and associated outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review
Open AccessEffect of an Educational Intervention for Primary Stroke Risk Reduction in Ghana and Nigeria: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Open AccessAfrican Control of Hypertension through Innovative Epidemiology and a Vibrant Ecosystem (ACHIEVE): novel strategies for accelerating hypertension control in Africa
The Nairobi Declaration—Reducing the burden of dementia in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs): Declaration of the 2022 Symposium on Dementia and Brain Aging in LMICs
Open AccessPatient-level and system-level determinants of stroke fatality across 16 large hospitals in Ghana and Nigeria: a prospective cohort study
Open AccessTelemedicine for Individuals with epilepsy: Recommendations from the International League Against Epilepsy Telemedicine Task Force
Open AccessPolypill Programs to Prevent Stroke and Cut Costs in Low Income Countries: Moving From Clinical Efficacy to Pragmatic Implementation
Open AccessBiological sample donation and informed consent for neurobiobanking: Evidence from a community survey in Ghana and Nigeria
Open AccessDementia in Africa: Current evidence, knowledge gaps, and future directions
Open AccessStroke in Africa: profile, progress, prospects and priorities
Open AccessA Novel Afrocentric Stroke Risk Assessment Score: Models from the Siren Study
Open AccessPhone-Based Intervention under Nurse Guidance after Stroke (PINGS II) Study: Protocol for a Phase III Randomized Clinical Trial
Open AccessGlobal Impact of COVID-19 on Stroke Care and IV Thrombolysis
Open AccessFactors associated with hypertension among stroke‐free indigenous Africans: Findings from the SIREN study
Open AccessPrevalence and incidence of pre‐diabetes and diabetes mellitus among people living with HIV in Ghana: Evidence from the EVERLAST Study
Prevalence and predictors of post-stroke epilepsy among Ghanaian stroke survivors
Prevalence and factors associated with severe depressive symptoms in older west African people living with HIV
Open AccessCOVID-19 and stroke: Experience in a Ghanaian healthcare system
Open AccessNatural history of motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease and the long-duration response to levodopa
Open AccessPrevalence and predictors of statin utilization among patient populations at high vascular risk in Ghana
Open AccessRegional Patterns and Association Between Obesity and Hypertension in Africa
Open AccessRifampicin and clarithromycin (extended release) versus rifampicin and streptomycin for limited Buruli ulcer lesions: a randomised, open-label, non-inferiority phase 3 trial
Open AccessUnraveling the risk factors for spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage among West Africans
Open AccessConceptual framework for establishing the African Stroke Organization
Open AccessImproving the quality of care for people who had a stroke in a low‐/middle‐income country: A qualitative analysis of health‐care professionals’ perspectives
Open AccessUnraveling the Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications of Neurobiobanking and Stroke Genomic Research in Africa: A Study Protocol of the African Neurobiobank for Precision Stroke Medicine ELSI Project
Open AccessPost-intervention qualitative assessment of mobile health technology to manage hypertension among Ghanaian stroke survivors
Open AccessLower prevalence of Blastocystis sp. infections in HIV positive compared to HIV negative adults in Ghana
Open AccessPrevalence and predictors of chronic kidney disease among Ghanaian patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus: A multicenter cross‐sectional study
Open AccessCharacteristics of hypertension among people living with HIV in Ghana: Impact of new hypertension guideline
Open AccessQuality of life among patients with moderate to advanced chronic kidney disease in Ghana - a single centre study
Open AccessDifferential Impact of Risk Factors on Stroke Occurrence Among Men Versus Women in West Africa
Open AccessIncidence and determinants of diabetes-related lower limb amputations in Ghana, 2010–2015- a retrospective cohort study
