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Article History

Received: 17 October 2024

Accepted: 15 April 2025

First Online: 30 April 2025

Declarations

:

: The University of Health and Allied Sciences Research Ethics Committee (UHAS-REC) granted approval for the study, referencing number UHAS-REC B.10 [086]23–24. Before the questionnaires were administered, permission was secured from the Kwadaso Health Directorate. All interviews were carried out with the full consent of the participants. For those under 18 years old, written informed consent was obtained from their parents or guardians, along with verbal assent from the minors to confirm their understanding of the study's purpose and their willingness to participate. This dual consent process, involving both parents/guardians and minors, received approval from UHAS-REC to ensure ethical adherence regarding the participation of child subjects. For other participants, informed consent was either written or thumb-printed. Additionally, verbal consent was requested to guarantee full comprehension, particularly for individuals needing clarification or who preferred verbal communication. This procedure was authorized by UHAS-REC. Confidentiality was upheld by using pseudonyms, and access to the encrypted, password-protected database was limited to the Principal Investigator and the research supervisor.

: Not applicable.

: The authors declare no competing interests.