Open AccessPrevalence, Trajectory, and Predictors of Poststroke Fatigue among Ghanaians
Open AccessBurden of subclinical carotid atherosclerosis and vascular risk factors among people living with HIV in Ghana
Phone-based intervention for blood pressure control among Ghanaian stroke survivors: A pilot randomized controlled trial
Knowledge, attitudes and practices related to stroke in Ghana and Nigeria: A SIREN call to action
Open AccessEstimated glomerular filtration rate predicts incident stroke among Ghanaians with diabetes and hypertension
Open AccessIncident stroke among Ghanaians with hypertension and diabetes: A multicenter, prospective cohort study
Open AccessPredictors of glycemic control in type-2 diabetes mellitus: Evidence from a multicenter study in Ghana
Open AccessKnowledge, attitudes and practices of West Africans on genetic studies of stroke: Evidence from the SIREN Study
Open AccessTele-Rehabilitation after Stroke: An Updated Systematic Review of the Literature
Biobanking in a Challenging African Environment: Unique Experience from the SIREN Project
Open AccessA multi-center prospective cohort study to evaluate the effect of differential pricing and health systems strengthening on access to medicines and management of hypertension and diabetes in Ghana: A study protocol
Open AccessStroke Among Young West Africans
Open AccessFactors associated with uncontrolled blood pressure among Ghanaians: Evidence from a multicenter hospital-based study
Open AccessDominant modifiable risk factors for stroke in Ghana and Nigeria (SIREN): a case-control study
Open AccessDominant modifiable risk factors for stroke in Ghana and Nigeria (SIREN): a case-control study
Open AccessA multi-center prospective cohort study to evaluate the effect of differential pricing and health systems strengthening on access to medicines and management of hypertension and diabetes in Ghana: A study protocol
Open AccessPilot trial of a tele-rehab intervention to improve outcomes after stroke in Ghana: A feasibility and user satisfaction study
Long-Term Outcomes of Stroke in a Ghanaian Outpatient Clinic
Open AccessPINGS (Phone-Based Intervention Under Nurse Guidance After Stroke)
Open AccessAPOL1, CDKN2A/CDKN2B, and HDAC9 polymorphisms and small vessel ischemic stroke
Open AccessPotential role of tele-rehabilitation to address barriers to implementation of physical therapy among West African stroke survivors: A cross-sectional survey
Open AccessAssessing Mobile Health Capacity and Task Shifting Strategies to Improve Hypertension Among Ghanaian Stroke Survivors
Open AccessTele-neurology in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review of the literature
Open AccessCurrent trends in admissions and outcomes of cardiac diseases in Ghana
Open AccessClearance of viable Mycobacterium ulcerans from Buruli ulcer lesions during antibiotic treatment as determined by combined 16S rRNA reverse transcriptase /IS 2404 qPCR assay
Open AccessBurden and Predictors of Poststroke Cognitive Impairment in a Sample of Ghanaian Stroke Survivors
Open AccessPost-stroke depression in Ghana: Characteristics and correlates
Open AccessInterleukin–6 ( IL-6 ) rs1800796 and cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor ( CDKN2A/CDKN2B ) rs2383207 are associated with ischemic stroke in indigenous West African Men
Open AccessStroke in Indigenous Africans, African Americans, and European Americans
Open AccessPrevalence and Prognostic Features of ECG Abnormalities in Acute Stroke: Findings From the SIREN Study Among Africans
Open AccessStroke-related stigma among West Africans: Patterns and predictors
Open AccessFrequency and determinants of thyroid autoimmunity in Ghanaian type 2 diabetes patients: a case-control study
Open AccessAdministration of a pictorial questionnaire to screen for stroke among patients with hypertension or diabetes in rural Ghana
Open AccessSecular Trends in Admissions and Mortality Rates from Diabetes Mellitus in the Central Belt of Ghana: A 31-Year Review
Open AccessPhone-based Intervention under Nurse Guidance after Stroke (PINGS): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Open AccessFactors associated with performing tuberculosis screening of HIV-positive patients in Ghana: LASSO-based predictor selection in a large public health data set
Open AccessValidation of the 8-item questionnaire for verifying stroke free status with and without pictograms in three West African languages
Open AccessProfile of neurological disorders in an adult neurology clinic in Kumasi, Ghana
Open AccessRecent patterns and predictors of neurological mortality among hospitalized patients in Central Ghana
Helicobacter pylori Infection Is Associated with Higher CD4 T Cell Counts and Lower HIV-1 Viral Loads in ART-Naïve HIV-Positive Patients in Ghana
Open AccessMultilingual Validation of the Questionnaire for Verifying Stroke-Free Status in West Africa
Open AccessRecent advances: role of mycolactone in the pathogenesis and monitoring of<i>Mycobacterium ulcerans</i>infection/Buruli ulcer disease
Open AccessLoop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification for Laboratory Confirmation of Buruli Ulcer Disease—Towards a Point-of-Care Test
Open AccessTrends in stroke admission and mortality rates from 1983 to 2013 in central Ghana
<i>Helicobacter pylori</i>Coinfection Is Associated With Decreased Markers of Immune Activation in ART-Naive HIV-Positive and in HIV-Negative Individuals in Ghana
Open AccessLiver Fibrosis by Transient Elastography and Virologic Outcomes After Introduction of Tenofovir in Lamivudine-Experienced Adults With HIV and Hepatitis B Virus Coinfection in Ghana
Open AccessStroke genomics in people of African ancestry: charting new paths: review article
Open AccessEffectiveness of Routine BCG Vaccination on Buruli Ulcer Disease: A Case-Control Study in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana and Togo
Open AccessPhenotyping Stroke in Sub-Saharan Africa: Stroke Investigative Research and Education Network (SIREN) Phenomics Protocol
High Frequency of Active HCV Infection Among Seropositive Cases in West Africa and Evidence for Multiple Transmission Pathways
Open AccessBuruli Ulcer Control in a Highly Endemic District in Ghana: Role of Community-Based Surveillance Volunteers
Open AccessThe modern pre-levodopa era of Parkinson's disease: insights into motor complications from sub-Saharan Africa
Open AccessKinetics of mycolactone in human subcutaneous tissue during antibiotic therapy for Mycobacterium ulcerans disease
Open AccessClinical and Bacteriological Efficacy of Rifampin-Streptomycin Combination for Two Weeks followed by Rifampin and Clarithromycin for Six Weeks for Treatment of Mycobacterium ulcerans Disease
Open AccessPharmacogenetic associations with plasma efavirenz concentrations and clinical correlates in a retrospective cohort of Ghanaian HIV-infected patients
Hepatitis E virus infections in HIV-infected patients in Ghana and Cameroon
High prevalence of renal dysfunction and association with risk of death amongst HIV-infected Ghanaians
Microbiological, Histological, Immunological, and Toxin Response to Antibiotic Treatment in the Mouse Model of Mycobacterium ulcerans Disease
Open AccessOutcomes of starting first-line antiretroviral therapy in hepatitis B virus/HIV-coinfected patients in Ghana
Open AccessScreening LRRK2 gene mutations in patients with Parkinson’s disease in Ghana
Mycolactone Diffuses into the Peripheral Blood of Buruli Ulcer Patients - Implications for Diagnosis and Disease Monitoring
Open AccessDetection of Highly Prevalent Hepatitis B Virus Coinfection among HIV-Seropositive Persons in Ghana
Open AccessClinical Efficacy of Combination of Rifampin and Streptomycin for Treatment of<i>Mycobacterium ulcerans</i>Disease
Open AccessImmunosuppressive Signature of Cutaneous<i>Mycobacterium ulcerans</i>Infection in the Peripheral Blood of Patients with Buruli Ulcer Disease
Open AccessSensitivity of PCR Targeting <i>Mycobacterium ulcerans</i> by Use of Fine-Needle Aspirates for Diagnosis of Buruli Ulcer
Open AccessAcademic Metrics
DepartmentDepartment of Medicine
Total Publications101
Research Themes38
Open Access Papers87
Department of Medicine
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology